Grizabella the Glamour Cat is a main character in the

Andrew Lloyd Webber Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber (born 22 March 1948) is an English composer and impresario of musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End theatre, West End and on Broadway theatre, Broad ...

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), charac ...

Cats The cat (''Felis catus''), also referred to as the domestic cat or house cat, is a small domesticated carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species of the family Felidae. Advances in archaeology and genetics have shown that the ...

''. Lonely and decrepit, Grizabella seeks acceptance from the other Jellicle cats but is initially ostracised. She sings the most famous song from the musical, "

Memory Memory is the faculty of the mind by which data or information is encoded, stored, and retrieved when needed. It is the retention of information over time for the purpose of influencing future action. If past events could not be remembe ...

". The role was originated by

Elaine Paige Dame Elaine Jill Paige (born Elaine Jill Bickerstaff, 5 March 1948) is an English singer and actress, best known for her work in musical theatre. Raised in Chipping Barnet, Barnet, Hertfordshire, Paige attended the Aida Foster Theatre School, m ...

in the West End in 1981 (replacing Dame

Judi Dench Dame Judith Olivia Dench (born 9 December 1934) is an English actress. Widely considered one of Britain's greatest actors, she is noted for her versatility, having appeared in films and television, as well as for her numerous roles on the stage ...

four days before the production's opening night), and by

Betty Buckley Betty Buckley (born July 3, 1947)LuKanic, Steven A (1995). Film Actors Guide'. Los Angeles, CA: Lone Eagle Publishing. p. 55. . is an American actress and singer. Buckley is the winner of a Tony Award, and was nominated for an additional Ton ...

on Broadway in 1982. Buckley won the 1983 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her portrayal.

Jennifer Hudson Jennifer Kate Hudson (born September 12, 1981), also known by her nickname J.Hud, is an American singer, actress, producer, and talk show host. Having received List of awards and nominations received by Jennifer Hudson, numerous accolades for ...

portrayed Grizabella in the 2019 film adaptation.

Character

Grizabella is, at the time of her appearance, a very old and mangy cat, withered to the point that she no longer resembles the glamorous cat of her youth. Having left the Jellicle tribe a long time ago, she is now all alone and left with only the memories of her happier days. She returns to the tribe seeking re-acceptance, but her fellow Jellicles are initially repulsed by her and repeatedly shun her. Grizabella makes her entrance early on in the first act of the musical. She approaches the other cats, but they treat her like a pariah as

Demeter In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, Demeter (; Attic Greek, Attic: ''Dēmḗtēr'' ; Doric Greek, Doric: ''Dāmā́tēr'') is the Twelve Olympians, Olympian goddess of the harvest and agriculture, presiding over cro ...

and Bombalurina explain who she is ("Grizabella: The Glamour Cat"). She comes back at the end of the first act, watching from afar as the other cats dance at the Jellicle Ball. Grizabella attempts to replicate their dance moves but realises she is too weak; she sings a prelude to "

" as she contemplates her plight. Grizabella makes her final appearance towards the end of the musical. This time, she addresses the cats by singing the full version of "Memory" in which she pleads for their understanding and acceptance. She collapses in the middle of the song but is encouraged to press on by the kitten Jemima (also known as Sillabub). After the song, Victoria approaches Grizabella and touches her as a sign of acceptance. The other cats soon follow and welcome her back into the tribe. Grizabella is then led to the Jellicle leader Old Deuteronomy; her initial shock turns to happiness as she begins her ascendance to the Heaviside Layer (the Jellicle version of

heaven Heaven, or the Heavens, is a common Religious cosmology, religious cosmological or supernatural place where beings such as deity, deities, angels, souls, saints, or Veneration of the dead, venerated ancestors are said to originate, be throne, ...

). The role of Grizabella requires a wide

vocal range Vocal range is the range of pitches that a human voice can phonate. A common application is within the context of singing, where it is used as a defining characteristic for classifying singing voices into voice types. It is also a topic of stud ...

and the ability to belt to E♭5.

Origins and songs

Although ''Cats'' is based on T. S. Eliot's ''

Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats ''Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats'' (1939) is a collection of whimsical Light poetry, light poems by T. S. Eliot about Cat, feline psychology and sociology, published by Faber and Faber. It serves as the basis for Andrew Lloyd Webber's 1981 ...

'', Grizabella does not appear in the published source material. Instead, the character came from an unpublished poem by Eliot titled "Grizabella the Glamour Cat" that had been given to Lloyd Webber by Eliot's widow and

literary executor The literary estate of a deceased author consists mainly of the copyright and other intellectual property rights of published works, including film rights, film, translation rights, original manuscripts of published work, unpublished or partially ...

, Valerie Eliot. Although the poem had been rejected from ''Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats'' for being "too sad for children", it became the basis for Grizabella's character-defining song in the musical ("Grizabella: The Glamour Cat"). The poem centres on a former glamour cat who has fallen on hard times and now roams the red-light district near Tottenham Court. Additionally, the introduction for "Grizabella: The Glamour Cat" is taken almost word-for-word from a verse in another Eliot poem titled "Rhapsody on a Windy Night", with Grizabella as the feline version of the fallen woman: The main song that Grizabella sings is "Memory", the best-known song from ''Cats'' and "by some estimations the most successful song ever from a musical." It has been recorded around 600 times (as of 2006) by artists including

Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand ( ; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress, songwriter, producer, and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success across multiple fields of entertainment, being the ...

Barry Manilow Barry Manilow ( ; born Barry Alan Pincus on June 17, 1943) is an American singer, songwriter and record producer with a career that spans over sixty years. His hit recordings include "Could It Be Magic", "Looks Like We Made It", "Brandy (Scott ...

Johnny Mathis John Royce Mathis (born September 30, 1935) is an American singer. Starting his 69-year career with singles of standard (music), standard music, Mathis is one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century and became highly popular as ...

Michael Crawford Michael Patrick Smith (born 19 January 1942), known professionally as Michael Crawford, is an English actor, comedian and singer. Crawford is best known for playing the hapless Frank Spencer in the sitcom '' Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em'', Cornel ...

and Kikki Danielsson.

Notable performers

The role of Grizabella was originated by

in the West End in 1981. She later reprised the role for the 1998 film version.

originated the role in the 1982 Broadway production, earning the 1983 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance. In 2015, pop singer

Nicole Scherzinger Nicole Prascovia Elikolani Scherzinger ( ; ; born June 29, 1978) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, actress, and television personality. She was a member of the girl group and dance ensemble the Pussycat Dolls between 2003 and 2010. With ...

was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance as Grizabella in the West End revival. In the 2016 Broadway revival, Mamie Parris starred as Grizabella after replacing

Leona Lewis Leona Louise Lewis (born 3 April 1985) is a British singer, songwriter, actress, model, and activist. Born and raised in Islington, Inner London, she later attended the BRIT School for Performing Arts and Technology in Croydon. Lewis achieve ...

in October. Notable performers who have played the role of Grizabella include:

West End

(original cast) * Angela Richards (1982) * Marti Webb (1983) * Anita Harris (1985–1986) * Rosemarie Ford (1995) *

Diane Langton Diane Shirley Maria Langton (31 May 1944 – 15 January 2025) was a British actress, singer and dancer whose career on stage and screen spanned six decades. After beginning her career in theatre, she went on to appear in television shows, portr ...

(1996) * Stephanie Lawrence (1997) *

Sally Ann Triplett Sally Ann Triplett (born 15 April 1962, London, England) is a British singer and actress. She participated in two editions of the Eurovision Song Contest and West End productions. Career Triplett first represented the United Kingdom in the Eu ...

(1998) * Chrissie Hammond (1999–2002) *

(2014–2015) *

Kerry Ellis Kerry Jane Ellis (born 6 May 1979) is an English actress and singer who is best known for her work in musical theatre and subsequent crossover into music. Born and raised in Suffolk, Ellis began performing at an early age before training at La ...

(2015) *

Beverley Knight Beverley Knight (born Beverley Anne Smith, 22 March 1973) is an English singer, songwriter, actress and radio personality. She released her first album, ''The B-Funk'', in 1995. Heavily influenced by American soul music icons such as Sam Cooke ...

(2015–2016) * Madalena Alberto (2015–2016)

Broadway

(original cast) * Laurie Beechman (1984–1988, 1997) * Loni Ackerman (1988–1991) * Lillias White (1991–1992) *

Liz Callaway Liz Callaway (born April 13, 1961) is an American actress, singer and recording artist, who is best known for having provided the singing voices of many female characters in animated films, such as Anya (Anastasia), Anastasia in ''Anastasia (1997 ...

(1993–1999) * Linda Balgord (1999–2000) *

(2016) * Mamie Parris (2016–2017)

Film

(1998) *

(2019)

Others

Kim Criswell Kim Criswell (born July 19, 1957) is an American musical entertainer and actress. Life and career Criswell was born in Hampton, Virginia, United States, and grew up in Chattanooga, Tennessee. After she graduated from Hixson High School in subu ...

(Los Angeles, 1985) * Jan Horvath (US tour, 1990) * Natalie Toro (US tour, 1992 and 1997) *

Dee Roscioli Danielle Marie Roscioli (born July 20, 1977) is an American singer and actress, who is known for her performances as Elphaba in the Broadway theatre, Broadway, Chicago, San Francisco, and national touring productions of the musical ''Wicked (mu ...

(US tour, 2002) * Jacquelyn Piro Donovan (US regional, 2003 and 2009) * Stephanie J. Block (US regional, 2010) * Taylor Dayne (New York, 2013) * Paula Lima (Brazil, 2010) * María del Sol (México, 1991–1992) * Filippa Giordano (México, 2013) *

Lisset Lisset Gutiérrez Salazar (born November 3, 1973), also known as Lisset, is a Mexican actress and singer. Filmography Film Television References External links * Actresses from Guadalajara, Jalisco 20th-century Mexican act ...

(México, 2014) * Rocío Banquells (México, 2014) * Lila Deneken (México) * Myriam Montemayor Cruz (México) * Yuri (México, 2018–2019) * Ute Lemper (Vienna, 1983) * Maarja-Liis Ilus * Di Botcher * Yukimi Shimura (Original Japanese Cast) * Monica Aspelund (Finland, 1986) * Pia Douwes (Vienna and The Netherlands, 1987–1989 and 2006) * Ruth Jacott (Original Netherlands cast, 1987) * Akiko Kuno (Japan, 1983–85) * Mikiko Shiraki (Japan) * Masako Saito (Japan) * Vera Mann (The Netherlands, 2006) *

Ruthie Henshall Valentine Ruth Henshall (born 7 March 1967), known professionally as Ruthie Henshall, is an English actress, singer and dancer, known for her work in musical theatre. She began her professional stage career in 1986, before making her West End d ...

* Yasuko Sado (Japan) * Sayoko Hayami (Japan) * Yukie Yokoyama (Japan) * Yuri Sawa (Japan, 2004) * Anita Meyer (The Netherlands, 2006) *

Pernilla Wahlgren Pernilla Nina Elisabet Wahlgren (; born 24 December 1967) is a Swedish singer and actress. She has sung in Melodifestivalen several times; her 1985 entry titled "Piccadilly Circus (song), Piccadilly Circus" became popular and successful. She has ...

(Sweden, 2003) * Rikako Orikasa (Japan, 2007–09, 2010–12, 2013, 2019–2020, 2022) * Katarína Hasprová (Slovakia, 2016) * Honoka Suzuki (Japan, 2012–13) * Aya Kawamura (Japan, 2013–15) * Joanna Ampil (European Tour 2013, 2016–17) * Sophia Ragavelas (European Tour 2013–15) * Kei Miyahara (Japan, 2015) *

Dianne Pilkington Dianne Lesley Pilkington (born 7 June 1975) is an English theatre actress and singer. Personal life Pilkington was born in Wigan. She trained at the Guildford School of Acting, graduating in 1997 with the Principal's Award. Pilkington marrie ...

(UK tour, 2006) * Susan McFadden * Chiaki Kimura (Japan, 2015–2018, 2022) * Jane McDonald (UK Tour, 2015) * Anita Louise Combe (UK and European Tour, 2016–2017) * Chimene Badi (Paris, 2016) * Nao Matsumoto (Japan, 2016–2020) * Jenna Lee-James (UK and European Tour, 2017–2019) * Li-Tong Hsu (International Tour 2019) * Bev Harrell (Australia/New Zealand), 1989/1990 * Delia Hannah (Australia, 1994, 1999, and 2016) * Marina Prior (Australia, 2014) *

Delta Goodrem Delta Lea Goodrem Order of Australia, AM (born 9 November 1984) is an Australian singer, songwriter, television personality and actress based in Sydney. Goodrem signed a recording contract with Sony Music at the age of 15. Her debut studio album ...

(Australia, 2015–2016) * Debra Byrne (Original Australian cast, 1985) * Lea Salonga (Manila, 2010) * Louise Dearman (Cyprus) * Masae Ebata (Japan, 2017–2022) * Shin Youngsook (South Korea, 2008–2009) *

Ock Joo-hyun Ock Joo-hyun (; sometimes spelled Ock Ju-hyun; born March 20, 1980) is a South Korean singer and musical theatre actress, known mostly for her role as the lead singer of the South Korean girl group Fin.K.L. After their unofficial breakup in 20 ...

(South Korea, 2008–2009) * Insooni (South Korea, 2011–2012) * Park Hae-mi (South Korea, 2011–2012)"캣츠 – 이천 CATS (2011/08/26 ~ 2011/08/28)"
(in Korean). 플레이 DB. Retrieved 19 April 2019."캣츠 – 제주 Musical CATS (2012/04/20 ~ 2012/04/22)"
(in Korean). 플레이 DB. Retrieved 19 April 2019. * Silvie Paladino (Malaysia) * Miki Kanehara (Japan, 2019, 2020–2025) * Emma Hatton (UK Tour, 2018) * Lucy O'Byrne (UK Tour, 2018–2019) * Keri René Fuller (US Tour, 2019–2020) * Donna Vivino (US Tour, 2020) * Jacinta Whyte (UK and International Tour, 2021–2022) * Jacintha Abisheganaden (Singapore, 1993) * Slindile Nodangala (International Tour 2004) * Lucy May Barker (International Tour 2024-2025) * "Temptress" Chasity Moore (''Cats: "The Jellicle Ball"''

off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...

2024) * Nikki Biddington (International Tour 2025)

In popular culture

Madame Tussauds New York features a wax figure of Grizabella that sings "Memory".

References

Print sources

* * * * *

External links

Rhapsody on a Windy Night
by T.S. Eliot {{Cats navbox Characters in Cats (musical) Female characters in musical theatre Anthropomorphic cats