Somerville’s kitty craze continues as the Amazing Acro-Cats purr into town this week for a show with feline tricks, feats, and musical talent of furry proportions.
The Amazing Acro-Cats, a feline performing troupe based in Chicago, will perform three shows at the Center for Arts at the Armory Wednesday and Thursday nights. Lea Ruscio, the interim executive director of the Arts at the Armory, said his group is excited to bring the show to the community.
“Somerville is home to so much artistic and creative expression,” Ruscio said. “This has a uniqueness to it that’s a great fit with Somerville’s character and uniqueness.”
Ruscio said this event is so great for Somerville because the community has already gathered to show its love of cats. In February, the Somerville Art Council hosted its first Copy Cat Festival to celebrate the cultural contribution of its furry friends. Now, the community can participate in watching a cat circus and admiring their feline talent.
The show includes cats pushing shopping carts, walking on tightropes, riding skateboards, and performing in an all-kitty rock band.
There will also be a special performance by a couple of chickens and a few rats.
Samantha Martin, the chief human and master trainer for the Amazing Acro-Cats, said that while the show is highly entertaining, it also encourages people to train their own cats and interact with them in way they haven’t in the past. She said many cat behavioral problems are rooted in a lack of stimulus, and that training is a way to challenge one’s beloved kitties in a healthy, beneficial way.
“We want to inspire people to train their own cats, to communicate with their own cats,” Martin said. “Through training, you can stimulate and have that [healthy] interaction with your cat.”
The Amazing Acro-Cats also helps find homes for rescued pets. Martin said the majority of the cats in the show were rescued as kittens, and that the performing troupe has also assisted in 116 cat adoptions since April 2009. To support this aspect of the troupe’s mission, there will be representatives from Charles River Alleycats on Wednesday night and Pets in Need Animal Rescue on Thursday night with information and pets available for adoption.
Martin said the show is a great way to see what cats can do, and that it is appropriate for cat-lovers of any age.
“Anybody that loves cats will enjoy this show,” Martin said. “You’ll see things you never thought you could possibly see.”
Ruscio said cat-lovers should think long and hard before passing up this opportunity.
“The question is, when’s the next time you’ll get a chance to go to a cat circus or a cat rock concert in Somerville?” she asked.
The Amazing Acro-Cats will perform three shows at the Center for Arts at the Armory, located at 191 Highland Avenue: Wednesday at 7 p.m., and Thursday at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. Tickets are available for $20 in advance through the Amazing Acro-Cats’ website.
