You don't have to be a kid to enjoy the "Moscow Cat Theatre," billed as the "World's Only Cat Theatre," now playing at the Tribeca Center for the Performing Arts, but it helps. The show features, according to the press notes, 20 cats, two dogs, and eight clowns, including a ringmaster played by Yuri Kuklachev who created the show nearly three decades ago.
While it's a joy to see the cats (which must have a lot of trust in their handlers to climb some rather high poles which threaten to topple, or to be whirled around as they sit calmly on a platform held by ropes), there are actually two shows going on during the performance. One consists of the various felines, which often sit calmly watching the action with what may be construed as a lack of interest until they're called to participate; the other are the antics by Kuklachev and his various human accomplices, which look, to put it mildly, rather childish. All too often the clowning and site gags, such as stepping on a broom so its handle flies up and hits Kuklachev on the backside, seem as if they belong at a young child's birthday party, rather than a theatrical event for all ages.
Fortunately, the animal performers more than make up for the human failings. How often does one get to see cats dangling from parallel bars, using only their front paws to pull themselves from one side to another; or walking tightropes, balancing balls on their noses, and walking only on their hind legs as they push a carriage containing a dog in front of them?
The show also wisely includes some very enjoyable audience participation, such as a sequence where a cat runs over the backs of a line of volunteers as they bend over trying to touch their shoes. This is definitely a must-see for kids (about ages 3-12) and cat lovers alike—but adults be warned. Parts of the "Moscow Cat Theatre" tries just a bit too hard to impress and winds up feeling rather cloying.
Kuklachev's human cohorts consist of Dimitri Kuklachev, Yelena Kuklacheva, Petr Gerasimov, Inga Gerasimova, Lioudmila Smirnova, Alexander Gerasimov and Vasiliy Zhuravlev.
MOSCOW CATS THEATRE
Tribeca Performing Arts Center
199 Chambers Street
Tickets: $49.50
Reservations: 212-307-7171 or www.ticketmaster.com
Information: www.moscowtheatre.com
Judd Hollander is the New York Correspondent for the London publication THE STAGE.
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