''Drat! The Cat!'' is a musical with a book and lyrics by Ira Levin and music by

Milton Schafer Milton Schafer (September 24, 1920 – April 12, 2020spoof of late- Victorian melodrama has at its core Alice Van Guilder, who wants to be a career girl at a time when nice young ladies marry well instead of having careers. Frustrated by the obstacles standing in her way, she becomes a cat burglar and plunders the homes of

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

high society High society, sometimes simply society, is the behavior and lifestyle of people with the highest levels of wealth and social status. It includes their related affiliations, social events and practices. Upscale social clubs were open to men based ...

in the 1890s. After an out-of-town try-out at the Shubert Theatre in Philadelphia in September, 1965, and 11 previews, the

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

production, presented by

Jerry Adler Jerry Adler (born February 4, 1929) is an American theatre director, producer, and film and television actor. He is perhaps best known for his films ''Manhattan Murder Mystery'', '' The Public Eye'', '' In Her Shoes'', and ''Prime'', and for his ...

and

Norman Rosemont Norman Rosemont (December 12, 1924 in Brooklyn, New York – April 22, 2018 in Scottsdale, Arizona) was an Emmy-winning American producer of films, television, and theatre. He worked as a press agent before moving into theatre. He worked as a ge ...

, directed and choreographed by

Joe Layton Joe Layton (May 3, 1931 – May 5, 1994) was an American director and choreographer known primarily for his work on Broadway.Dunning, Jennifer. (9 May 1994). Page B7.'Joe Layton, Choreographer And Director, Is Dead at 64' Obituary. New York Ti ...

, opened on October 10, 1965 at the Martin Beck Theatre, where it ran for only eight performances. The cast included

Lesley Ann Warren Lesley Ann Warren (born August 16, 1946) is an American actress and singer. She made her Broadway debut in 1963, aged 17, in '' 110 in the Shade''. In 1965 she received wide recognition for playing the title role in the television musical prod ...

, Elliott Gould,

Charles Durning Charles Edward Durning (February 28, 1923 – December 24, 2012) was an American actor who appeared in over 200 movies, television shows and plays.Schudel, Matt (December 26, 2012) "''In real life and on the screen, he played countless role ...

Jane Connell Jane Sperry Connell (pronounced con-NELL, née Bennett; October 27, 1925 – September 22, 2013) was an American actress and singer. Early years Connell was born in Berkeley, California, to Louis Wesley and Mary (née Sperry) Bennett. She majo ...

, and

Beth Howland Elizabeth Howland (May 28, 1939 – December 31, 2015) was an American actress. She worked on stage and television, and was best known for playing Vera Gorman in the sitcom ''Alice''. Howland originated the role of Amy in the original Broadway c ...

. Conductor

Herbert Grossman Herbert Grossman (September 30, 1926 – September 11, 2010) was an American conductor who was chiefly known for his work within opera and musical theatre. Early life and education Born in New York City, Grossman was the son of a businessman. H ...

served as Music Director and

Clare Grundman Clare (Ewing) Grundman (May 11, 1913 in Cleveland, Ohio – June 15, 1996 in South Salem, New York) was an American composer and arranger.Raoul F. Camus, ''Grove online'' Biography He was born in Cleveland and graduated from Shaw High Scho ...

wrote the orchestra score. Warren won the

Theatre World Award The Theatre World Award is an American honor presented annually to actors and actresses in recognition of an outstanding New York City stage debut performance, either on Broadway or Off-Broadway. It was first awarded for the 1945–1946 theatre se ...

for her performance, and the show was nominated for a

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...

for Best Scenic Design. Long after the show closed, Blue Pear Records issued an

original cast album A cast recording is a recording of a stage musical that is intended to document the songs as they were performed in the show and experienced by the audience. An original cast recording or OCR, as the name implies, features the voices of the sho ...

from a recording surreptitiously made during a live performance. Gould's wife at the time,

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

, had a hit with her recording of "He Touched Me", a gender-reversed version of one of the show's songs, which went to number two on the

Easy Listening Easy listening (including mood music) is a popular music genre and radio format that was most popular during the 1950s to 1970s. It is related to middle-of-the-road (MOR) music and encompasses instrumental recordings of standards, hit songs, n ...

chart. On the B-side of that single, Streisand recorded "I Like Him", also from the show."Singles"
barbra-archives.com In 1997,

Varèse Sarabande Varèse Sarabande is an American record label, owned by Concord Music Group and distributed by Universal Music Group, which specializes in film scores and original cast recordings. It aims to reissue rare or unavailable albums, as well as newer r ...

released a studio recording featuring

Susan Egan Susan Farrell Egan (born February 18, 1970) is an American actress, singer and dancer, known for her work on the Broadway stage. She is best known for originating the role of Belle in the Broadway musical adaptation of ''Beauty and the Beast'' (1 ...

Jason Graae Jason Graae (pronounced "grah" or "graw", but not "gray") (born 15 May 1958) is an American musical theater actor, best known for his musical theater performances but with a varied career spanning Broadway, opera, television and film. He has ...

Judy Kaye Judy Kaye (born October 11, 1948) is an American singer and actress. She has appeared in stage musicals, plays, and operas. Kaye has been in long runs on Broadway in the musicals ''The Phantom of the Opera'', ''Ragtime'', '' Mamma Mia!'', and ...

Bryan Batt Bryan Batt (born March 1, 1963) is an American actor best known for his role in the AMC series ''Mad Men'' as Salvatore Romano, an art director for the Sterling Cooper agency. Primarily a theater actor, he has had a number of starring roles in mo ...

, Jonathan Freeman, and

Elaine Stritch Elaine Stritch (February 2, 1925 – July 17, 2014) was an American actress, best known for her work on Broadway and later, television. She made her professional stage debut in 1944 and appeared in numerous stage plays, musicals, feature films a ...

. The recording was produced by

Bruce Kimmel The English language name Bruce arrived in Scotland with the Normans, from the place name Brix, Manche in Normandy, France, meaning "the willowlands". Initially promulgated via the descendants of king Robert the Bruce (1274−1329), it has been ...

Musical numbers

;Act I Scene 1: Various Places in New York City * "Drat! The Cat!" – Citizens, Patrolman, The Mayor, Pincer and Mallet Scene 2: A Bedroom in The Purefoy's Flat * "My Son, Uphold the Law" – Roger Purefoy and Patrolmen Scene 3: Lucius Van Guilder's Study and Counting Room * "Holmes and Watson" – Alice Van Guilder and Bob Purefoy * "She Touched Me" – Bob Scene 4: Alice Van Guilder's Boudoir and A Secret Chamber * "Wild and Reckless" – Alice Scene 5: The Purefoy's Kitchen * "She's Roses" – Bob and Kate Purefoy Scene 6: Pier Fourteen * "Ballet: "Ignoble Theft of The Idol's Eyes"" – The Cat, Patrolman, and Attendants of the Idol Scene 7: Van Guilder's Study and The Garden * "Dancing with Alice – Bob, Alice, Mr. & Mrs. Van Guilder, and Guests * "Drat! The Cat! (Reprise)" – Mr. & Mrs. Van Guilder and Guests Scene 8: The Van Guilder's Cellar * "Purefoy's Lament" – Bob ;Act II Scene 1: Police Headquarters * "A Pox Upon the Traitor's Brow" – Pincer, Mallet, Emma & Patrolman Scene 2: The Cellar * "Deep in Your Heart" – Bob Scene 3: Van Guilder's Study * "Let's Go" – Alice and Bob * "It's Your Fault" – Mr. & Mrs. Van Guilder Scene 4: The Woods North of The City * "Wild and Reckless (Reprise)" – Bob Scene 5: Various Places in The City * "Ballet: "The Upside-Down Thief"" – Bob, Citizens, Patrolman & Kate Scene 6: The Woods and The City * "Today is a Day for a Band to Play" – Pincer, Mallet, Emma, Patrolman, and Citizens * "She Touched Me (Reprise)" – Bob and Alice Scene 7: Van Guilder's Study * "I Like Him" – Alice Scene 8: A Courtroom * "Justice Triumphant" – Entire Company * "Today is a Day for a Band to Play (Reprise)" – Entire Company

References

External links

Internet Broadway Database listing
{{Ira Levin 1965 musicals Broadway musicals Works by Ira Levin