Alex and I were chatting recently about the musical CATS. He's never seen it and I saw it because, well, it was the 80's and it seemed important for my family to do that at the time.
Anyway, for all of our chatter and giggling about the show we never asked the most obvious question; Why isn't there a similar musical about dogs?

Perhaps you might want to create such a musical yourself and begin your own musical theater empire. Too late! Been done! And, after what is described as a successful year-long run in Los Angeles, a second company of BARK! THE MUSICAL opened (or as the press release prefers "unleashed") in Chicago last night.

From the online description:

BARK! the rave new musical about man’s truest friend, as told and sung from the doggie point of view in a city Animal Shelter.

Howlingly funny, fast-paced and invariably poignant, BARK! is THE new American musical. With bone-clutching performances by a pedigree six member cast and original music by the songwriting team of Francis & Dillard, BARK! will have you yipping and yapping for more.

Exquisitely and outrageously directed and choreographed by the legendary Kay Cole—the original Maggie in A Chorus Line—BARK! has left the critics drooling.

Maybe it's just me but there is a definite "English as a second language" vibe to that description. "Exquisitely and outrageously directed" ???

If you got any enjoyment at all out of WAITING FOR GUFFMAN then really, you must check out the pictures of the cast (like CATS it's all actors dressed as animals) but, most especially, you must click on the audio samples from the original cast recording. The aforementioned Francis & Dillard have done some truly amazing work with the songs: "Sock-a-holic" ," FOOOOOOD", "Three Bitches" and "Whizzin' on Stuff".