The musical was composed in the early 1980s by British songwriter Andrew Lloyd Weber and based upon a book by T.S. Eliot, "The Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats" and featuring lyrics taken directly from the text of the poems (with the exception of the song "Memory," whose lyrics were written by Trevor Nunn). Originally, Lloyd Webber intended to create a song cycle, but decided to turn the songs into a musical when unpublished material by Eliot, revealed by his widow, presented a story that could be made into a stage play.
In addition to Lloyd Webber's production company, The Really Useful Group, "Cats" was produced by musical theater giant Cameron Mackintosh. Both the original London production and the subsequent Broadway production were directed by British director Trevor Nunn. The production was choreographed by Gillian Lynne with set and lighting by John Napier and David Hersey, respectively (the same production team was kept intact for the Broadway version).
The London production of "Cats" opened on May 11, 1981 in the West End theatre district at the New London Theatre. The Broadway production opened on October 7, 1982 at the Winter Garden Theater in New York City.
Both the London and Broadway productions of "Cats" received a wide array of prestigious awards and set records for their length of running time. The original London production ran for 21 years while the Broadway version ran for 15, with both productions setting records for longest-running musical in their districts at the time of their closing. Awards for the productions included the Laurence Olivier award (for the London production) and the Tony Award for Best Musical (for the Broadway production).
The popularity of "Cats" has spread beyond the British and American audiences, and even beyond English-speaking countries. "Cats" has been translated into more than 20 languages and produced throughout the world.