Grumpy Cat’s Broadway Debut Sparks Internet Outrage; Cats of Broadway Respond
Alexa Juno
- New York Columnist
In a move that has left theatre fans less than enthused, the viral Internet sensation, Grumpy Cat, made made his Broadway debut this week as the first ever cat to join the cast of “Cats.”.
Compounding the already absurd notion of a Cats revival, which many are still coming to terms with, many theatre insiders were left scratching their heads as to how this viral cameo came to pass. However, no group was more vocal in their outrage than the members of the AAAOB, the Association for Animal Advancement on Broadway.
Founded in 1977 by the original Sandy in “Annie”, as a response to the scarcity of squeaky blue toys backstage at the musical, the AAAOB is a trade organization that represents the interests and portrayals of animals in the theatre.
Though Grumpy Cat’s appearance in the show was limited to a short-lived cameo during curtain calls, many of the canine and feline members of the Broadway community felt slighted at the incident. Lack of opposable thumbs notwithstanding, many took to Twitter to voice their concerns over the matter, citing the already scarce working opportunities for animal actors, particularly those of the feline variety.
Casually strolling across her owner’s laptop keyboard late Friday night, user @PrincessFeatherbottomNYC tweeted, “hefolhqeph390134y9010keaoigndsiosd8eeklngfg-0ra;lm59oihfaiohasn #CatsAgainstCATS #FelineActorsUnite #UNION.”
User @BingClawsby, stated, “More stunt casting. I remember a time when you had to have more than a face to make it in this business. Going to take my frustration out on the curtains now. #DoYouEvenKnowtheHandCuesBro?”
When reached for comment, many members of OAAAOB were quick to jump on the outrage bandwagon, even going so far as to suggest a mass nap-in on the steps of the Neil Simon Theater in protest.
“It’s an absolute meowtrage. First they cast humans and now this internet hack?” commented Montie, medium-hair domestic whose Broadway credits includes the 2013 revival of “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” before noticing a gnat hovering over a nearby trash can, losing interest in the conversation entirely.
“Cats have always had it tougher than dogs in this business.” agreed Louis and Alfonso, two striped calico’s who starred in the recent Broadway revival of “You Can’t Take It With You”,
“You have your Sandys, your Bruisers, your 101 Dalmations, but there really aren’t that many opportunities for cats. This is just a slap in the face to all the hardworking feline actors out there.” they added, while taking turns inexplicably batting each other in the head.
When reached for comment, a spokesperson for the musical screamed, “YOU TRY MARKETING A ‘CATS’ REVIVAL!” into the phone before hanging up in tears.
Andrew Lloyd Webber has long made his fortune appropriating the characteristics and stories of cats, but it seems this time he’s gone just a step too far, and the felines of the Great White Way have said enough is enough. In trying to reach the Heaviside Layer, it looks like Webber has landed in the litterbox.