Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber spoke to The Economist Radio this week and revealed that Nicole Scherzinger, who starred as Grizabella in the recent West End revival of Cats, had initially signed on for the upcoming Broadway production but changed her mind just before rehearsals got underway.

Explains Lloyd Webber, "A week before we were going to go into rehearsal with Cats on Broadway, which luckily I'm not producing, she calls me and says she's decided she wants to do X Factor, having agreed everything."

He continued, "I mean, she's crazy. But the American producers just took a view - 'Well, fine, we'll get somebody else', because she's actually not very well known in America amazingly. She's much better known here."

The SCHOOL OF ROCK composer went on to share that he was not happy with her decision to pull out of the show, revealing: "I'm furious because I really believe she's the most fantastically talented girl and I went out on a limb to get her for the London Palladium here, and it makes me look like an absolute twat with them all." He adds, "But never mind, there'll be another girl on Broadway and Nicole will not get her Tony Award."

Listen to the interview in full HERE

The first-ever Broadway revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber's iconic musical, Cats, will open on Broadway this summer at the Neil Simon Theatre(250 W 52nd Street) with preview performances beginning Thursday, July 14, 2016, and an official opening set for Sunday, July 31, 2016.

The new generation of Cats will include Giuseppe Bausilio as "Carbucketty,"Quentin Earl Darrington as "Old Deuteronomy," Jeremy Davis as "Skimbleshanks,"Kim Faure as "Demeter," Sara Jean Ford as "Jellylorum," Lili Froehlich as "Electra," Daniel Gaymon as "Macavity," Shonica Gooden as "Rumpleteazer,"Christopher Gurr as "Gus/Bustopher Jones," Tyler Hanes as "Rum Tum Tugger,"Andy Huntington Jones as "Munkustrap," Kolton Krouse as "Tumblebrutus," Eloise Kropp as "Jennyanydots / Gumbie," Jess LeProtto as "Mungojerrie," Georgina Pazcoguin as "Victoria," Emily Pynenburg as "Cassandra,"Arianna Rosario as "Sillabub," Ahmad Simmons as "Alonzo,"Christine Cornish Smith "Bombalurina," Corey Snide as "Coricopat," Emily Tate as "Tantomile,"Ricky Ubeda as "Mistoffelees," and Sharrod Williams as "Pouncival,"as well as Richard Todd Adams,Aaron Albano, Callan Bergmann, Claire Camp, Francesca Granell, Jessica Hendy, Harris Milgrim, Madison Mitchell, Nathan Patrick Morgan and Megan Ort.

Composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber and based on T.S. Eliot's "Old Possum's Book of PracticalCats," the original Broadway production opened in 1982 at Broadway's Winter Garden Theatre (currently home to Lloyd Webber's newest hit, School of Rock - The Musical), where it ran for 7,485 performances and 18 years. Cats was originally produced on Broadway by Cameron Mackintosh, The Really Useful Company Limited, David Geffen, and The Shubert Organization.

Source: DigitalSpy

Photo Credit: Alessandro Pinna

Related Articles