Page 46 - Flathead Beacon // 7.29.15

EVENTS 48 MOVIE REVIEWS 49 SIDE DISH 52 FACES & PLACES 53
Arts&Entertainment
TALL TALES, SINGING MURDERERS,
AND JOHNNY CASH
Alpine Theatre Project in Whitefish closing out “most ambitious” season ever BY MOLLY PRIDDY
WHITEFISH – About an hour before the curtain went up on last Thursday’s production of “Big Fish,” Alpine Theatre Project direc- tor of marketing and development Luke Walrath waited with a visitor in the lobby.
“Lauren said she would be here,” Wal- rath said, scanning the faces of the people gathered in front of the box office, trying to buy tickets to the show.
And suddenly, she was, flustered and fully made up for the performance that night. Lauren Lim Jackson, whose Broad- way credentials include “Motown,”
“Memphis,” “Wonderland,” and “Fin- ian’s Rainbow,” is all smiles, apologizing for being a bit late. She was getting ready for the show, and ... wait, which show is it tonight?
“What day is it?” Jackson replies, laughing.
This is the life of the Broadway actors who live and work in Whitefish for about seven weeks during the summer; their lives are ATP’s three-show reper- tory schedule mixed in with rehearsals, encores, and a few chances to enjoy a Montana summer.
An intensive rehearsal schedule even- tually breaks into some of the valley’s most popular summer theater shows. This year’s repertory schedule – which rotates the shows throughout the week, giving visitors a chance to see a variety instead of one set show – includes “Chi- cago,” “Ring of Fire: The Music of Johnny Cash,” and “Big Fish.”
The shows started in early July and will run their respective courses by Aug. 1. ATP already added an extra show- ing of “Chicago,” given the sultry, sharp musical’s popularity this summer, and
Walrath said he’s also adding another round of “Ring of Fire.”
The Johnny Cash-based musical was supposed to end with its 8 p.m. perfor- mance on Aug. 1, but due to demand and selling out every show, Walrath added an extra 3 p.m. performance.
“I think it’s been our most ambitious season,” Walrath said.
As a newcomer to the ATP scene, Jack- son said she had been told by others in the New York City theater world that it was a good contract to snap up for the sum- mer and that Whitefish is “cool,” but that
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JULY 29, 2015 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM
Alpine Theatre Project’s production of Chicago, part of its 2015 repertory season which closes Aug.1.
COURTESY ALPINE THEATRE PROJECT