Delta Goodrem to star in ‘Cats’ tour

Delta Goodrem as GrizabellaThe producers of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats have announced that Delta Goodrem is performing with the all-Australian cast when the acclaimed West End revival production of Cats tours Australia from October this year. Goodrem is confirmed to play the coveted role of Grizabella in Sydney, Hobart and Melbourne and will sing “Memory”, one of the most well-known songs of all time.

 

Delta Goodrem said, “I am so excited to be making my musical theatre debut as Grizabella in Cats, one of the most iconic roles. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s work is extraordinary and his music speaks to people all around the world. I am so honoured to have the opportunity to share Andrew’s music and Grizabella with a whole new generation of Australian audiences. I grew up admiring Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musicals, so it is with great honour I am getting to join the Cats’ legacy.”

 

This much-loved record-breaking musical opens in Sydney on October 30 and is then touring to Hobart, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide before finishing in Perth in April 2016. Tickets are on sale now.

 

Goodrem is set to have an exciting 2015 as she is currently a coach on Nine Network’s The Voice and also has a new music release coming out in the next few weeks.

 

Cats, one of the longest running shows in West End and on Broadway, received its world premiere at the New London Theatre in 1981 where it played for 21 record-breaking years and almost 9,000 performances. The production was the winner of the Olivier and Evening Standard Awards for Best Musical. In 1983, the Broadway production became the recipient of seven Tony awards (including Best Musical) and ran for 18 years. Since its world premiere, Cats has been presented in over 30 countries, has been translated into 15 languages and has been seen by over 73 million people worldwide.

 

Both the original London and Broadway cast recordings won Grammy Awards for Best Cast Album. The classic Lloyd Webber score includes “Memory”, which has been recorded by over 150 artists, from Barbra Streisand and Johnny Mathis to Liberace and Barry Manilow.

 

The 2015 Olivier Award-nominated show—which was reworked by the original creative team including Director Trevor Nunn, Associate Director and Choreographer Gillian Lynne, Designer John Napier and Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber—was a smash hit throughout its run at the Palladium in 2014 and 2015. In London, Nicole Scherzinger and then Kerry Ellis played the role of Grizabella during its sell-out Palladium run.

 

This hit revival introduces a rapping “street cat” in the famous Rum Tum Tugger role, who will perform some serious breakdancing moves.

 

To see dates and locations for the Australian tour of Cats, head to www.catsthemusical.com/australia.  

 

Image: Delta Goodrem will play Grizabella in Cats. Image courtesy of the Cats Australian tour.