what is cats the musical about

Cats the musical is about a tribe of cats called the Jellicles who gather once a year for the Jellicle Ball. On this special night, their wise leader Old Deuteronomy chooses one cat to ascend to the Heaviside Layer, a fictional cat afterlife, to be reborn into a new life. Throughout the musical, various cats introduce themselves and tell their stories to persuade Old Deuteronomy to select them. The story features individual cats like Grizabella, the glamor cat who left the tribe but returns seeking acceptance; Macavity, the villainous “Napoleon of crime” who kidnaps Old Deuteronomy; and Rum Tum Tugger, Jennyanydots, Bustopher Jones, and others, each with their own unique traits and songs. The musical is sung-through, largely based on T.S. Eliot’s poems from "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats," and includes iconic moments such as Grizabella's powerful song “Memory.” Ultimately, Grizabella is accepted back into the tribe and chosen for rebirth, symbolizing redemption and renewal.