The Cat's Meow

‘Aristocats’ purrfect fit for young actors

It's true -- everyone really does want to be a cat.

That's the case, at least, for the actors in Shannon Stoddard's production of "Aristocats KIDS."

FAQ

‘Aristocats KIDS’

WHEN — 2 p.m. Saturday

WHERE — The Blue Lion at UAFS Downtown, 5210 Grand Ave. in Fort Smith

COST — $5-$6

INFO — 788-7300 or uafs.universitytick…

The kindergartners, first- and second-graders in Stoddard's Academy Kidz class will perform the musical Saturday. The class is part of the Academy of the Arts at the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith.

"It's more fun when you don't have to be a human being in class," Stoddard says. "The kids eat it up. They love being cats and dogs or geese or whatever they are on stage."

The play is based on the 1970s Disney film that follows a cat and her three kittens abandoned in the French countryside. With the help of an alley cat named Thomas O'Malley, the cats find their way back to Paris to confront the jealous butler who threw them out.

The film runs about 80 minutes, but Saturday's show will be only 30 minutes.

"There's not a whole lot of dialogue in the show. It's mostly music," Stoddard says. "The songs are quite a bit shorter, but it has all the classic ones like 'Everybody Wants To Be A Cat,' 'Scales and Arpeggios' and 'Thomas O'Malley.'

"I think it runs through the movie really well, just more condensed," she adds.

The class, which does not require an audition, teaches singing, dancing and acting.

"We play different games to get out of our shells and be more confident on stage. We learn how to speak on stage," Stoddard says. "The final project is the show."

Stoddard teaches classes for three age groups at the academy and often works with the actors for several years.

"In this class, I've had some of them since they were in kindergarten," she says. "Actually, my Thomas O'Malley is one of them. Seeing how he's grown as a person and as an actor -- that's what I love."

-- Kelly Barnett

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NAN What's Up on 04/24/2015

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