This children’s musical ran in New York for more than three years!
The story concerns a couple of New York cats, Hugo and Mimi, who stowaway on an ocean liner, get thrown overboard, and end up in a fascinating but frightening kingdom where cats are illegal. Reigning Queen Gloria XIV is allergic to cats and exterminates them mercilessly, courtesy of her pet pterodactyl, who yawns flames, and whom she keeps in bondage by his fear of her mysterious gatekeeper, Morahorahora. Hugo is all for catching the next boat home, but curious Mimi insists that “a cat can look at a queen” and smuggles herself into the castle. Disaster ensues, with the Queen on the warpath, but an unexpected rapport develops between Mimi and the pterodactyl, whose name is Ptommy (he puts Ps in front of his Ts). Of course, Hugo has to come to the rescue, but he is helped by (one of the chief attractions of the show) the children in the audience. It is they who must supply the ultimate secret reason “Why the Queen Hates Cats.”