Bond's My Friend, the Cat Plays Final Performance June 22

The final performance of My Friend, The Cat, Phil Geoffrey Bond's tale of the blessings we receive from the four-legged friends who grace our lives, will take place Friday, June 22nd at The Laurie Beechman Theatre, located at 407 West 42nd Street in the heart of New York's theatre district.

Press notes state, "When Phil Geoffrey Bond's beloved cat, Chesterson, became ill early in the Spring of 2006, he took his grief to the page. Over the course of the feline's several-week illness, Bond wrote not only of his cat's struggle against disease, but moreso of their entire history together. From chasing cockroaches in their first apartment, 'a crappy East Village monstrosity with sloping floors,' where, during hot summers, Bond would place the feline in the refrigerator to cool off, to wintertime roadtrips where he learned that cats can indeed drive a station wagon, Bond's story unfolds year by year."

The show features music by composers including Laura Nyro, Charlie Chaplin, John Bucchino and, of course, Andrew Lloyd Webber. Featured vocalists include Lisa Asher, Brandon Cutrell, Julie Reyburn and Alysha Umphress. Musical direction is by Ray Fellman.

Bond is the author of The Citadel (Sundance Theatre Lab, Expanded Arts), Sheridan Square and My Queer Youth (The Duplex Cabaret Theatre), Uncommen Threads and The Death of Innocence (Playwrights Horizons workshops, 1994 & 95), among others. He is the recipient of five MAC (Manhattan Association of Clubs and Cabarets) awards, the Backstage Bistro Award for Directing, as well as the prestigious Nightlife Award for his critically-acclaimed series, New Mondays, which debuts music from composers both aspiring and legendary. His directing credits include "Avenue Q Swings," "Women on the Stage" and "New Mondays in Concert" (all at The Lucille Lortel Theatre), as well as many cabaret performances and concerts at venues ranging from Feinstein's at the Regency to BB King. He is a 1997 graduate of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, holding dual degrees in Acting and Dramatic Writing. In 1993, he was awarded the Presidential Medallion from President Clinton in recognition of his work as a playwright.

There is an $18 cover charge ($15 for members of MAC & Cabaret Hotline) as well as a $15 food/beverage minimum. There is also a dinner/show package available for $60 (please indicate when making a reservation). For reservations, which are recommended, please call 212 695 6909 between the hours of 12pm and 6pm.

Photo by Genevieve Rafter Keddy