The Amazing Acro-Cats touring cat circus will be showcased beginning at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 14, at The Hill Arts in Portland. Additional showtimes are planned through Sept. 1.
This troupe of trained domestic house cats, all former orphans, rescues, and strays, give a one-of-a-kind “purr”-formance that includes cats riding skateboards, jumping through hoops, ringing bells, balancing on balls, and performing other feats of agility and entertainment. The show finale is the only all-cat band in the world: Tuna and the Rock Cats. The Rock Cats play guitar, drums, and piano, and they’ve been joined by the Jazz Cats on saxophone, trumpet, and clarinet.
In addition to being on Cat People, the Amazing Acro-Cats have been featured on national TV shows including The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Animal Planet’s Puppy Bowl, CBS News Sunday Morning, and PBS Nova’s “Cat Tales.”
The story of the Chicago-based all-cat circus troupe The Amazing Acro-Cats is a weird, delightful one. Founder and “chief executive human” Samantha Martin had a lifetime aspiration of working with animals and becoming a trainer. She received an associate degree in animal husbandry and services, and started out training rats for film and television roles and working in education, but those jobs didn’t ignite her passion. So in 2005 she began training her cat, Tuna, to do tricks and put together a small show. Now, nearly twenty years later, The Amazing Acro-Cats is a full-on touring circus troupe. They have even been featured on the new Netflix “catumentary” Cat People.
The Acro-Cats tour to support Rock Cats Rescue, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Rock Cats Rescue is focused on saving cats “One Click at a Time” through cat welfare, rescue, and adoption. The Acro-Cats show promotes the importance of bonding and training cats with positive reinforcement, while also finding homes for rescued cats. Rock Cats Rescue has found homes for 330 kittens since 2009.
Tickets are $25-$60 with evening and matinee shows at various times from Wednesday, Aug. 14, through Sept. 1. The Hill Arts is located at 76 Congress St., Portland. For more information and to purchase tickets, thehillarts.me.
CM
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SJ
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