When I grow up I wanna be famous, I wanna be a cat, I wanna be on Broadway

Last week, I had the opportunity to slip into an ensemble of all-white spandex, fasten a tail to my bum, swap headband for kitty ears and clip some whiskers into my nose. No this was not some sort of sadistic feline fashion fetish shoot, it was a once in a lifetime chance to act out my childhood dreams, to take to the bright lights of Broadway and prance about til curtain falls amongst Andrew Lloyd Webber's Jellicle Cats.

That's right, folks. When the Whisperer was wee, I was obsessed with the musical Cats, and made it my be all, end all goal in life to one day reprise the role of Victoria the White Cat. My godfather first took me to see the musical on Broadway when I was three years old and a musical monster was born. From then on, whenever a birthday or holiday would roll around and my parents would venture, "what is it you want for your birthday dear?" "TICKETS TO CATS!" inevitably came the reply, to my parents dismay. My mom I believe is now permanently scarred, as my Broadway mania extended beyond Grizabella and her memories and by the time I was six, I knew all the words to Phantom, Les Mis, Grease and several others.

Afternoons with the nanny were spent rehearsing my ballet and flitting about the apartment reciting poems from Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats. In a way, my early obsession with Cats led me to TS Eliot at an obnxiously young age, and I've been hooked ever since.

Anywho, art director and photographer Kamilla Weindhardt and Emilie Fjola Sandy have taken it upon themselves to shoot and showcase various creative professionals enacting their childhood dreams. For my shoot, Kamilla even made the matching leg and arm warmers, which caused me to squeal with glee when I slipped into them. Butters fell quite naturally into feline disposition, actually causing a rather embarrassing scene with the ball of yarn, rolling around, batting at it with her back paws---I suddenly realized just how much her' sojourn with the torty kitty Lucy back in NYC has affected her canine sensibilities.

My face was completely painted, I couldn't believe when I peeked in the mirror: my transition to Victoria the White Cat was complete. Now the only thing left to do was get Jellicle.
 
So the exhibition opened yesterday and I got to see the dreams of my creative peers. There were musicians as presidents, gallery owners as scientists, fashion designers as popstars and so much more. The exhibit is on at Material until the 27th of August.  So if you find yourself in the city Center in the next few weeks in the mood for a pick me up, When I Am Big is a great way to  recall a time when things were a bit simpler, the future a bit brighter and the lights of Broadway within your chubby childrens' fingers' grasp.