Rescue Kitten Lands Starring Role on Broadway, and You Could Take Him Home
Glamour puss will act alongside James Earl Jones and Rose Byrne.
Aug. 19, 2014— -- A rescue kitten has gone from living on the edge to sitting in the catbird seat, after winning a coveted part in a new Broadway revival.
Eight-week-old Alfonso, a grey and white domestic shorthair, beat out 14 other auditioning kittens to score the starring role alongside actors James Earl Jones and Rose Byrne in "You Can't Take It With You," due to open on The Great White Way on Aug. 26.
"The role required a kitten to remain very still on a small desk for five or six minutes and Alfonso had the perfect temperament," said Sandra DeFeo, director of public relations for the Humane Society of New York, which is providing all of the animals for the revival. "But he's not alone. His brother Louis is starring next to him in a smaller role. He will be curled up in an open wooden box next to the desk."
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The Humane Society of New York partnership with "You Can't Take it With You" will mark the first time cat adoptions will be available at a Broadway show, DeFeo added, noting that patrons can fill out applications during intermission to adopt the thespian felines after their run is over.
"It shines a beautiful light on the animals," she said. "We got a wonderful response just from the auditions and I think people will go home from the performances and realize that they can adopt a cat versus buying a pet, perhaps even a cat who has acted on stage."
