Cats (musical) carrying Grizabella and Old Deuteronomy partway toward the sky; he then steps off so she can finish the journey on her own. Finally, Old Deuteronomy gives his closing speech to the audience ("The Ad-dressing of Cats") and the show comes to a close. A 1981 recording of the Original London Cast was released first on LP and cassette tape and later as a two-CD set. It contains the following tracks: Composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, the production of "Cats" is based on T. S. Eliot's "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats" (1939), which the composer recalled as having been a
Cats (musical) Best Musical at both the Laurence Olivier Awards and the Tony Awards. The London production ran for 21 years and the Broadway production ran for 18 years, both setting new records. Actresses Elaine Paige and Betty Buckley became particularly associated with the musical. One actress, Marlene Danielle, performed in the Broadway production for its entire run (from 1982 until 2000). As of 2018, "Cats" is the fourth-longest-running show in Broadway history, and was the longest-running Broadway show in history from 1997 until 2006 when it was surpassed by "The Phantom of the Opera". "Cats" is the sixth-longest-running West End show.