A Broadway Juggernaut this weekend in Whitefish

Alpine Theatre Project Kids is taking on a tall order this weekend. Over 100 Flathead Valley students in grades 1-8 will perform Andrew Lloyd Weber's celebrated musical “Cats.” The show will run Saturday, Oct. 21 and Sunday, Oct. 22 at the Whitefish Performing Arts Center. Patrons can visit atpwhitefish.org or call (406) 862-7469 for tickets and information.

Since its debut 40 years ago, “Cats” has generated more than 3 billion sales, making it one of the most popular musicals of all time. It played for 18 record-breaking years on Broadway. “Cats” is based on T.S. Eliot's 1939 poetry collection, "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats." The musical tells the story of a tribe of cats called the Jellicles and the night they made the Jellicle choice by deciding which cat would ascend to the Heaviside Layer and come back to a new life.

This young actors edition introduces students to the musical sensation in a completely accessible way while capturing the magic of the record-setting Broadway production. The original production has been stripped down to 60 minutes. The magnificent musical score includes one of the most treasured songs in musical theater, "Memory.”

ATP Kids students are split into two casts for a total of four performances at the Whitefish Performing Arts Center this weekend. The “Grizabella Cast” will take the stage Saturday, Oct. 21 with performances at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. The “Macavity Cast” will appear on Sunday, Oct. 22 at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. All shows will be meow-velous experiences you won’t want to miss.

This session of ATP Kids is sponsored by the Foley Family Charitable Foundation, Kalispell KiDDS Pediatric Dentistry, the John Morrison Healthy Montana Kids Fund, Great Northern Whitewater Raft & Resort, Markus Community Market, Bay Equity, Columbia Falls ACE Hardware, First Interstate Bank, Flathead Electric Coop, Frampton & Purdy Law Office, Freedom Bank, the Dennis & Phyllis Washington Foundation, and Measure Law.

Taught by theatre professionals including Broadway veterans, ATP Kids is a fun and exciting way for local students to gain confidence, creativity, self-discipline, and camaraderie with other students from around the Valley all while learning how to perform on stage. Over the course of six weeks, students work on a full musical production. No student is ever turned away. ATP Kids has enriched the lives of over 3,000 local students since 2008.