Andrew Lloyd Webber found The Old Possums Book of Practical Cats by T.S Eliot and thought he could turn it into a musical. After all if someone could turn to life of Eva Peron into a hit musical they could do this.

He started to write music for the songs and took his ideas to T.S Eliot’s widow. She loved the idea and showed him an un-finished poem her husband had been working on called ‘Grizabella the glamour cat’ he hadn’t included this in his children’s book because he had felt it was too much for children.

Andrew Lloyd Webber hired Gillian Lynne, and Trevor Nun to work for him. He’d worked with Tim Rice His whole career but they’d had a recent argument that made him think maybe he should try a new lyricist for this musical.
All the songs were being finished and they still didn’t know what the story was to this musical. They decided to use the 8-line poem that T.S Eliot’s widow had given them to write a song. Andrew Lloyd Webber wrote the Music and Trevor Nun wrote the lyrics.

Tim Rice getting his nose bent by being cut out of the project tried at the lyrics but Andrew Lloyd Webber decided on Trevor Nun’s instead. Click here to see Tim Rice's Lyrics!

Gillian Lynne created the characters and their personalities along with the Actors.
Andrew Lloyd Webber, on the other hand, was having trouble getting people to invest in his musical and no one would play it. He resorted to getting investments from his friends and his wife, Sarah’s Friends, and other small business owners. Once he had the money to start he began work at the New London Theatre in West End.

They knew they were taking a risk with this musical. Everyone thought it sounded absurd. On May 11th 1981 Cats opened for the first time and that was the beginning of an era.