ATP summer season: Something to write home about
Published: May 14, 2009
The performing arts are thriving in Whitefish, says the founding artists of Alpine Theatre Project. The professional theatre company, entering its fifth summer season, is already known from coast to coast as one of the nation’s best-kept theatrical secrets.
To date, Alpine Theatre Project, with its casts of Broadway veterans, has even produced two world premieres: one starring John Lithgow and the other starring Academy Award winner Olympia Dukakis.
This summer’s season consists of the Irish comedy, “Stones in His Pockets,” the Tony Award-winning musical, “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” and the stylish musical revue, “The World Goes ‘Round.”
“We always want to provide our audiences with something they haven’t seen before. Something to write home about,” says ATP artistic director Betsi Morrison. “We’ve got three shows this year that residents and visitors to the area will just love.”
The season begins June 16 with the opening of “Stones in His Pockets.” The Olivier Award-winning Irish comedy is the story of a quiet Irish village and how it is changed by the arrival of a big-budget Hollywood shoot. The show, which runs through June 28, is somewhat of a tour-de-force for its two actors, who portray 13 different people without ever leaving the stage.
The comedy will be followed up by the regional premiere of the multi-Tony Award winning musical, “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” July 9-26. This hilarious musical tale of overachievers’ angst chronicles the experience of six adolescent outsiders vying for the spelling bee championship of a lifetime.
The show’s Tony-Award winning team has created the unlikeliest of hit musicals about the unlikeliest of heroes: a quirky yet charming cast of outsiders for whom a spelling bee is the one place where they can stand out and fit in at the same time. “Spelling Bee: runs July 9 – 26.
“This production is a real coup for us,” says Morrison. “We will be the first theatre company in the region to produce this hysterical musical.”
Alpine Theatre Project has also been awarded a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to aid in bringing the musical to the area. The grant is part of the NEA’s “Access to Artistic Excellence” initiative.
Rounding out the season will be the song-and-dance revue, “The World Goes ‘Round,” Aug. 11-23. This sleek and stylish musical pays tribute to the work of famed songwriting team of John Kander and Fred Ebb.
“No one has written more showstoppers than Kander and Ebb,” says Morrison. “They’ve created some of Broadway and Hollywood’s wittiest, sexiest and most memorable songs.”
Kander and Ebb have penned such Broadway hit shows as “Chicago,” and “Cabaret. The songs “All That Jazz,” “Maybe This Time,” “Cabaret,” “How Lucky Can You Get,” and “New York, New York” are just a few of their many achievements.
Alpine Theatre Project is also offering a 20 percent discount to patrons who subscribe to all three productions.
All productions take place at the Whitefish Performing Arts Center and run at 8 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays and 6 p.m. Sundays. For reservations, call the ATP Box Office at 406-862-SHOW or order online at www.alpinetheatreproject.org.
