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SUMMARY:collection-property-of-technical-production-manager-jake-bellcats -
  Date de vente : 05/06/2025
DESCRIPTION:Nom du lots : Collection: Property of Technical Production Mana
 ger Jake BellCATS\nJake Bell’s Annotated Production Book and Script from
  Cats. An early production book with dates and notes relating to both the 
 first Broadway production and the first National tour of Cats in 1983. The
  production book an old blue cloth covered three ring binder with a label 
 to the upper cover reading "CATS NEW YORK COMPANY/PRODUCTION BOOK JAKE’S
  COPY\," this without a general title leaf but opening with the Contact Sh
 eet for the show dated 10 October 1983 (listing producers Cameron Mackinto
 sh\, David Geffen\, The Shubert Organization)\, the Broadway cast list and
  contract assignments\, prop list\, the "Magic Sheet" breaking down each r
 ole\, this all preceding the script (about 58 pages with hand-annotation)\
 , at the end is the contact list for the first national Cats tour\, dated 
 November 1983. Some wear and soiling from use. The script is brad-bound an
 d the black cover is lettered in gold\, the title page is dated October 19
 82 from the Winter Garden Theatre (this the month the musical opened on Br
 oadway). 52 pages. A fine and clean copy\, without annotation. \nCats was 
 a remarkably innovative show when it first opened on Broadway in October 1
 982. Perhaps the first Broadway musical to do so\, the show broke down the
  proscenium\, offering some seats on stage around the revolving stage for 
 an immersive viewing experience. The technical requirements of the show de
 manded renovations to the theaters in both London and New York\, and when 
 the costs of John Napier’s costumes are added in\, Cats was the most exp
 ensive show to open on Broadway to that date\, but it was profitable quick
 ly. In 1997\, Cats overtook A Chorus Line as the longest running show in B
 roadway history\, a record until 2006 when surpassed by another Andrew Llo
 yd Webber musical produced by Cameron Mackintosh and technically managed b
 y Jake Bell: The Phantom of the Opera. Cats remains the fifth-longest show
  in Broadway history. A national tour of Cats opened in 1983\, running thr
 ough 1987\, and this book relates to both the first Broadway and first nat
 ional tour of Cats. \nTechnical Production Manager Jake Bell’s memories 
 of Cats:\nCreated by Andrew Lloyd Webber\, Cats was first produced in Lond
 on by Cameron Mackintosh\, directed by Trevor Nunn\, choreographed by Gill
 ian Lynne\, and designed by John Napier. It opened on Broadway in 1982 at 
 the Winter Garden Theatre. Based on T.S. Eliot’s poetry collection Old P
 ossum’s Book of Practical Cats\, at the time Cats was conceptually groun
 dbreaking in that\, unlike traditional musical\,s it was not about human c
 haracters - it was about cats - and the story was told entirely through mu
 sic\, dance\, and poetry\, with no spoken dialogue.\nThe set was an oversi
 zed junkyard\, designed to make the human actors appear cat-sized. Key set
  pieces included a giant sneaker\, the trunk of a broken-down car (often u
 sed as a cat slide)\, an enormous Heinz Baked Beans can\, and a large tire
 —creating an immersive\, whimsical playground for the feline characters.
  Audience interaction was another defining element. Select tickets were so
 ld for onstage seating\, allowing some audience members to be a direct par
 t of the performance. The onstage seating allowed these guests to experien
 ce their own immersive "theater in the round." During intermission\, other
  audience members were invited onstage to explore the set and interact wit
 h Old Deuteronomy\, who remained seated on the oversized junkyard tire.\nC
 ats was arguably the introduction of the "mega-musical" to the world\, del
 ivering an unprecedented visual and theatrical spectacle that stunned audi
 ences\, particularly those in middle America\, who had never seen anything
  like it before.\nBeyond Broadway\, Jake worked on four national tours of 
 Cats. Unlike the Broadway production\, where the theater was physically re
 novated to accommodate the show\, the touring companies had to adapt to ea
 ch venue. The team pre-surveyed theaters across the country\, modifying th
 e set to fit within different proscenium sizes while covering existing arc
 hitecture to create a seamless illusion. The orchestra pit was concealed\,
  and the set decoration pieces were mounted on a frame customized to each 
 specific theater. As on Broadway\, the orchestra itself was positioned off
 stage.\nCats was one of the first Broadway productions to fully embrace wi
 reless microphone technology. Every principal character wore a wireless mi
 crophone\, which was discreetly embedded into their wigs—an innovation a
 t the time. The hydraulic lift for the giant tire\, which carried Grizabel
 la to the "Heaviside Layer\," was the single most expensive item in the pr
 oduction budget. However\, just as crucial to the show’s identity were i
 ts elaborate makeup and costuming. A Makeup Bible was created for all Cats
  productions worldwide. Each actor’s makeup design\, paired with a handm
 ade wig (crafted from yak hair)\, was carefully documented with a photogra
 ph and matched to John Napier’s original sketches. Napier\, who designed
  not only the scenery and props but also the costumes\, hair\, and makeup\
 , ensured that this signature look remained consistent across all producti
 ons.\nCats was the first show to completely rethink the layout of an entir
 e theater\, from the audience seating to the back wall of the stage. The W
 inter Garden Theatre was permanently remodeled to accommodate the producti
 on. Seats were removed\, the orchestra pit was eliminated\, and the prosce
 nium arch was taken down. The orchestra itself was relocated offstage\, po
 sitioned upstage left in the wings. The immersive junkyard set extended ou
 t into the audience\, enveloping theatergoers in the world of the show. Th
 is was particularly exciting for children\, who felt as if they were truly
  inside a cat’s domain. Even the dry ice used to mask the hydraulic lift
  as it raised Grizabella floated into the front rows\, further blending th
 e stage with the audience. The cast frequently entered from the rear and s
 ides of the house\, reinforcing the illusion that the entire theater was p
 art of their world.\nWhen the Broadway production of Cats closed in 2000 a
 fter 18 years and 7\,485 performances\, the stage and house crews had to r
 estore the Winter Garden Theatre to its original state. The removed seats 
 were reinstalled\, the orchestra pit was rebuilt\, and the proscenium was 
 reconstructed to prepare the venue for future productions.
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