CATS Cats is famous for being the longest running show in Broadway history. It is based on T.S. Eliot's work Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, a small collection of poems for children. The story is about a group of cats, known as the Jellicle Tribe. who live in a junkyard and gather for an annual Jellicle Ball. At the end of each Jellicle Ball, one cat is chosen to ascend to the Heaviside Layer, a sort of cat equivalent of heaven. Cats has been translated into more than 20 languages. It has also been shown in more than 30 countries and seen by more than 50 million people round the world! One of the things that makes Cats so popular is its amazing costumes. They were designed by John Napier who won a Tony Award for Best Costume Design in 1983. Actors in the show look like real cats, as they dance, sing and act in heavy fur and headpieces with ears and whiskers. Every cat in the show has its own costume and its own make-up which helps to project their personality. Napier will always be remembered for the costumes that made Cats an icon of musical theatre. Cats must be seen by everyone.