BWW Blog: Kate Cullen Roberts of BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S - CAT-ctors!

If you haven't heard, the actor playing "Cat" in our show is an actual feline. That's not a baby in a cat suit. It's the real deal. Thus the interest from the press. ("It's a real CAT! How crazy is that?!?!")

I can assure you, whomever is reading this BWW guest blog, that the cast of Breakfast at Tiffany's is completely comfortable and totally secure with themselves regarding the amount of press this role has received. We get it. I think because we, too, are drawn into the total spell of an ANIMAL ON STAGE (!!!). None of us would be ashamed to admit that as smitten as the audience may be with these "CAT-ctors", we are similarly "CAT-ptivated" (I had to) onstage and backstage as we witness them work. You never know what you will get -- you've got to respond to what is happening in the moment! And isn't that what makes live theatre so wonderful?

Chessie (aka "BoyBoy") is the current and extremely consistent workhorse(cat) these days. He's a mellow, SUPER affectionate, chubby dude with a real gift for timing. I watch him every night as he slowly saunters off with a pause ("Paws?") and then perfect side glance at Holly. Or gives a saucy flick of his tail on Fred's line, "He doesn't look like a lesbian." Tonight (in a scene I dare not give away), "BoyBoy" had a total sneeze attack (scarfing down too much food too fast), food and cat snot flying with every sneeze, and he had the entire cast backstage in stitches. It was amazing.

Incidentally, according to his handler Carol, BoyBoy suffers from hay fever. He also eats too fast, which I can relate to. Simpatico with this cat. Both of us, I tell ya.

On my first date with my husband he asked if I liked cats. I knew he had a chocolate lab (we'd had the dog conversation already.) So I said, definitively, "HATE CATS. I'm a dog person. Hate cats, they're snooty and gross and I'm allergic." After a pause he said "I also have a cat." My husband is very handsome so I recanted my usually staunch view on the subject, "Well, you know, it depends on the cat. Cats are cool."

As it turns out, it really does depend on the cat. I grew up with two cats who were offspring of feral barn cats from my 7th grade Spanish teacher's backyard. They really sucked. I think they had mental disorders or at the very least emotional problems. I attribute some of this to my brother "loving them" too hard when they were kittens. But still, as adult cats, they sucked.

But my husband's cat, Purdy (great name, right?) is amazing. Like the B@T cat BoyBoy, Purdy is affectionate and intelligent and has a gift for timing. I have a disturbingly close relationship with her...she wakes me up in the morning with her cute little meows and I drink my morning coffee with her on my lap as I check my email. I'M THE CAT LADY NOW AND I DON'T CARE WHO KNOWS IT!

I'm such a cat lady and so smitten by my own cat, in fact, that I'm fairly convinced that Purdy would be a good standby cat option. Although Moo, the black and white haired professional standby cat might object. Alas, I'm the stage mom I never had....

Now, get ready for some CAT PICTURES!

Because I'm obsessed, here is a pic of our cat Purdy. She's not a professional "CAT-ctor" (but should be!) It used to creep me out when I would find her sitting like this. I've grown to love it. Kind of amazing, right?

An example of my cat Purdy's impeccable timing. She's giving me a "cat-stache" and I think she knows it...

And here's BoyBoy, who regularly plays "Cat" in Breakfast at Tiffany's. Taking a much needed nap.

Woke him up here. He kind of doesn't mind.

BoyBoy likes to be held like this (Ignore my pin-curls and wig cap -- was between shows!)

And this is "Moo", BoyBoy's standby. Both BoyBoy and Moo are rescue cats. Thus Moo's cloudy eye -- he had an infection when they found him. It does not affect his performance OR cute factor!

Moo was over it