Local theater groups gear up for summer shows

Local theater groups are gearing up for another summer of musical, comedic and dramatic offerings on stages throughout the Flathead Valley and beyond.

Following is a brief run-down of what to expect from local theater troupes:

Alpine Theatre Project

Alpine Theatre Project will bring real Broadway talent to the valley all summer long with a slate of diverse, professional productions.

• The season kicks off with “Master Class,” starring Tony Award nominee and Broadway veteran Barbara Walsh portraying legendary opera diva Maria Callas. The show by Terrence McNally has won three Tonys and takes viewers to one of Callas’ famed master classes where, late in her own career, she dares the next generation to make the same sacrifices and rise to the same heights that made her the most celebrated, reviled and controversial singer of her time.

“Master Class” will run June 15-24.

• “Little Shop of Horrors” will run July 5-21. The play, one of the longest-running off-Broadway shows of all time, is an affectionate spoof of 1950s sci-fi movies. The score was written by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, the team that redefined animated musical films with Disney’s “The Little Mermaid,” “Beauty and the Beast” and “Aladdin.”

The show will star Broadway and TV veteran Stephen Berger.

• “Legends: Stephen Sondheim” is a continuation of the popular concert series the theater company began last year, featuring the life and music of some of Broadway’s greatest composers and lyricists. This year’s show will feature the work of Stephen Sondheim, the man behind “West Side Story,” “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” “Sweeney Todd” and more.

The show, which will be offered only on July 30, will feature the stars of “Little Shop of Horrors” as well as Broadway veteran Jodie Langel.

• “Hedwig & the Angry Inch” may be Alpine Theatre Project’s boldest programming choice to date. The multi-award-winning rock musical has developed a rabid cult following for its portrayal of “internationally ignored song stylist” Hedwig Schmidt, a fourth-wall smashing East German rock ‘n’ roll goddess who is also the victim of a botched sex-change operation.

The show is recommended for mature audiences only and will run Aug. 9-19.

All Alpine Theatre Project shows will be staged at the Whitefish Performing Arts Center. Tickets to each production range from $20 to $39.

For tickets and additional information, call 862-SHOW or visit alpinetheatreproject.org.

Bigfork Summer Playhouse

The summer playhouse, which offers entertainment by one of the Northwest’s most respected repertory theater companies, opens its 53rd year this season. This year’s shows include:

• “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change” has already opened. The show is presented in the form of a series of vignettes connected by the central theme of love and relationships. The play's tagline is, "Everything you have ever secretly thought about dating, romance, marriage, lovers, husbands, wives and in-laws, but were afraid to admit."

• “9 to 5: The Musical” opens June 2. The play is based on the book by Patricia Resnick and features music and lyrics by Dolly Parton. The show features three women — an overworked office manager, a jilted wife and an objectified secretary — who conspire to depose their smarmy boss and make women-friendly changes in the workplace.

• “Damn Yankees” tells the story of Joe Boyd, for whom every baseball season is painful because his team, the Washington Senators, always loses to the Yankees. Joe makes a pact with the devil that allows Joe Boyd to turn into slugger Joe Hardy, who becomes the savior of the Senators and a star in the major leagues. The problem is that Joe also has agreed to let the devil have his soul.

The show opens June 5.

• “The Music Man,” which opens June 19, is the story of con man Harold Hill, who convinces the people of River City, Iowa, to create a boys’ band but plans to run away once the boys have paid for their instruments and uniforms. His scheme works perfectly until Harold falls in love with the town piano teacher, Marian.

• “High School Musical” is based on the Disney musical of the same way and focuses on high school jock Troy and nerd Gabriella who discover a mutual love of singing. Their friends try to stop them when they decide to audition for the school musical. The show focuses on issues of popularity, first love, balancing education with extracurricular activities and the value of friends and family.

The show opens July 3.

Evening performances are 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Sunday matinees start at 2 p.m. Shows are staged at the playhouse, 526 Electric Ave., Bigfork.

To purchase tickets or for more information, visit www.bigforksummerplayhouse.com. Tickets are also available by phone, 837-4886, or at the playhouse.

Port Polson Players

The summer season has already opened in the Mission Valley, where the Port Polson Players perform at the John Dowdall Theatre on the lake in Polson.

The players’ 37th season opened with the musical comedy “The Music Man,” which ran earlier this month. If you missed it, there will be several more opportunities to catch the players in action.

• “Those Boomer Boys,” featuring harmony and humor, runs June 7-10.

• “Murder at the Howard Johnson’s,” also a comedy, runs June 28 through July 15. The players will perform Wednesday through Sunday, except July 4.

• “Peach Pie Reunion,” a karaoke comedy, runs July 19 through Aug. 5.

• “Late Bloomers,” featuring euphonic musical entertainment, runs Aug. 9-26.

Most shows start at 8 p.m. Sunday matinees begin at 2 p.m.

In July and August, the players do not perform on Mondays or Tuesdays, or on the Wednesday before opening a show.

Tickets are $18 for adults, $17 for seniors and students.

For reservations or more information about the Port Polson players, call 883-9212 or visit www.portpolsonplayers.com.

Ronan Performing Arts Center

The center will play host to two theatrical events in June:

• “Way, Way Off Broadway” will be presented at 7 p.m. June 1 and 2. The show will feature music from musicals chosen by students of School District 30. The performance is a culmination of this year’s learning experience in the students’ drama classes.

The show is free and open to the public.

• “Man of La Mancha” will be staged at 7 p.m. June 15-16 and June 22-23. Bob Ricketts will play the role of Don Quixote, Robby Ricketts will play Sancho and Melina Pyron will play Dulcinea.

Tickets will be available at the Flower Mill, with all seats reserved. For additional information, call (406) 676-5323.

Whitefish Theatre Co.

Whitefish Theatre Co. is largely busy with theater camps during the summer, but the company does have plans for one major production in July.

“Always ... Pasty Cline” is back by popular demand after the show’s smashing success last summer. The Ted Swindley production is a tribute to the legendary country music singer and the story of Cline’s real-life friendship with a fan from Houston named Louise Seger, who corresponded with the star from 1961 until Cline’s untimely death in 1963.

The show, which takes place in a cabaret setting, will delight fans of songs such as “Crazy,” “She’s Got You,” “Back in Baby’s Arms,” “Walking After Midnight,” “I Fall to Pieces” and “Your Cheating Heart.”

Tickets are $25 for table or mezzanine seating. The show will run at 8 p.m. July 12-15 and July 18-21.

For additional information, visit www.whitefishtheatreco.org or call 837-5371.