These trousers are part of a costume worn by actors portraying the character Mr. Mistoffelees in the original Broadway production of Cats. Primarily made of black velvet, the costume contains multiple miniature light bulbs that can be activated by metal plates attached to its gloves. A black-and-white tuxedo cat, Mr. Mistoffelees possesses magical powers celebrated in the song “Magical Mr. Mistoffelees.” While Mistoffelees sometimes sings depending on the production, it is primarily a featured dancing role. The character has some of the most challenging choreography in the show, including his signature move the “Conjuring Turn,” which is twenty-four consecutive fouettés en tournant. Wayne Sleep originated the role on the West End in 1981 and Timothy Scott later took on the role on Broadway in 1982. On the screen, Jacob Brent portrayed the character in the 1998 film and Laurie Davidson portrayed him in the 2019 film adaptation.
Cats broke Broadway records with its run of 7,485 performances from 1982 until 2000 at New York’s Winter Garden Theatre. The play, written and composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber based on stories and characters from T. S. Eliot's 1939 Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, and first premiered in London’s West End in 1981. The expensive and spectacular production has been called the first “megamusical,” inaugurating a new period of Broadway theater history when big-budget shows with elaborate special effects, spectacular costumes, and rock music revived the theater district’s sagging fortunes. Cats earned multiple Tony awards in its original run and has since been revived on Broadway and in numerous national and international tours.
Pair of blue cotton work pants with a zipper fly and hook and eye closure. These were worn by the donor, Earl Shaffer during his 1998 walk through of the Appalachian Trail at age 80. This was the last of three times Shaffer was said to have walked the entire length of the 2,180 miles of the Appalachian Trail, his first walk was in 1948 and his second was in 1965.. The Appalachian Trail is one of the longest continuously marked footpaths in the world traveling through fourteen states along the Appalachian mountain range from Springer Mountain, Georgia, to the Trail’s northern end in Katahdin, Maine. The trail—completed in 1937 thanks to the cooperation of government agencies, private partners, and volunteers—continues to be sustained by public-private partnerships.