MANCHESTER — Broadway’s feline-centered staple opens at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30, at the Palace Theatre on Hanover Street, where “Cats” will pounce, meow and hiss their way through a series of performances through Nov. 14.

Part of the 2009-2010 Citizens Bank Performing Arts Series, “Cats,” a signature Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, was one of the longest-running shows on Broadway and earned seven Tony Awards.

For the Manchester production, auditions took place at New York City’s NOLA Studios, where nearly 200 actors and actresses were put through their paces. Among those cast were Saki Masuda of Nara, Japan. A student in the Big Apple, she will perform in the role of Victoria.

“She has the rare ability to combine grace with phenomenal strength in her dancing,” said the Palace’s artistic director Carl Rajotte.

Tickets range from $15 to $45 and can be purchased by calling the box office at 668-5588 or logging onto www.palacetheatre.org.