I know there are people on this board who will strongly disagree, but I would say that Cats isn't that bad, but from the 2022 perspective, it also isn't that great. I wasn't surprised the 2016 revival didn't last that long, but the original opened 40 years ago and closed over 20 years ago.
I think some hit shows seem to have self-fulfilling momentum because they are hit shows. Kinky Boots is a recent example of that for me. I enjoyed it enough, but it's the 26th longest-running Broadway show of all time, just above The Producers, Beautiful, Annie, and the Mendes Cabaret, and just below Hairspray, Aladdin, Mary Poppins, and Avenue Q. I can understand why its neighbors are so popular, but I find Kinky Boots to be a head-scratcher. Kinky Boots is well-done but I don't think any of its elements are outstanding enough to explain that level of popularity (IMO, of course). |
