Andrew Lloyd Webber says Broadway in ‘dire danger’ as Cats musical announces early closing

Andrew Lloyd Webber at the New York premiere of the film Cats in New York, 2019. Photograph: Evan Agostini/Invision/AP View image in fullscreen Andrew Lloyd Webber at the New York premiere of the film Cats in New York, 2019. Photograph: Evan Agostini/Invision/AP Andrew Lloyd Webber says Broadway in ‘dire danger’ as Cats musical announces early closing The legendary composer warned theaters could soon meet the same fate as Hollywood’s ‘empty soundstages’ Andrew Lloyd Webber has spoken out about the precarious state of Broadway in the wake of the early closing of his revival Cats: The Jellicle Ball . “Broadway is more than a street or a collection of buildings. It is an idea—and one of the greatest cultural ideas America has given us,” the composer wrote in a lengthy X thread on Tuesday morning. “That idea is now in dire danger. I beg everyone with the power to protect it: come together before it is too late.” Yesterday, it was announced that despite receiving three Tony awards this year, Lloyd Webber’s Cats: The Jellicle Ball would close after just five months on Broadway, with its final performance slated for 8 August. The show cost a reported $18m to create, but failed to recoup despite audience popularity and around $1m in weekly grosses due to the high costs of running a musical in New York’s theater district. In a four star review, the Guardian praised the “revolutionary verve” of The Jellicle Ball, adding that it was “a mighty testament to what is possible when producers look past the traditional scope of Broadway and bring in fresh talent to widen the aperture of commercial theater’s gaze”. “The painful truth is that, with things as they are, bringing almost any new show to Broadway makes little financial sense,” said Lloyd Webber. “The costs are immense. Creators, writers and directors are often forced to accept minimal royalties simply to get work staged.” Since the Covid-19 pandemic, 46 musicals have opened on Broadway per a New York Times report last year, with a total cost of around $800m to bring to the stage. New musicals such as Tammy Faye, Boop! and Smash opened with big budgets and huge fanfare, but were all cancelled after less than four months of opening. “Many now survive on a fixed weekly fee rather than sharing properly in the success of the work they helped to create,” said Lloyd Webber. “How can the next generation build a life in theatre under those conditions? Young creatives cannot live on goodwill alone. “The situation is scarcely better for investors. Many count themselves fortunate if they recover even part of their money. Without investors willing to take risks, and artists able to make a living, where will Broadway’s next generation of shows come from?” Cats: The Jellicle Ball review – ingenious musical revival goes full queer ball Read more Despite the instability recognized by Lloyd Webber, Broadway’s 2025-2026 season grossed a record $1.91bn in ticket sales, led by popular new productions such as Every Brilliant

Emilysarahclarke

Webbers concerns echo broader industry anxieties, but technological innovations in streaming, virtual reality, and AI-driven content creation offer new pathways for theatrical preservation and evolution. The medium may change, but storytelling.

Jul 14, 2026 5:32 pm