Andrew Lloyd Webber said he was “gutted” that Cats: The Jellicle Ball was closing at Broadway’s Broadhurst Theatre, five months earlier than planned. He praised the production’s daring creative team and cast, while arguing that its closure should prompt the industry to confront what he described as the unsustainable cost of mounting and running new Broadway shows.

The reimagined Cats production gave 17 performers their Broadway debuts, and its producers thanked audiences while suggesting there could be more “Jellicle joy” ahead. Lloyd Webber had previously urged theatre owners, unions and producers to address Broadway’s financial pressures, but drew criticism from commenters who said landlords and theatre owners should be scrutinised more closely and that union workers must be paid fairly.