By Nate Brown
The fog was thick as we strolled up to the Upstairs Theatre in Salt Lake City, Utah, to see Salt Lake Acting Company’s Pete the Cat. With the old brick of the theater set against the thick fog, seeing a delightful telling of Kimberly and James Dean’s children’s books was exactly the antidote we needed for the gloomy weather.
Joining an audience of dozens of children for a Saturday matinee had me worried, however. Elementary age children aren’t well-known for their theater etiquette, and I’m not well-known for keeping my tension low when patrons are misbehaving. Would this be an hour of my life spent in the agonizing hope that the screaming child would be removed by its guardian?
Little did I know the rapt attention this show would capture from my young theater-critic colleagues.
Pete the Cat is a musical adapted by Will Aronson and Sarah Hammond about a cool, electric-guitar-wielding “road” cat. The cat-catcher forces Pete to serve time as a house cat after being caught trespassing in a yard where his band practices for an upcoming gig in Paris.
As the show begins, the ensemble of five actors take the stage by storm and perform a children’s theater masterpiece.
The set by Gage Williams and props by Justin Ivie are straight out of a children’s book, with bright colors and thick, black lines outlining every piece. Combined with Jesse Portillo’s lighting design, the visual picture is simple and beautiful. It feels like we’re watching a children’s book come to life.
The direction by Penelope Caywood is concise and quick. Changes of set and costumes (by Dennis Hassan) are fast and seamless, giving a sense of a much bigger cast as characters change with only moments off stage. No doubt Jennie Sant’s masterful stage management is working fast and furious to make sure we only see smooth transitions.
As good as the production is, the ensemble cast is even better.
Jacob Weitlauf as Pete the Cat is fun, lighthearted, innocent, and endearing. Their movement on stage is fluid and sympathetic, and Weitlauf easily captures the audience’s heart with a friendly, almost intimately vulnerable performance of the musical feline. By the end of the show, you will want to join Weitlauf onstage just so they can lead you around in the magical VW Bus.
I know that I’m wrong, but I swear the roles of Olive, Cat-Catcher, and Eloise are played by more actors than just Cameron Aragon. Her roles are played so uniquely that even her face morphs as she changes from one character to another. Aragon plays Olive (Jimmy’s sister) with sweet naivete and mischievous glee, and the audience can’t help but love her.
Matronly, moping, magical, and masterfully musical, Shelby Andersen plays each of her roles with dynamic contrast. Mom is as strong and sensible as any good sitcom mother. Grumpy Toad is reliable and keeps to themselves. Mrs. Creech is the boisterous teacher that some of us had, and some of us only hoped for. Every character that Andersen brings to the stage in this production is three-dimensional and relatable, with the (appropriate) exception of her hapless portrayal of the Mona Lisa.
Trayven Call adds his brilliance to the show and likewise creates unique and authentic characters. As Dad he is a loving-but-disciplined adult, as Barnaby he’s all second-grader, and as Gus the Platypus he is my favorite character in the show, just by standing there.
Rounding out the ensemble is Joseph Paul Branca as Jimmy, the wise, eldest brother of the family whose misdeeds under pressure in his second-grade class drive the plot of the show. Branca is flexible both in the scope of his character’s emotions and in the physical positions he gets himself in while performing. Most of us most closely identify with Jimmy in this show, children and adults alike, and Branca carries this responsibility with a developed and competent enthusiasm.
I have but one criticism for this loveable show. Before the show starts, the audience is taught a song that they are invited to sing when the time comes. Unfortunately, that time comes and goes more than once, and it is unclear whether the cast wants us to sing along with them. My public service announcement? If you think it might be time to sing, you’re right. Sing loud!
Pete the Cat is appropriate for all audiences and is primarily geared toward elementary-age children, with music and story that older children and adults will find compelling.
Salt Lake Acting Company presents Pete the Cat, music by Will Aronson, book & lyrics by Sarah Hammond.
Upstairs Theatre, 168 West 500 North, Salt Lake City, UT 84103
December 6 – 30, 2019, 12:00 PM, 3:00 PM Sat-Sun., Fri Dec 6 7:00 PM, Sat Dec 21 5:00 PM, Mon Dec 23 12:00 PM, 3:00 PM, Thur/Fri Dec 26-27 12:00 PM, 3:00 PM.
Tickets: $27 Adults, $17 Child
Contact: 801-363-7522
Salt Lake Acting Company Website
Salt Lake Acting Company Facebook Page
Pete the Cat Facebook Event
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