Andrew Lloyd Webber says Broadway is in ‘extreme danger’ as Cats announces early closure | Andrew Lloyd Webber

Andrew Lloyd Webber has spoken out about the parlous state of Broadway in the wake of the early closure of his revival of Cats: The Jellicle Ball.

“Broadway is more than just a street or a group of buildings. It is an idea — and one of the greatest cultural ideas America has ever given us,” the composer wrote in a long-running X series on Tuesday morning.

“This idea is now in grave danger. I beg all who have the power to protect it: to unite before it is too late.”

It was announced yesterday that despite taking home three Tony Awards this year, Lloyd Webber’s Cats: The Jellicle Ball will close after just five months on Broadway, with its final run scheduled for August 8.

The show cost $18 million, but failed to recoup despite audience popularity and about $1 million in weekly revenue due to the high costs of running a musical in New York’s theater district.

In a four-star review, The Guardian praised the “revolutionary vitality” of The Jellicle Ball, adding that it was “a powerful testament to what is possible when producers go beyond the traditional scope of Broadway and bring in new talent to widen the sights of commercial theatre.”

“The painful truth is that, under current circumstances, bringing almost any new show to Broadway makes no sense financially,” Lloyd Webber said.

“The costs are enormous. Creators, writers and directors are often forced to accept minimal royalties just to stage the work.”

Since the Covid-19 pandemic, 46 musicals have opened on Broadway, according to a New York Times report last year, at a total cost of about $800 million to bring to the stage. New musicals such as Tammy Faye, Pop! Smash opened to big budgets and huge fanfare, but was all canceled within four months of opening.

“Many are now living on a fixed weekly wage rather than properly participating in the success of the business they helped create,” Lloyd Webber said. “How can the next generation build a life in theater under these conditions? Young creatives cannot survive on goodwill alone.

“The situation is no better for investors. Many consider themselves lucky to get even part of their money back. Without investors willing to take risks, and artists able to make a living, where will the next generation of Broadway shows come from?”

Despite Lloyd Webber’s acknowledged instability, Broadway’s 2025-2026 season generated a record $1.91 billion in ticket sales, led by popular new productions like Every Brilliant Thing starring Daniel Radcliffe.

Meanwhile, a revival of “Evita” directed by Lloyd Webber and starring Rachel Ziegler recently announced its move to Broadway after a successful run in London’s West End. The show will open at New York’s Winter Garden Theater in the spring of 2027.

“Of course, established hits on Broadway remain profitable,” the composer wrote. “But Broadway cannot survive creatively or commercially on three old shows. Bold, new work must have a future — whether on Broadway itself or in new forms like The Masquerade, which is now approaching its first year in New York.”

Lloyd Webber ended his essay with a heartfelt statement of his hope for the future of New York theater. “I still love Broadway as much as I did when I was a teenager,” he said. “I want future generations to experience the same sense of possibility.

He added: “Theatre owners, unions and producers must meet urgently.” “Every part of the industry has an interest in finding a solution.

“Without movement, Broadway risks competing with the empty theaters of Hollywood: the increasingly dark theaters where bold new works once lived.”