Meet Broadway's newest stars: They're young, they're hairy and they have very curious noses.
And like the biggest of celebrities, they each go by only one name _ Argyle and Fred.
They may be dogs, but they're headed for the big time. In a rags-to-riches story worthy of a Broadway musical, the two formerly homeless dogs were selected Friday to join the cast of "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang," a song-and-dance extravaganza opening April 28 at the Hilton Theatre.
"This is the ultimate dream for a rescue dog _ to go from somebody's trash to a Broadway star," said Deborah Miller, who saved Argyle, a 10-month old collie, from a life spent locked in a Bronx basement.
Fred, an 8-month-old foxhound mix, was brought to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals after his owner gave him up.
Producers invited dogs from animal shelters across the city to an open casting call at the Hilton Hotel. Twenty dogs tried out for three spots. All the dogs are waiting to be adopted, and many of them are recovering from neglect, abuse or abandonment. They each had a story to tell.
There was Winks, who had one eye sewn shut because of a birth defect and was given up by her owner. There was Samson, who was hit by a car and broke two of his legs. And there was Ida, a terrier mix found wandering the streets in Brooklyn.
{{/usCountry}}There was Winks, who had one eye sewn shut because of a birth defect and was given up by her owner. There was Samson, who was hit by a car and broke two of his legs. And there was Ida, a terrier mix found wandering the streets in Brooklyn.
{{/usCountry}}"She's so ugly, she's cute," said Joan ahourB ts rh oe iandha ehrti aes r rdurle and Fred passed all the tests, so heads up canines: They're still looking for a final dog!