NEW YORK (AP) — A DJ with a high-top fade and a crate of vinyl records begins “Cats: The Jellicle Ball” on Broadway. He picks out two LP sleeves, blowing off dust, before settling on a familiar cover with a pair of glowing yellow cat eyes against a black background — the original 1983 cast recording of “Cats.”It’s a clever way of connecting the past iconic musical theater show with its reimagined, cooler sister now playing at the Broadhurst Theatre. But there’s an even more thrilling connection between these two shows: That DJ? He starred in the original cast.Ken Ard is making a triumphant return to Broadway after being away for 25 years in the same show where his career exploded in the early 1980s, now dancing with performers 40 years his junior.“It’s amazing to have this full circle moment in my life,” he says from his dressing room. “I knew it was right for me then and I knew it was right for me now.”‘The most spectacular reinvention’
Ken Ard appears during a performance of “Cats: The Jellicle Ball” in New York on March 18, 2026. (Andy Henderson via AP)
Ard’s return to “Cats” is a story of redemption and resilience, echoing the recovery of New York after the 2001 terror attacks. Ard lived close to ground zero, and the horror of that day left him with PTSD and dented his confidence. He went from an It boy to deeply shaken. “Cats: The Jellicle Ball” is his first Broadway show since the attacks.
