Casting for the 2016 revival of Cats is currently under wraps, but if Andrew Lloyd Webber has his say, former Pussycat Doll, Nicole Scherzinger, will play Grizabella. Scherzinger took on the role in 2014 for Cats' London Revival. Could a Broadway debut be Scherzinger's career version of the Heaviside Layer?

Grizabella

Cats is the story of a tribe of felines, called Jellicles, coming together to select one lucky cat to go to the Heaviside Layer, which is where Jellicles go to be reborn into a new life. Grizabella, the Glamour Cat, was once beautiful and the center of attention but has been left alone in her old age. As a result, she is ostracized by the other Jellicle cats who turn away in disgust at the sight of her. Grizabella, with the famous tune “Memory,” addresses the other Jellicles in a heartfelt plea to be loved and acknowledged, and as a result, she is chosen to go to the Heaviside Layer where she will be reborn into a new life.

Scherzinger never fell so far from grace as Grizabella, but the recording artist’s transition to musical theatre could become a sort of career rebirth. The performance of the despairing feline is associated with musical theatre stars, such as Elaine Page and Betty Buckley. 

When Cats opened in on Broadway in 1982, it ran for 7,485 performances. Cats was the longest running show on Broadway until Webber's Phantom of the Opera surpassed it in 2012. The original production of Cats won seven Tony Awards. While reviews were mixed, the show was a feat in makeup and costume design, and critics seemed to agree on the lasting power of "Memory."

Nicole

The Pussycat Dolls were transformed from a burlesque dance troupe to an all-girl band in 2005. Nicole Scherzinger was recruited to be the center of the group's music, choreography, and branding. Despite unfavorable reviews and comparisons, the Pussycat Dolls sold over 54 million records worldwide, making them one of the best-selling girl groups of all time. In an episode of VH1’s Behind the Music, Scherzinger unveiled a rough backstory to the group's success, dealing with depression and bulimia, while responsible for 95% of the group's vocals. When Scherzinger left the group to pursue a solo career, poor chart performance left the star in a similar down and out time as Grizabella, but Nicole Scherzinger's story didn't end there.

Years later, Scherzinger’s career received a large boost with her musical theatre debut. Her role in the revival of Cats scored rave reviews from critics and a Laurence Olivier Award nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical. 

If the positive feedback on her musical theatre performances is any type of indicator, Scherzinger’s Broadway debut could lead to a series of career-defining roles-like maybe the next Angelica Schuyler in Hamilton?

Cats will begin previews on July 14, with an official opening set for August 2, 2016.