The Cool Cat is Back with the Return of a Center Original, Duke Ellington’s Cat

Come see this lyrical look at the life and times of Jazz great Duke Ellington and his feline companion

ATLANTA (January 2023) – The award-winning Duke Ellington’s Cat returns to the stage this February for the first time since its previous run in 2008. Duke Ellington’s Cat, written and directed by the Center for Puppetry Art’s Artistic Director Jon Ludwig, is a lyrical look at the life and times of one of America’s musical giants, Duke Ellington. Mr. Ellington’s influential jazz career spanned from the Roaring Twenties through the Civil Rights Movement.

Sponsored by Cheryl Henson and The Jim Henson Foundation, Kaiser Permanente, and Georgia Council for the Arts, Duke Ellington’s Cat follows Duke Ellington and his cat during the early days of his career playing in pool halls to packed-out concert halls and all his misadventures along the way. The cast features the talents of Dionna D. Davis, Will Frierson, Luis Hernandez, Christopher McKnight, Alexander Hudson, and Mandy Mitchell, who all perform as puppeteers and provide voices for the lively characters in the show. Rounding out the talented cast is Musical Director S. Renee Clark and Artistic Director, Jon Ludwig. Duke Ellington’s Cat is an American history and Civil Rights Movement tale highlighting the Jazz icons who reigned supreme through the use of rod, shadow, black light puppetry, and stop motion animation.

Duke Ellington’s Cat follows Mr. Ellington’s feisty feline, Cat, who has dutifully been by Duke’s side during his rise to fame and often even hangs out with Duke’s band while on the road. However, not everything is in rhythm when right before Duke is scheduled to put on a performance in honor of the Queen of England, his musical score has been stolen. Cat sets off on a mission to return the score back to his beloved owner, thus saving Duke’s career-defining performance and the day.

“Duke Ellington is an American musical visionary whose work was a powerful influence on America music and culture,” said Jon Ludwig, Artistic Director at the Center. “His story was also one of defying stereotypes and overcoming societal barriers to realize his dreams. By telling his story through the eyes of his pet Cat, Ellington’s life becomes a fun, musical, educational adventure for our audiences. We hope it’s an inspirational celebration of Ellington’s life and legacy.”

As part of the Center’s ongoing commitment to creating original work that is diverse and inclusive for communities of color, the Center received two significant grants in the total sum of $50,000 from the Georgia Counsel for the Arts; the new Bridge grant for general operations and the Arts Education grant. The funding from the Arts Education grant was used towards implementing engagement activities with second-grade classes from Burgess-Peterson Academy, a Title 1 Atlanta Public School. Writer and director of Duke Ellington’s Cat, Jon Ludwig, used the feedback from this workshop to update and refresh the characters, plot, and design of Duke Ellington’s Cat from its previous 2008 run to be more reflective of the perspectives from diverse communities.

“The students of Burgess-Peterson Academy were crucial in helping us develop our adaptations of Harold and the Purple Crayon in 2019 and Stellaluna in 2020, and now we’re excited to update this year’s Duke Ellington’s Cat production with their ideas and voices based on their valued feedback.” —Jon Ludwig, Center for Puppetry Arts Artistic Director

Sensory-Friendly Sunday, February 26. The Center is continuously striving to create performance experiences for all and is excited to offer its Sensory-Friendly Sunday showings for patrons with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and other sensory sensitivities. Sensory-friendly modifications will be made to the 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. performances on February 26; in the Worlds of Puppetry Museum from noon-5 p.m.; and in the Create-A-Puppet Workshops™ from noon-5 p.m. The Center will also provide social stories, a quiet room, noise-reducing headphones, sunglasses, and fidget toys for guests wishing to use those resources. For details, visit https://puppet.org/visit/asd-sensory-friendly-sundays/.  

Audio Described Performances, Saturday, March 5. The Center is also excited to offer an audio-described Performance of Duke Ellington’s Cat during its run. Guests who are visually impaired are invited to enjoy audio-described performances on Saturday, March 5th at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.

An all-inclusive Center ticket includes a performance of Duke Ellington’s Cat, admission to the Worlds of Puppetry Museum, special museum exhibitions, and the Create-A-Puppet Workshop™, where children can build a Cool Cat Ultraviolet Puppet, inspired by a character from Duke Ellington’s Cat. Ticket prices range from $15 – $22 for children and adults. VIP tickets are also available and include premiere front-section seating. Duke Ellington’s Cat runs twice daily Wednesday through Sunday with a third show on Saturdays. Purchase tickets at: https://puppet.org/programs/duke-ellingtons-cat/

The following are show dates and times:

Tuesday, January 31st, 2023 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m.

Wednesday, February 1st, 2023 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m.

Thursday, February 2nd, 2023 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m.

Friday, February 3rd, 2023 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m.

Saturday, February 4th, 2023 11 a.m., 1 p.m.

Sunday, February 5th, 2023 1 p.m., 3 p.m.

Tuesday, February 7th, 2023 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m.

Wednesday, February 8th, 2023 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m.

Thursday, February 9th, 2023 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m.

Friday, February 10th, 2023 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m.

Saturday, February 11th, 2023 11 a.m., 1 p.m.

Sunday, February 12th, 2023 1 p.m., 3 p.m

Tuesday, February 14th, 2023 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m.

Wednesday, February 15th, 2023 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m.

Thursday, February 16th, 2023 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m.

Friday, February 17th, 2023 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m.

Saturday, February 18th, 2023 11 a.m., 1 p.m.

Sunday, February 19th, 2023 1 p.m., 3 p.m

Tuesday, February 21st, 2023 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m.

Wednesday, February 22nd, 2023 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m.

Thursday, February 23rd, 2023 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m.

Friday, February 24th, 2023 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m.

Saturday, February 25th, 2023 11 a.m., 1 p.m.

Sunday, February 26th, 2023 1 p.m., 3 p.m

Tuesday, February 28th, 2023 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m

Wednesday, March 1st, 2023 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m

Thursday, March 2nd, 2023 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m.

Friday, March 3rd, 2023 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m.

Saturday, March 4th, 2023 11 a.m., 1 p.m.

Sunday, March 5th, 2023 1 p.m., 3 p.m

Tuesday, March 7th, 2023 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m

Wednesday, March 8th, 2023 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m

Thursday, March 9th, 2023 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m.

Friday, March 10th, 2023 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m.

Saturday, March 11th, 2023 11 a.m., 1 p.m

Sunday, March 12th, 2023 1 p.m., 3 p.m

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