Josie and the Pussycats

Cats have slinked, stretched, purred, and pounced through movies for well more than a century, going back to the silent 1901 short The Sick Kitten. We can all agree: They make a film more interesting.

The Library celebrates these furry stars in its 2023 Off the Wall rooftop film series, Feline Throughline, featuring cats in non-starring but invariably scene-chewing roles. Leading off: 2001’s Josie and the Pussycats (PG-13, 98 min.), which finds Rachael Leigh Cook (lead singer and guitarist Josie), Tara Reid (drummer Melody), and Rosario Dawson (bassist Val) as members of a rising rock band caught in a scheme to control America’s youth.

Yes, it’s a musical comedy based on a comic book. But E! News saw more nuance on the 20th anniversary of the movie’s release in 2021, writing, “Over the last two decades, Josie and the Pussycats has become a generation-defining cult classic, simultaneously being ahead of its time with its take on consumerism and the state of pop music and yet a perfect encapsulation of the Y2K era, Carson Daly cameo included.”

In other words, it’s the cat’s pawjamas.

Featured Meow-vies

Series Details »

Co-presented by the Kansas City Public Library and Young Friends of the Kansas City Public Library.

Attending Off the Wall

 
  • Films are shown on the fifth-floor Rooftop Terrace of the Central Library, 14 West 10th St., KCMO.
  • Bring your own seating, blankets, or folding chairs. (Chairs or other seating not provided.)
  • Bring your own food, snacks, and non-alcoholic beverages. No glass containers, please.
  • Doors open at 8 p.m. (The Central Library closes at 5 p.m. on Fridays, but reopens at 8 p.m. for Off the Wall events.)
  • Screenings begin at dusk (approximately 8:45 p.m.)
  • Parking: Enter the Library District parking garage via Baltimore Avenue**. Bring your parking ticket to the event for complimentary validation.
  • Transit options: Take KC Streetcar to the Library stop at 9th and Main streets or use Ride KC bus routes.
  • In case of bad weather, the event may be canceled. Watch event pages or the Library’s social media feeds for updates.
 

**CENTRAL LIBRARY PARKING NOTICE
Please note that the Baltimore Ave. entrance to the Community Bookshelf Parking Garage via 10th St. will be CLOSED Monday, June 5, through Saturday, June 17, due to concrete repairs. All visitors and permit holders can enter the garage via Wyandotte St. on the west side.

 
More in this series:
20
May
Strange Brew (1983)
Central Library |
8:00pm
17
Jun
Warm Bodies (2013)
Central Library |
8:00pm
12
May
Wayne's World (1992)
Central Library |
8:00pm
9
Jun
To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (...
Central Library |
8:00pm

Josie and the Pussycats

Date & Location
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In Person
Details
Adults