Katdashians! The Musical! is both the logical endpoint of a certain type of pop culture obsession and such a good idea you’re shocked it didn’t already exist.
Creators Bob and Tobly McSmith are veterans of the parody musical scene, having brought both Saved By the Bell and Showgirls to the New York City stage in that form. Their newest venture combines the musical Cats, the Kardashians, and cats the animal into a slapstick romp without regard for plot or reality.
“Cats the musical has no plot, the Kardashians have no plot, so they lend themselves to each other,” Tobly McSmith says over the phone. “Our musical is a plotless grand showing of all of them.”
McSmith says that the idea was generated by close reading of the Kardashians as a cultural phenomenon.
“We were thinking about the Kardashians and how important they are to society,” McSmith says. “They’re not very talented; they don't have much to offer but everyone’s obsessed with them.”
The musical is a bit of an oddity even for the New York theater scene. The audience are encouraged to take selfies and photos during the performance. And the performers themselves hold their phones throughout much of the show, entering the audience during “The Selfie Song” to take pictures in their cat costumes, fake butts and all.
The show runs at Theatre 80 on St. Mark's Place in New York, May 31 through June 3 before moving to the Elektra Theater in Times Square June 16 through July 17. Tickets cost $25-45 and are available here.
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