Theaters remain shut down, but Broadway lovers still have a lot to celebrate amid the coronavirus pandemic.
On Tuesday, Disney announced that “Hamilton” — a film of the Tony Award-winning musical that features the original Broadway cast — will stream on Disney Plus starting July 3.
And thanks to the YouTube channel “The Shows Must Go On,” an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical streams for free every Friday. Last week, the channel streamed “By Jeeves!” — a comedy based on the P. G. Wodehouse characters Bertie Wooster and his butler, Jeeves.
This Friday, the channel will stream a 1998 film of “Cats,” according to Playbill. Based on a collection of T.S. Eliot poems, “Cats” made its Broadway debut in 1982 and is one of the longest-running Broadway shows in history, Playbill reported.
The 1998 film features Elaine Paige, who originated the role of Grizabella and sang the hit song “Memory” on London’s West End. The film also stars Ken Page, who originated the role of Old Deuteronomy on Broadway.
The 1998 production saw better success than the 2019 film “Cats,” which the Deseret News reported was a box office disaster despite the all-star cast.
The musical will be available for 48 hours starting May 15 at noon MT.
Previously, “The Shows Must Go On” has streamed “By Jeeves!” “Andrew Lloyd Webber – The Royal Albert Hall Celebration,” “The Phantom of the Opera,” the “Phantom” sequel “Love Never Dies,” “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” starring Donny Osmond, and the 2012 U.K. arena tour production of “Jesus Christ Superstar.”
Proceeds from the streams have gone to The Actors Fund, Acting for Others, Broadway Cares and Actors Benevolent Fund, among others, according to Playbill.
In self-isolation, Webber has stayed connected to fans through social media, the Deseret News previously reported. Using the hashtags #HomeIsWhereTheMusicIs and #TogetherAtHome, the “Phantom” composer has regularly performed songs from his musicals on his piano at home.
Most recently, Webber performed “Skimbleshanks: The Railway Cat” from “Cats.”