Performing Arts 2018

PERFORMING

ARTS ON STAGE IN SOUTHWEST MONTANA 2018

D I S C O V E R G R E AT PERFORMANCES HAPPENING I N Y O U R O W N B AC KYA R D 2018 SEASON B IG SKY

tickets @ warrenmillerpac.org wild Up | [title of show] | Edgar Meyer | James Sewell Ballet & The Ahn Trio | Che Malambo

PERFORMING ARTS

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2018

THANK YOU, FIVE. Welcome to our brand new annual publication. Southwest Montana is flush with t a l e n t e d actors, artists, instrumentalists, and singers. It's high time the Chronicle brought their voices back. At the end of 2017, we were given the opportunity to create an Arts publication.

Like any great actor or instrumentalist, we were taking a risk.

Is this what the artistic and executive directors of these organizations want? Will it come together? Will it be well-received by the community?

Not only did our new magazine come together, it soared beyond expectation.

That’s the cool thing about the Arts community; they aren’t afraid to take risks, either. When they see an opportunity to bring light to their productions, to get people together and give them something to talk about, they take it.

So, here is the first yearly publication of Performing Arts, and what a year it will be!

The Intermountain Opera turns 40 this year, and the Sweet Pea Festival, a culmination of local artists and performances, turns 41.

The Bozeman Symphony is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Things are going so well

at Verge Theater, they have hired a full time Executive Director. The surrounding mountain towns of Livingston and Big Sky are producing and hosting top-notch performers, adding quality theater and music to their repertoires. Local musicians are exploding onto the scene with a new and innovative sound, and the Rialto Theater got a makeover and is now reopened for business.

Southwestern Montana has fostered some of the Nation’s greatest talent, including Broad Comedy (which is making an Off-Broadway run beginning this January), and the Grammy Award winning Muir String Quartet (which was started in Boston by Bozeman’s own Michael Reynolds ). Thanks to all of the Artscentered nonprofit and local organizations, Bozemanites are regularly given the chance to see and perform alongside of professional actors, dancers and musicians.

These programs bring the community together by introducing new concepts and ideas, instilling confidence in our children (and adults), and providing endless entertainment.

And it is all thanks to the founding members and donors who were willing to take risks.

Within the pages of Performing Arts, you will get to know local artists, learn about the history of several arts organizations, and plan your weekends with our yearlong events calendar. Without further ado, places everyone.

Pull Curtain. Lights up!

PERFORMING

ARTS WRITER

Hannah Overton DESIGN AND LAYOUT Matthew Gasbarre CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS John Zirkle, Doug Loneman, Jessie Moore, Josey Quinones, Tim Stiller, Inspire Photo Art, Bruce and Kimberlie Jodar, Nashan Photographers, Bill Scharnberg ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Cindy Sease

CONTENTS

COVER PHOTO Bruce and Kimberlie Jodar

Big Sky, Big Art..................................... 6 The Team Behind Broad Comedy........... 8 Montana Chamber Music Society Brings Grammy Winners to Bozeman..... 10 Bozeman Ballerina................................. 12 The Sweet Pea Festival Promoting and Cultivating the Arts....... 14 Restructuring at Verge Theater............. 16 Getting into Character with Ryan Lawrence Flynn.................... 18 Intermountain Opera Bozeman: Get Your Culture On . . ............................ 20 The Bozeman Symphony’s Half-Century Celebration...................... 22 Fostering growth in Livingston’s Arts Community................. 24 Swamp Dawg Brings Southern Soul to Montana.................................... 26 Performing Arts Events Calendar 2018............................ 27

2018

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PERFORMING ARTS

M

hakesp S a n o n ta

e a r e i n t h e Pa r k s ’ 4 6 t

h Sea son

& Featuring

Othello

LOve’s Labor’s lost

Opening June 13th at the MSU Duck Pond Full tour schedule online at shakespeareintheparks.org

www.highline-partners.com PERFORMING ARTS

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2018

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Just wait until intermission, please.

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Robyn Erlenbush, CRB, Broker Owner. Each office independently owned & operated.

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PERFORMING ARTS

BIG SKY, BIG ART “Everybody’s instinct is their constant search for freedom. That’s one of the reasons for the creative arts center; people can get on the stage here and create, in my opinion, a whole lot better than they can if they’re living in half-a-bedroom apartment in Manhattan. Just because people move to a ski resort doesn’t mean they move away from the arts.”

– Warren Miller

Stephanie DiMaggio and Saidah Arrika Ekulona perform on the Warren Miller stage Photo by John Zirkle

B

ig Sky has always been known as one of the best ski towns in America. John Zirkle and Stephanie DiMaggio are working to add world class productions to Big Sky’s reputation. Zirkle, the Artistic Director at the Warren Miller Performing Arts Center (WMPAC), met with DiMaggio, a New York-based actress and writer, at Buck’s T4 in 2015. The two discovered they shared the common desire to make great and original art available to everyone, and the Big Sky Theater Company and Big Sky Theater Workshop were born.

directors,” DiMaggio said. “We mentored young people from some of the best programs in the country. This year we are trying a new model, switching out from training and focusing solely on new work development.

Levity is a product of the first workshop, so bringing it full circle with a World Premiere at WMPAC is an incredible accomplishment.”

WMPAC became an Equity Certified performing house in 2016. The Big Sky Theater company is thrilled to showcase professional actors and will continue to do so in February’s production of [Title of Show]. Still, community education remains at the top of the priority list. “No matter what we are working on, we always try to offer at least one or two community workshops taught by our artists,” DiMaggio said. “Some are more formal master classes for college students and some are Saturday morning games classes for children.”

“In addition to the Big Sky Theater Company, we have Big Sky Broadway, a separate children's theater company now coming on nearly 10 years of operation,” Zirkle said. “The program brings in 40 children aged 8-14 to produce a musical every summer in two weeks. We have developed a high school thespian society, which puts on a musical every spring at the high school. We are continuing to develop a local Big Sky Community Theatre troupe. The Community Theatre is currently

This January, Levity, an original work by DiMaggio, debuts on the Warren Miller Stage featuring performances from Broadway and television stars including David Alford, Carolyn McCormick, Michele Pawk and more! “For the first three summers the program operated as a top-level training intensive for college students and early career actors, writers and PERFORMING ARTS

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2018

Bhavesh Patel leads a childrens theatre workshop Photo by John Zirkle

planning a production of The Great Gatsby later in the spring of this year.”

Zirkle and DiMaggio look forward to making original works a staple of the theater company. By next year, the Company will have created a new musical rich with cultural themes endemic to Montana. “Big Sky is a place filled with adventure and seeking,” DiMaggio said. “Fostering new work seemed like a natural fit. We want to invite collaboration. When you mix the freedom of mountain life with the joy of play

making, it is a winning combination.”

“We are developing an entire ecosystem of theater in our small town that features a children’s musical theater production company, a localized adult community theater focus, and a professional theater company,” Zirkle said. “All are intertwined throughout the year to compliment the greater fabric of storytelling in Montana.”

“WMPAC has all the potential of becoming a nationally recognized home for developing new American theater,” DiMaggio said. “The

first time I went skiing was in Big Sky. I knew immediately that the experience of skiing and theater were actually really similar. You have to leave it all behind, you have to risk and be focused but relaxed - you have to stay in the moment and let it take you.”

For tickets, classes, upcoming events, cast bios and more information, please visit bigskytheatercompany.com

Broadway star Hoon Lee performs with Brendan Dalton in The Winters Tale.

Photo by John Zirkle

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THE TEAM BEHIND BROAD COMEDY

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f you have seen riotously funny, provocative and incredibly sharp Broad Comedy, it’s hard to deny the talent of Katie Goodman and Soren Kisiel. The husband and wife team haven’t stopped working together since meeting in a play in college. They were teaching theater in Philadelphia in the early 90’s when they decided to move to a smaller community. “We were working with inner city kids, and it’s just hard to keep the community going in a big city,” Goodman said. “In a small town, we could have a bigger effect. Bozeman was just the right size.”

With the help of The Vigilante Theater Company, Goodman and Kisiel set up an office at Emerson Cultural Center, established non-profit theater status and immediately began an educational program, a theater company, a camp and an improv troupe under the name Equinox. “We had a tiny office on the second floor of the Emerson, and we would perform in what is now the Weaver room,” Kisiel said.

“We had some light trees that we bought from a defunct theater company in Butte. When we would do a show in there, we would set up the stage, drag the theater lights in, set up the light trees, run all the cords, set up the chairs, and then take everything down each night.”

When a pet shop closed on Seventh Avenue, Goodman knew she had found the perfect place to move Equinox. Five years into running their successful theater, Goodman created the sketch show Broad Comedy, featuring an entirely female cast. Initially, Goodman wrote the show on her own, asking Kisiel to review the script and pitch ideas. Within a couple of years, the husband and wife team were writing and directing Broad Comedy

PERFORMING ARTS

together. “We won the Vancouver Fringe Festival,” Goodman said. “We started touring around took the show to Los Angeles and Boston and we hired a whole new cast in each of those cities and did a three-month run. It got really great reviews, and we thought, ok, I think we’re on to something.”

“In the early days of Broad Comedy, we would write pieces separately and then have the other person read them,” Kisiel said. “It wasn’t long before we noticed that my work was always better if Katie had a hand on it, and vice versa. Now both of us are much happier having everything be written by passing between the two of us.”

Goodman and Kisiel left the Equinox Theater (currently the Verge Theater), and moved to Brooklyn to focus on Broad Comedy. In addition to raising a child, touring around the country, writing, directing, casting, and, in Goodman’s case, starring in Broad Comedy, the couple is continuously undertaking new endeavors. The two co-authored The Night Our Parents Went Out, a children’s book about imaginative kids creating worst-case scenarios of their parents’ date night. Kisiel 8

is working on three more children’s books and pitching television shows.

They wrote and produced a musical called Catapult Love , with Tom Toles, the Pulitzer Prize winning political cartoonist for the Washington Post.

Their comedy videos and original web series Bench Warmers and Sh*t Park Slope Parents Say have amassed over 2 million views on YouTube.

Goodman leads an improvisational women’s workshop at Chico Hot Springs, works as a keynote speaker, provides corporate training, lifecoaching and recently produced webinars and group-coaching for people aspiring to be their own bosses in a creative field. If anyone knows the formula for innovative, self-employed success, it’s Katie Goodman.

The couple still manages to get back to Bozeman every summer to lead Camp Equinox. The monthlong performing arts day camp has a staff comprised completely of past campers, and brings in over 250 students from all over Montana to explore film, Shakespeare, maskmaking, playwriting, improvisation and more. “This coming summer is our 23rd year of Camp Equinox,” Goodman said. “It’s a real chance for 2018

Soren Kisiel and Katie Goodman Photo by Doug Loneman

mean the people in the play. The people in the audience, in the lobby, after the play. It’s where those conversations go after they see the show. For Broad Comedy, there is a portion of the population that is frustrated with the political climate, and it really helps them feel like they’re not crazy.”

kids to grow and be who they want to be. We do have a huge scholarship program. In 23 years, we’ve never turned anyone away.”

“For young people, there’s nothing that teaches kids selfconfidence and support for one another like performing arts,” Kisiel said. “On the adult side of things, having performing arts be vital and really alive is an important part of a community. It becomes a sharing of ideas, and that’s what holds a community together.”

“With Broad Comedy, we’re doing political satire,” Goodman said. “Any community is going to be healthier with complex discussions about complex issues. All theater does that. You are in a room of people responding in real time, and I don’t just

Broads in action!

PERFORMING ARTSMoore Photo by Jessie

• For information on Camp Equinox, visit campequinox.com.

• To find out more about Broad Comedy, visit broadcomedy.com.

• To learn about Katie’s retreats, keynote speaking, webinars, shows and more, visit www.katiegoodmanconsulting.com or www.katiegoodman.com.

• The find Soren and Katie’s children’s book stop by Country Bookshelf on Main Street.

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2018

The Muir String Quartet Photo by Bill Scharnberg

MONTANA CHAMBER MUSIC SOCIETY BRINGS GRAMMY WINNERS TO BOZEMAN

“It all starts with Mike Reynolds, who is the son of Creech Reynolds, who was a long-time music faculty member at MSU,” said Montana Chamber Music Society Executive Director John Barsness. “Reynolds Recital Hall is named in Creech Reynolds’ honor.

So, Mike has had a connection with Bozeman (and music) all his life.”

In 2009, Mike Reynolds approached Barsness with the intent of starting a new organization. By that time, Reynolds’ musical resume was humming with accolades. He helped start the renowned Muir String Quartet in 1979, which has won numerous awards including a Naumburg Award, a Gramophone Award, a Grammy nomination and two Grand Prix du Disques. He has taught at Boston University’s College of Fine Arts since 1983 and plays with the Boston Symphony. He started a Chamber Music Festival in Bozeman with his father.

“The organization became the Montana Chamber Music Society,” Barsness said. “It has grown quite a bit. The membership and the donors have grown. That’s really the key to a non-profit organization; success with donors, because ticket revenue does not cover all of the costs.”

Chamber Music is classical music performed by a small ensemble of instrumentalists. Originally, the music was played in a room or chamber, due to the size of the ensemble. Typically, there is no more than one player per part (one cello, one violin, and so on) and no conductor. The musicians rely on non-verbal communication and skill to create breath-taking live performances. The Montana Chamber Music Society is the first and only statewide chamber music society in America, and it aims to present great music under the Big Sky. There are anywhere from four to six concerts a year, depending on Mike’s schedule.

The Montana Chamber Music

T

“

he nice thing about chamber music is when people have not been exposed, and they come to a chamber music concert, they can get it on a visceral level.” – Mike Reynolds, Cellist of the Grammy-nominated Muir String Quartet and Artistic Director of Montana Chamber Music Society

Montana Chamber Music Society: 2017-2018 Season All Bozeman performances: 7:30 PM – MSU Reynolds Hall February 22, The Muir String Quartet February 23, The Muir String Quartet (at Shane Lalani Center, Livingston) February 24, The Muir String Quartet and guest violist Karen Dreyfus April 13, pianist Philip Aaberg, violinist Angella Ahn and cellist Sara Stalnaker July 12, The Muir String Quartet Tickets available at: www.montanachambermusicsociety.org Cactus Records (406.587.0245) (or at the door) adults: $27 seniors: $20 students: $10

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Society partnered with the Bozeman Public Library to present Noon Notes, free concerts the first Monday of every month, October – April (except January). These free concerts feature local musicians and invite third grade Bozeman and home-schooled students, but everyone is welcome to attend. “It fits in with Bozeman’s performing arts and education plan,” Barsness said. “Second, third, fourth and fifth graders each participate with a different art. Second is dance, third is chamber music, fourth is symphony, and fifth is opera. We’re building future audiences.”

Audiences can enjoy the Muir String Quartet at the Montana Chamber Music Society performances, in addition to several famous musicians from all over the world. Concerts are primarily in Bozeman and Big Sky, but with the acceptance of the Montana Cultural Trust Grant, performances have been expanded into Big Timber and Ennis. “We’re doing this in a way that makes sense and is important, so we don’t become over-extended,” Barsness said.

“We’re bringing not only traditional music, but contemporary chamber music. Philip Aaberg, cofounder of Windham Hill Records and a Grammy winner in his own right, performs contemporary aspects as well as classical. We engage Angella Ahn, a world class musician who is teaching and working in Bozeman. So we’re taking advantage of our Montana resources. We’re bringing in Karen Dreyfus, a violinist from Los Angeles for the next performance in February.

What’s important to Bozeman is that we are bringing in the finest music, that you would otherwise have to travel very long distances to hear.”

For concert schedules, tickets and more information, visit www. montanachambermusicsociety.org.

2018

Celebrating 50 years of live symphonic music in our community!

Join us for upcoming performances and special events including: February 3rd & 4th, 10th March 3rd & 4th April 7th & 8th May 17th Fall dates announced June 2018 View our season schedule online:

bozemansymphony.org 406.585.9774

The W Bo

Is it any wonder that Music and Wine share the same vocabulary?

The Wine Gallery

2320 West Main Street Bozeman, MT 586-8828 www.bozemanwinegallery.com 1716899 2018 11

PERFORMING ARTS

“I think ballet should be everywhere. It might not be everyone’s thing, but everyone should see a nice ballet performance once in their life.”

– Dayna Van Dyke

Van Dyke will dance the title role in Cinderella this

PERFORMING ARTS Photo

by Inspire Photo Art

12 2018 Feburary in Montana Ballet Company's production

BOZEMAN BALLERINA “At first I hated ballet. It was the worst part of my day. I hated the leotards and the tights and putting my hair up and having everything be all ‘placed.’”

Van Dyke has been dancing for 13 years. She started at Tanya’s Dance Company in Belgrade, where she took hip hop, jazz, lyrical and ballet. Then, about five years ago, Van Dyke forced herself to look at the class in a different light. “I focused in on it and told myself, ‘If you want to get through the day, then you should start really working on every move instead of going through the motions.’ So, I started thinking about my Plies; I should go deep and and stretch up, and in my Tendus, I should really reach forward. It made it way more interesting, and from that day on, I loved ballet.”

She made the switch to the Montana Ballet Company in Bozeman to better focus on her newfound passion. Now a senior in high school, Van Dyke will dance the title role in Cinderella this February. In addition to extensive classical ballet training, Montana Ballet Company has provided Dayna numerous performing opportunities over the years that have challenged her to become both a better artist and technician.

Trips to see the Alberta Ballet and the Dutch National Ballet in the Netherlands stay at the forefront of her mind, inspiring her to pursue a career in dance. “Next year is the big time, I have to get myself out there. I would like to get into a company, but I will probably need an apprenticeship.

Either way, I’ll be happy to dance.”

Van Dyke’s rigorous dance schedule is not to be taken lightly. She takes hour-and-a-half long technique classes every night after school and on Saturdays. When preparing for a performance, rehearsals can go on for a month and a half to two months. Van Dyke will rehearse Wednesday and Friday nights after her technique classes, and from noon to five on Saturdays. “We always do the Nutcracker in December and we will usually do a new production in February, and then we’ll have a company showcase in March or April.”

Summer months are made up of six-week intensive classes, ending with a special performance at the Sweet Pea

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Festival. “Ballet summer is a scary thing to a lot of dancers.

If you don’t work throughout the summer, it’s really hard to get back to where you were. That’s why a lot of people go to summer intensives, to keep their endurance up. Then we start back up in the fall with Nutcracker auditions!”

Van Dyke’s commitment to ballet comes completely from within. She is her own harshest critic and self-motivator.

Her parents push her to improve, but regularly remind her that she can quit at any time. “They are so supportive, but they always say, ‘Hey, if you don’t want to do this, you don’t have to.’ And I say, ‘Yes! I love doing this!”

Through her dedication to dance, Van Dyke has gained a confidence and independence different from most high school students. “It has been hard to have a best friend that I hang out with all the time, because I’m always at the studio. But I’m ok with that, because I grew up dancing. It definitely shaped me because I’m not worried about fitting in or conforming to a group. I’ve been flying solo for a little bit.”

“I think ballet should be everywhere. It might not be everyone’s thing, but everyone should see a nice ballet performance once in their life. If you see full-on American Ballet Theater, it’s the coolest thing ever.”

For tickets to see Dayna perform in Cinderella, or for more information on the Montana Ballet Company, visit montanaballet.org or call 406582-8702

MONTANA BALLET PRESENTS THE PREMIERE OF

February 24 . 4 pm February 25 . 2 pm

With Live Music

Willson Auditorium

For Ticket s

Visit montanaballet.org or call 406.582.8702

Elizabeth DeFanti, Artistic Director

PHOTO: INSPIRE PHOTO ART

D

ayna Van Dyke did not set out to be a ballerina.

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THE SWEET PEA FESTIVAL PROMOTING AND CULTIVATING THE ARTS

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n 1977, a group of self-proclaimed “hopeless optimists” set out to produce a three-day Bozeman arts festival. Over the course of a year, they renamed themselves “The Steering Committee,” received a grant from the Montana Arts Council, borrowed several ideas from turn-of-the-century Sweet Pea Carnivals (including a parade, ball and celebration of the sweet pea flower), and pulled together dance workshops, arts and crafts sales, art exhibits, a flower show, concerts, Shakespeare in the Parks and more. The festival committee kicked off Sweet Pea ’78 in August, with events held at Lindley Park, Bogert Park, the Ellen Theater, Cooper Park, Montana State University and the Willson Auditorium. Commemorative buttons were sold for a $1 each. Sweet Pea ’78 was a raging success.

The 80’s were the years of growth and establishment for the Sweet Pea Festival. The Steering Committee became a Board of Directors and introduced by-laws, making

PERFORMING ARTS

the event official. In 1982, they introduced the poster contest and announced Peg Dirkx the winner. The poster contest was discontinued from 86-87, then brought back to the delight of the public in 1988. In 1984, events were moved from Thursday-Saturday to Friday-Sunday, with the exciting addition of Taste of Bozeman (now Bite of Bozeman). In 1986, the Board of Directors made the benevolent decision to donate proceeds from previous year back to the community.

“When you purchase a wristband, you are funding the festival,” says Executive Director Kris Olenicki. “If we earn more money than we need to cover the expenses, we give grants back to the community. We have given over $340,000 back to the community since this program started in 1986. Last year we gave grants for art projects to Eagle Mount, Bozeman High School, Intermountain Opera and Children’s Museum. We also give sponsorships to organizations such as SLAM, Pecha Kucha, and Bozeman Film Society.”

2018 marks the 41st anniversary of the Sweet Pea Festival. Averaging 15,000 people in attendance each summer, it has become one of the largest celebrations of the arts in Montana. Four committee chairs are in charge of booking dance, theater, literary, music and family performances. The Board of Directors continues to add and change events to keep the festival fun and fresh.

“Recently, we added Adult Painting Workshops, a Literary program and a Sunday Morning Brunch, complete with Elle Fine of the Moose broadcasting from the Festival,

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Wristband sales Online - May Outlet/Office - July

Sign up for the SPF Newsletter! http://bit.ly/2rdQmAI

Visit sweetpeafestival.org for all the latest details.

Art Show July 13 - August 5 Chalk on the Walk - July 31 Bite of Bozeman - August 1 Music on Main - August 2 Adult Run - August 4 Children's Run & Parade - August 4

• The 2018 Sweet Pea Festival will be held in Lindley Park August 3-5.

• Applications for Grants, Arts & Crafts vendors, and Poster and T-Shirt contest will be available beginning in February.

• Purchase three-day wristbands online, at local outlets and the Sweet Pea office this summer.

• Single-day passes will be available, but your best price is always purchasing the three-day pass before the Festival.

• More information available at www.sweetpeafestival.org.

Sweet Pea Festival Weekend August 3rd - 5th

mimosas and breakfast items,” Olenicki says. “We’ve also added events during other times of the year. Sweet Pea hosts the Gingerbread House Building Competition during the Christmas Stroll and we are in our second year of presenting an Ice Sculpture Competition at the Bozeman Public Library.”

Those looking to get involved are encouraged to volunteer.

40 people are needed year-round to be on the planning board and the actual festival requires some 400 volunteers. Positions include everything from admissions to set-up to selling merchandise. Volunteers working for at least three hours receive a free wristband to enjoy the festival all weekend long.

“The Arts bring communities together,” Olenicki says. “They make a community more desirable to live in. They help kids communicate, give them outlets for creativity and studies have shown that arts programs help kids develop in other core subjects in school - music and math go hand in hand, for example. Bozeman is particularly lucky as we have theater companies, Opera, a thriving music scene, places like the Emerson Center, The Ellen Theater and the Rialto re-opening. I think our community agrees that the Arts are an important part of our lives.”

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RESTRUCTURING

VERGE THEATER AT

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orth on Seventh Avenue, across the street from Murdoch’s, tucked into the corner of an otherwise nondescript strip mall, you will find one of Bozeman’s best kept secrets: Verge Theater. This community theater grew out of

Equinox Theater and is now in its 23rd season.

Verge repeatedly sells out some of the funniest, wackiest, most brain-tapping performances in Southwest Montana. The Chronicle spoke with Executive Director Hilary Parker to get the scoop on upcoming happenings at Verge Theater.

Verge Theater sent-up Nazism, among other concepts, in its fall sell-out musical The Producers. They look to push the envelope even further next year with controversial topics and satire.

Photo by Tim Stiller

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The Executive Director position in itself is a new concept. Until this past August, the theater was primarily run by board members and Artistic and Programs Director Erin Roberg. When Roberg, after 12 years in her position, decided to explore other interests, the board saw a chance to restructure the way the theater operates. “Erin’s energy is still very much a part of this place, but we respect her decision that she has other things she wants to do,” Parker said. “What’s next is that the amazing theater that volunteers built alongside Erin just needs to be given a bigger stage. The Bozeman community needs theater. We need the play, the energy, the thought-provoking aspects, the conversation starters and the community space. I’m here to help with all of that and I just feel so blessed to be given the opportunity.”

Parker will focus more efforts on fundraising and community outreach and education. “Any organization at this stage of growth has a decision to make: Do we want to continue to grow and professionalize and get better, or do we want to stay where we are? There would be a whole heck of nothing wrong with staying where we are right now, but the board’s vision was to include more people into the programs, especially on the education side.”

The Verge offers educational programs for kids K-12th grade and for adults. Youth classes include musical theater, children’s improv and teen theater. Improv, acting and directing classes are available for adults.

Programs are offered throughout the year and are available during fall and spring semesters.

“These programs have been quietly feeding the children and adults of the Gallatin Valley with the confidence and self-assurance that theater brings,” Parker said. “We ask our teen theater classes to review their experience and time after time we hear, ‘this is a family,’ or ‘this place makes me feel fantastic about who I am.’”

Together with the Board, Parker just finalized a three-year strategic plan for Verge, with hopes of partnering with foundations to make theater education more available to the community. “It’s about giving kids a sense of optimism and the comfort of play… giving them something that is their own and building a sense of self-worth.”

Catch Bozeman's best comedy troupe, The Bozeman Improverts, all year long on the Verge main stage and at Red Tractor Pizza. Photos by Tim Stiller Parker asked the board members if they wanted to be a professional theater or a community theater. A unanimous decision to be a community theater was made and will help define the new direction the Verge is taking. “One of the things that has evolved since stepping out from Equinox’s beginnings — and really becoming our own company — is that we no longer have a core group of actors.

We hold open auditions, which is something that we formalized during the strategic planning session late last year. We believe our place and our work is to add to Bozeman as its community theater.”

Parker says the Verge family sees itself as a group of creatives who do more than produce

plays — they also produce confident, flexible people through theatermaking, whether by making shows or taking classes. As Bozeman grows, more and more people are discovering Verge’s value for themselves.

Still, Parker notes, “if you haven’t had a chance to see what we do or to look into our classes, I would encourage everyone to do so, because I don’t want this to be Bozeman’s best kept secret any longer. Bozeman deserves to benefit from the amazing work that’s being done at Verge.”

For more information about shows, tickets, auditions and classes, visit vergetheater.com.

Thanks Boze Bozeman!

Bozem mforan! naming us #1 LOCAL THEATRE GROUP

#1 LOCAL COMEDY GROUP #1 LOCAL THEATRICAL PRODUCTION 2018

#1 LOCAL PLAY #1 LOCAL ALBUM 17

www.vergetheater.com www.vergetheater.com PERFORMING ARTS

GETTING INTO CHARACTER WITH RYAN LAWRENCE FLYNN

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yan Lawrence Flynn is a truly transformative actor. Whether he’s playing the ostentatious Dr. Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Show or acting as the man behind the puppet Brother Wind in Ryan Cassavaugh’s triumphant, side-splittingly funny original comedy Freak Out! The Musical, Flynn has a way of getting lost in his characters. Now, cast in Doug Wright’s one-man show, I Am My Own Wife, he faces one of the most intimidating productions of his life. I Am My Own Wife, put on by the Bozeman Actors Theater at the Verge February 2nd–17th, will require Flynn to morph into dozens of characters. How does he turn these characters into multidimensional, believable human beings?

Turns out, Flynn’s talents go beyond acting and singing; he’s an incredible make-up artist, musician, and all-around good guy.

Photos by Tim Stiller of Big Event Photography PERFORMING ARTS

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The Rocky Horror Show

Flynn experiments with stage makeup

Spamalot at Verge Theater

When did you discover a passion for theater?

After casually getting involved with the first summer season of what became the long running Don’t Close Your Eyes: Live Radio Theatre series, I thought, maybe I could do this, too. Having been a performing musician and an emcee for many years, a stage and audience were already familiar. What got my attention was the opportunity to create narrative art and entertainment with other people again. That particular form of collaboration was something I dearly missed from my time in film school. I’ve since been doing theatre for close to eight years.

What is it about theater that drew you in and keeps you coming back?

I’ve always been fascinated with art that is ephemeral. Moments can happen in a room with a live audience and flesh-and-blood performers that are so organically powerful and at the same time not at all repeatable. It’s unlike the freedom to read a favorite book or watch great cinema again and again; every performance of a theatre production is slightly different. I keep coming back to theatre because nothing else compares to stumbling across those special moments. It is magic that can be remembered but not revisited.

Have you had any formal training in music or theater?

I started playing musical instruments at a young age. I stuck with classical violin for seven years, and have continued primarily with the mandolin for the past eighteen. While getting a BA in film, the curriculum introduced me to theatre by way of the requisite Directing, Production Design, and Acting classes I took in my sophomore year. Frankly, I treated it only as coursework at the time. Finding myself years later on a stage, acting, still feels like a fluke.

Once you have been cast, how do you prepare for the role?

Once cast in a role, I will isolate myself in a room and start reading my dialogue aloud, over and over. Exploring a new character through the voice is really helpful for me. It can reveal what I’m searching for much faster than just quietly thinking to myself, who is this person? Endless thought still goes into it. I make a concerted effort to avoid territories or mannerisms I’ve already thoroughly explored in previous characters. There are only so many combinations to draw from. I think it’s amazing to watch a performer disappear completely on stage and become another person entirely. I just try my best to do what I would hope to witness as an audience member.

You have created some pretty impressive Halloween costumes. Do you do the makeup for those?

Yes. I have been a special effects makeup artist for the past decade, with a focus on prosthetic makeup design. I also fabricate various wardrobe elements from scratch. That level of craftsmanship is useful whenever my friends and I produce one of our original puppet shows for adults, Freak Out! The Musical being the most recent. In addition to acting and puppeteering, other cast members and I design and build a lot of the show elements, often through experimentation; puppets, props, gags, sets, and more. I’ve also co-directed, created various sound designs, and dabbled in lighting.

experiment heavily with them. How would this person walk or gesticulate? In which dialect or register would they speak? Those answers help define a foundation for each character, from which I can build. The script predetermines certain traits, but the rest comes from discovery and revelation. Developing a character is like hanging out with someone I’ve only just met. If I let them take the wheel, I can learn something new about their individuality that I might otherwise miss.

What advice would give someone hoping to become involved in community theater?

Join mailing lists of local theaters. Find some monologues, record yourself while practicing them, and study what you see and hear.

Critique yourself. Auditions will introduce you to other people in the community, even if you don’t receive a callback at first. Be kind, be professional, and be unique.

To learn more about the Bozeman Actors Theater, visit www.bozemanactorstheatre.org. Purchase tickets for I Am My Own Wife at vergetheater.com.

You’re in an upcoming production of I Am My Own Wife where you portray dozens of characters. How do you even begin to work on something that big?

I started by identifying which characters would demand the most attention. I have to treat it like any other show with a large cast. There are lead roles, supporting roles, and background roles. If every character were just as prominent as the next, it simply wouldn’t work. I rely very much on my body and my voice as instruments, and I

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PERFORMING ARTS

Photos by Bruce and Kimberlie Jodar

INTERMOUNTAIN

OPERA

BOZEMAN GET YOUR CULTURE ON

PERFORMING ARTS

20 2018

I

n 1978, Verity Bostick, an assistant professor of music at Montana State University, partnered with well-known New York Opera producer Anthony Stivanello to bring opera to Montana.

Stivanello donated sets, costumes and skill to produce Verdi’s La Traviata. The performance opened in the spring of 1979, staring Pablo Elvira, a renowned Metropolitan and New York City Opera baritone who had a home in the Gallatin Valley. Intermountain Opera Bozeman was officially in business.

40 years later Intermountain Opera Bozeman shows no signs of slowing down. Nine years ago, the organization hired its first executive director, Jackie Vick. Since then, IOB has grown exponentially. “Our budget has just about doubled from the year I started,” she says. “We produce two full operas a year; one in October and one in May (or April, depending on the Willson Auditorium schedule). We have added a winter musical in February with this year’s show at the newly remodeled Rialto. We’ve had a presence at Sweet Pea for the past seven years.”

Each performance features talented, rising stars in the lead roles. Performers are scouted by Linda Curtis, the artistic director, who has been a part of IOB since year one. Curtis has performed in both supporting and lead roles with IOB. She travels the country, attending auditions, casting calls, productions and workshops to find her leads. “We bring in the conductor and stage director as well as the lead roles,” Vick says. “Opera isn’t just about the singing. It’s about acting ability and the voice being a good fit for the role.”

Anyone in the Gallatin Valley interested in performing is welcome to audition for the supporting roles and chorus.

Open auditions are held at the end of January or beginning of February. Curtis and the Choral director are present and a pianist is provided. There are numerous behindthe-scenes volunteer opportunities. “The way Bozeman is growing, we sometimes get people who have been in the field professionally, who now live here and want to be a part of what we do,” Vick said. “It’s really fun.”

In February 2018, you can catch IOB’s production of the romantic musical comedy She Loves Me at the newly renovated Rialto Theater. In May, Giuseppe Verdi’s Falstaff will show at the Willson Auditorium. In the 2018-2019 season, watch for Pirates of Penzance and Eugene Onegin.

Outreach is a key component of IOB’s mission. IOB invites the public to a “First Glance” rehearsal at the Bozeman Public Library, where they can see the artists coming together for the first time, two weeks before opening night. IOB partners with MSU’s Wonderlust to bring a presentation from the directors and the lead actors to the public. “For every fall production, area fifth graders get a behind-the-scenes look at Opera, with a field trip to the Willson to see what it takes to produce an opera. The guest artists and local participants visit numerous schools to share their expertise and stories of life as a professional in the opera world.”

Photos by Bruce and Kimberlie Jodar

“One of my favorite stories was about Scott Ramsay, one of our guest artists who shared a story with the Bozeman High School choir. Ramsay was a singer and a football player, which really 'wows' kids because they think you have to be one or the other. By the end of his senior year, numerous football players had joined the choir because it was a great place to meet girls.”

Moving forward, IOB is excited to make the winter musical a permanent part of their season and are working on forming a community children’s chorus. With projects in the fall, winter and spring, the next step in growth will be determining what to do in the summer time. Ticket sales account for only 30% of IOB’s budget,

2018 21

and the organization is incredibly grateful to all of the donors who offer their support. “The artistic quality of what we do really is amazing,” Vick says. “Opera is evolving. It’s no longer ‘park and honk,’ where the artist would stand and sing. Now every movement, light, set, costume and supporting action bring the story the music is telling to life. Language is not a barrier. You can follow the story through the great performances the aid of English Super(sub)titles. You are transported to a different place and time when you come to an IOB show.”

For tickets, shows, auditions, support and more information, visit www. intermountainopera.org.

PERFORMING ARTS

THE BOZEMAN SYMPHONY’S HALF-CENTURY CELEBRATION

I

n the 1960s, Bozeman was bursting with talent, and instrumentalists demanded a creative outlet. The Bozeman Symphony Society, which is primarily comprised of Bozeman locals, was established on January 11, 1968 as an outgrowth of the Montana State University Symphony Orchestra in an effort to fulfill both the audience and performers need of a collaborative community orchestra.

The Symphony’s Board of Directors could not have predicted the success it would face that year; the first season consisted of four concerts and an attendance of 2,500 people. The beginning of the Symphony’s third concert season was proclaimed “Symphony Week” by Mayor Don Langohr, Jr., who stated that the organization “provided an enrichment of the cultural life of the Bozeman area.”

The Bozeman Symphony Orchestra is proud to support our Community each year by: • Offering a conductor in residency program • Providing Far Afield, highly accessible community educational outreach which provides free live classical performances to the rural hamlets and communities in south-central Montana • Donating thousands of dollars’ worth of tickets to local nonprofits • Presenting a FREE educational concert for 4th grade students • Presenting two FREE educational family concerts each Concert Season • Presenting two “Symphony at the Shane” ensemble concerts in Livingston as part of our outreach program

PERFORMING ARTS

• Offering affordable RUSH tickets to increase access to performances • Providing employment opportunities to nearly one hundred people • Offering Family Passes to families so that young children can experience live classical music • Offering a Treats for Tickets program so that elementary school classes can attend a dress rehearsal and visit with musicians and guest artists For concert schedule, tickets and more information, visit www. bozemansymphony.org.

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2018

Upcoming Repertoire highlights include February’s free family concert – Star Spangled Symphony (February 2018), 50th Anniversary Collage – a celebration of the extraordinary musicians that make up the Bozeman Symphony Orchestra and Symphonic Choir (March, 2018), and Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, C minor (Resurrection ((April, 2018)). The concert seasons run September – April, with the 20182019 concert season announced in June. Additionally, to celebrate the 50th anniversary, a group of Symphony supporters, led by two former Board presidents, have contributed $50,000 towards a special matching gift challenge of $150,000. Every dollar will bring the Symphony closer to the dream of a Summer Concert Series.

Being a part of the Bozeman Symphony is no small commitment. A few players drive from Butte, Ennis, and Livingston for every rehearsal and performance. Occasionally, players from musical communities throughout the state are invited to play. Each player has many years of experience – some have been playing from a very early age and have made a profession as teachers at Montana State University’s School of Music, in the public-school system, and privately. The Symphony hosts 54 services per year, including concerts and rehearsals.

Preparation before the ensemble meets for rehearsal is mandatory.

The volunteer choir puts in a tremendous number of hours rehearsing weekly during the season. Performers really must have a passion for their craft if they intend to be involved.

In 2001, the Bozeman Symphony made history by selling out its entire season by subscription. Today, close community ties are maintained with MSU through the participation of faculty, students, cooperation with rehearsal space and the sharing of musical resources. Under the direction of Music Director and Conductor Matthew Savery, the Bozeman Symphony has experienced tremendous growth over the last twenty years. In addition to a wide variety of orchestral programming, the Bozeman Symphony supports Far Afield, a highly accessible community outreach program. The Symphony donates thousands of dollars’ worth of tickets to local nonprofit organizations, awards scholarships to promising young musicians, and provides employment and engagement opportunities for over 300 people.

The Bozeman Symphony and Symphonic Choir have established themselves as significant cultural icons in Montana, a history marked by artistic excellence.

The 2017-2018 concert season honors the organization’s 50-year history with every program designed as a celebration. Earlier this year, the Symphony hosted a 50th anniversary bash at the Emerson.

Upcoming programs will feature some of the most popular repertoire and beloved guest artists ever presented, including the extraordinary talent of the local musicians that make up the orchestra and choir.

Highlights include special guests Horacio Franco, flautista (February 2018), Colleen Daly, soprano and Margaret Lattimore, mezzosoprano (April 2018).

Information provided by Music Director and Conductor Matthew Savery, Executive Director Christopher Freeze, and Director of Communications Emily Paris-Martin.

“As frequent attendees at performances by the New York Philharmonic and other world-renowned orchestras at Avery Fisher and Carnegie Halls, we were unsure of what to expect from our new hometown orchestra. May we say WOW! Someone said that the performance was at least the equal of anything to be heard in New York and we couldn’t agree more. We have now joined the community of enthusiastic and loyal subscribers and cannot praise enough the quality of the performers, the programming creativity and the masterful conducting of Maestro Savery.”

– Bozeman Symphony Enthusiasts 2018

Photo by Josey Quinones

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PERFORMING ARTS

FOSTERING GROWTH IN LIVINGSTON’S ARTS COMMUNITY

L

ivingston, Montana sits on the banks of the Yellowstone River, surrounded by mountain ranges, railroad tracks and wildlife. Once a mere pit-stop on the way to Yellowstone National Park, Livingston has flourished into a beautiful little city. Delicious restaurants and eclectic art galleries line the streets of historic downtown.

You can drink a local brew, pick up the latest fishing equipment and, since 2010, you can see a spectacular show at the Shane Lalani Center for the Arts.

“In 2009, the organization approached the city of Livingston with the idea of a multi-use community arts center in the historic East Side School building,” said Shane Center Operations and Event Manager Erika Epple. “In June, the city agreed to donate the property, and a capital campaign was launched. Crazy Mountain Productions, formerly the Fire House Five, moved into its new home in October of 2010.”

Sal and Carol Glenn Lalani provided the center with a generous lead donation in memory of their son Shane. The performing arts center was given its name, and the Dulcie Theatre officially opened its doors in October 2010. Renovations were still in the works, and the opening of the Community Arts Center occured in September 2013.

As a non-profit organization, the Shane Lalani Center for the Arts aims to strengthen the community through

Photo by Nashan Photographers PERFORMING ARTS

24 2018

the participation of the Arts. The Shane Center produces five community theatre performances each season with a Fall Show, Holiday Vaudeville, Spring Production, Park High School’s Production and a Summer Show. “The Shane Center is also home to the Livingston Film Series, a free film offered the second Sunday of each month. The Dulcie Theatre is used by The Bozeman Symphony, Intermountain Opera, The Muir String Quartet, Montana Shakespeare in the Parks, The Verge, The Bozeman Actors Theatre and other groups and musicians to host concerts and performances,” Epple said.

The community theatre holds open auditions for each show. The Shane Center also offers educational outreach to students.

“This past August, we had 144 kids participate in our two-week Young Actors’ Workshop which ended with an inspiring production of Annie,” Epple said. “We partner with six local schools for our In-School Outreach Programs to provide participants the opportunity to improve their performing arts and social skills and teach teamwork, communication, and leadership.”

As Livingston grows, so does the Shane Center. The facility is now home to Faye’s Café, Conleys’ Books & Music, The Breathing Room Yoga, A Silent Feather Massage, the BlackLab Community Dark Room, Larry Stanley Photography, and the music studios

of Clayton Oberquell and Ken Garlow.

“Last year the Shane Center had a record number of 43,500 visits,” Epple said. “There is a continued trend of growth in our venue rentals, where the Shane Center has been a place for the community to come together to celebrate graduations, birthdays, retirements, and even weddings. We continue to host

art festivals, fundraisers, business meetings, non-profit luncheons and conferences and much more. The focus is on fostering the local community of talented performers.”

For more information on this season shows, tickets, auditions, upcoming events, venue rentals and programs, visit www.theshanecnetner.org or call 406222-1420

The Shane Lalani Center for the Arts

2018 25

PERFORMING ARTS

SWAMP DAWG BRINGS SOUTHERN SOUL TO MONTANA

I

“

t’s not Swamp Dog, it’s Swamp Dawg. You gotta put some grease on it.” – Michael Gillan, founding member, drummer and vocals for Swamp Dawg.

Michael Gillan knows that Bozeman is a great place to form a band. Originally from the San Fransisco Bay area, he started playing drums in the fourth grade, and never stopped. “I went through a lot of changes, and music wasn’t one of them,” he said. “There’s a great music community here for the size of the town, so many talented musicians. There’s a lot of opportunities here to get out and play.”

Swamp Dawg is Gillan’s latest musical project, bringing red hot New Orleans style funk, soul and R&B to spice up our frosty northern winters and provide the soundtrack to our summer barbecues and festivals. In addition to Gillan’s seasoned drum skills, the band features Susan Miller on lead vocals, Blaise Arsenault and Danny Bee on vocals and guitar, Jamey Warren on bass guitar, and Pete Christensen on the keyboard. “When you bring a band together, you’re looking for more than just good musicians,” Miller said. “You’re looking for camaraderie, and we have that. Swamp Dawg is really lucky to be a good group of friends.”

Swamp Dawg has been together for about PERFORMING ARTS

a year and a half. They spent eight months rehearsing before their first show, and perform once a month in bars and clubs around the Gallatin Valley and Livingston.

In true New Orleans fashion, their first gig was a Mardi Gras celebration. This February, they will play another Mardi Gras show at the Rialto. Their soulful melodies and second line drumming set them apart from what you will usually find in the Treasure State. “There is so much country-western and Americana and folk up here,” Gillan said.

“I’ve started several bands and I’m just trying to be different. Nothing against those other styles of music, but there is just so much of it. I don’t know if the area really begs for it, but I do.”

The area will be begging for it soon enough; it’s hard to sit still when you hear Swamp Dawg play. The music literally moves you.

“From a singer’s perspective, it’s really fun to live the music,” Miller says. “There’s a lot of passion and soul in the songs. When we play the Livingston clubs, people dance all night long.”

“There are so many songs out there in the New Orleans style that are so obscure,” Gillan says. “Not many have ever heard them, but they seem to really like it.”

“The second line drumming really gives us our sound,” says guitarist Blaise Arsenault.

‘Second line drumming’ is a term unique to New Orleans. It refers to the band that would play second in line behind the family following a funeral procession.

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After returning from the grave site, the band would play upbeat, happy music in celebration of life. The combination of second line and the Afro-Caribbean musical influence derived from Congo Square (often referred to as the birthplace of Jazz) inspires Swamp Dawg’s unique sound. “Everyone knows New Orleans is such a melting pot of different cultures and food and music,” Arsenault said. “We like to celebrate that. It’s a really different, refreshing sound.”

For now, Swamp Dawg is happy to keep booking gigs around the area, but they hope to play more festivals in the future. This summer, they will play the first Friday of every month for Follow Yer Nose Barbecue in Emigrant this summer. “There are no delusions of becoming famous or anything like that,” Gillan says. “The goal is to get better gigs. Festivals are awesome. You play for 90 minutes and it’s so much better than the four-hour bar dredge that I’ve been doing for so long.”

“We took some time off for the holidays and we have a show coming up, and I’m really looking forward to being able to do it again,” Miller says. “It feeds my soul just to be able to live in the music. It’s the same thing as theater. You’re just so happy to share the energy with the audience.”

For more information, visit www.swampdawgmt. com, or hear them on Sound Cloud at soundcloud. com/user-924394274-797952485/sets/ swamp-dawg

2018

The Shane Center’s educational outreach with East Side School culminates three public performances of Snow White.

FEBRUARY

7 p.m. Fri. and 5 p.m. & 7 p.m. Sat. at the Dulcie Theatre

THEATER DEATH OF A SALESMAN FEBRUARY 1ST, 2ND, 3RD, 4TH Montana Shakespeare in the Parks presents the Pulitzer and Tony winning play about a salesman at the end of his career.

Tickets are $10 - $35 7:30 p.m. Thurs. – Sat. & 3 p.m. Sun. at MSU’s Black Box Theater 406-994-3303 www.events.ticketprinting.com/event/ Salesmantix-25223

SNOW WHITE – EAST SIDE SCHOOL OUTREACH FEBRUARY 9TH, 10TH

www.theshanecenter.org

SHE LOVES ME, BOCK, MASTEROFF & HARNICK FEBRUARY 9TH, 10TH, 11TH, 15TH, 16TH, 17TH, 18TH Romantic comedy about quarreling sales clerks who unknowingly write love letters to each other at night as lonely heart’s pen pals.

7:30 p.m. Thurs – Sat & 3 p.m. Sun at the Rialto Theater www.intermountainopera.org

{TITLE OF SHOW} FEBRUARY 16TH, 17TH, 18TH

I AM MY OWN WIFE FEBRUARY 2ND, 3RD, 9TH, 10TH, 16TH, 17TH

8 p.m. at Verge Theater www.vergetheater.com

SILLY MOOSE COMEDY IMPROV SHOW FOR KIDS FEBRUARY 3RD, 10TH, 17TH, 24TH $7 G-rated improv for kids! Children are encouraged to get crazy, shout suggestions and be part of the hilarity!

3 p.m. at Verge Theater www.vergetheater.com

IMPROV MONDAY NIGHTS FEBRUARY 5TH, 19TH Enjoy cheap thrills for your laugh hole with the Bozeman Improverts for just $7!

7:30 p.m. at the Warren Miller Performing Arts Center www.warrenmillerpac.org

ANTIGONE FEBRUARY 16TH, 17TH, 18TH, 23RD, 24TH, 25TH This classic Greek drama highlights the moral question of what is right and wrong, and what it will cost.

8 p.m. Fri., Sat. and 3 p.m. Sun. at The Blue Slipper Theater www.blueslipper.org

JIMMIE AND PETE FEBRUARY 22ND, 23RD, 24TH, 25TH Three generations, four couples and nine wildly diverse souls collide in this off-beat comedy about finding love and maintaining sanity.

7:30 p.m. Thurs., Fri., & Sat. and 3 p.m. on Sun. at The Ellen Theatre www.theellentheatre.com

7 p.m. at Verge Theater www.vergetheater.com

WILD UP FEBRUARY 3RD The ultimately flexible, go-anywhere, playanything music ensemble led by Artistic Director and Conductor Christopher Rountree.

7:30 p.m. at the Warren Miller Performing Arts Center www.warrenmillerpac.org

LESTER ROCKS! FEBRUARY 3RD Playing original compositions by bandleader Stefan Stern, the band blends musical genres and satire to create their own unique sound.

7:30 p.m. at The Ellen Theatre www.theellentheatre.com

RECORDER MANIA! FEBRUARY 3RD, 4TH Transport to the Baroque Era with Vivaldi, with Horacio Franco, recorder 7:30 p.m. Sat. and 2:30 p.m. Sun. at the Willson Auditorium www.bozemansymphony.org

INTERNATIONAL GUITAR NIGHT FEBRUARY 8TH Listen to some of the world’s best acoustic guitarists perform original compositions and exchange musical ideas.

2018

Bozeman Actors Theater in collaboration with Verge Theater presents this Pulitzerwinning one-man play examines a transgender German woman who survived a violent childhood, the Nazi onslaught and the repressive East German Communist regime. Based on a true story.

Two struggling writers try to prepare a new show for a musical theater festival in less than three weeks.

MUSIC

PERFORMING ARTS EVENTS CALENDAR

M

ore events to come!

Check local listings and your favorite venues’ websites and Facebook pages for more information.

7:30 p.m. at The Ellen Theatre www.theellentheatre.com

FREE FAMILY CONCERT FEBRUARY 10TH Orchestral selections and popular tunes in this kid-friendly, all-American 50 minutes of music and comedy.

10:30 a.m. & 1 p.m. at the Willson Auditorium www.bozemansymphony.org

VOICES OF BROADWAY FEBRUARY 16TH The Phat Pack, three professional Broadway actor/singers portray a variety of roles.

7:30 p.m. at The Ellen Theatre www.theellentheatre.com

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PERFORMING ARTS

PERFORMING ARTS EVENTS CALENDAR

THE MUIR STRING QUARTET FEBRUARY 22ND Mozart G Major Duo K. 423, Tower Quartet No. 1, “Night Fields”, & Beethoven String Quartet in E minor, Op.59 No. 2.

7:30 p.m. at Reynolds Hall, MSU www.montanachambermusicsociety.org

THE MUIR STRING QUARTET FEBRUARY 23RD Mozart G Major Duo K. 423, Tower Quartet No. 1, “Night Fields”, & Beethoven String Quartet in E minor, Op.59 No. 2.

7:30 p.m. at Shane Lalani Center www.montanachambermusicsociety.org

THE MUIR STRING QUARTET WITH GUEST VIOLIST KAREN DREYFOUS FEBRUARY 24TH Haydn Quartet Op. 64 No.5 “The Lark”, Gabriela Frank “Leyendas”, and Dvorak Viola Quintet in E-Flat Major, B. 180.

7:30 p.m. at Reynolds Hall, MSU www.montanachambermusicsociety.org

2018

THE MUIR STRING QUARTET IN PARTNERSHIP WITH MUSIC IN THE BEARTOOTHS

but strong-willed mother in this Oscar nominated film.

Presented by Bozeman Film Society 7 p.m. at The Ellen Theatre www.theellentheatre.com

CINDERELLA (1950) FEBRUARY 11TH Free showing of Disney’s classic Cinderella.

Fun for the whole family to enjoy!

2 p.m. at The Ellen Theatre www.theellentheatre.com

DANCE CINDERELLA FEBRUARY 23RD, 25TH 4 p.m. Fri. and 2 p.m. Sun. at Willson Auditorium Montana Ballet Company 406-582-8702 www.montanaballet.org

MISCELLANEOUS PECHA KUCHA 26 FEBRUARY 6TH, 7TH See a spectrum of topics covered in this fast-paced format. Each presenter has 20 slides and is given 20 seconds per slide.

6:40 p.m. at The Ellen Theatre www.theellentheatre.com

FEBRUARY 25TH

MARCH

Hayden Quartet Op. 64 No. 5 “The Lark”, Gabriela Frank “Leyendas”, and Beethoven String Quartet in E minor, Op. 59 No. 2

THEATER

7:30 p.m. in Red Lodge, MT www.montanachambermusicsociety.org

TALES FROM THE VERGE “SPRING BREAK”

BIG RIVER, THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN MARCH 2ND, 3RD, 4TH, 9TH, 10TH, 11TH, 16TH, 17TH, 18TH, 23RD, 24TH, 25TH Twain’s timeless classic sweeps us down the mighty Mississippi as the irrepressible Huck Finn helps his friend Jim, a slave, escape to freedom at the mouth of the Ohio River.

8 p.m. Fri & Sat., 3 p.m. Sun, additional 3 p.m. matinee 3/10, 3/17 & 3/24 at the Dulcie Theatre www.theshanecenter.org

IMPROV MONDAY NIGHTS MARCH 5TH, 26TH Enjoy cheap thrills for your laugh hole with the Bozeman Improverts for just $7!

7 p.m. at Verge Theater www.vergetheater.com

A THOUSAND WINDS: SURVIVAL STORIES MARCH 23RD, 24TH, 25TH, 30TH, 31ST Individuals affected by cancer share stories of loss and hope with humor and spirit in the world premier play commissioned by the Cancer Support Community.

8 p.m. Fri. & Sat., 3 p.m. Sun at Verge Theater www.vergetheater.com

ALEXANDER AND THE TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY MARCH 24TH, 31ST Kids will love this musical adaptation of Alexander’s terrible day. Tickets $7, children two and under free!

3 p.m. at Verge Theater www.vergetheater.com

MARCH 1ST, 2ND, 3RD

FILM CRAZY WISE FEBRUARY 11TH Livingston Film Series 6:30 p.m. at the Dulcie Theatre www.theshanecenter.org

LADY BIRD FEBRUARY 2ND An outspoken teen in Sacramento struggles to find common ground with her loving PERFORMING ARTS

A collection of Bozeman actors, playwrights, comedians and authors recount true stories on the theme “Spring Break,” never intended for an audience to hear.

8 p.m. at Verge Theater www.vergetheater.com

ANTIGONE FEBRUARY 2ND, 3RD, 4TH This classic Greek drama highlights the moral question of what is right and wrong, and what it will cost.

MUSIC STEEP CANYON RANGERS MARCH 2ND Incredibly talented Grammy-award winning bluegrass band showcases serious chops and good-natured fun.

7:30 p.m. at The Ellen Theatre www.theellentheatre.com

8 p.m. Fri., Sat. and 3 p.m. Sun. at The Blue Slipper Theater www.blueslipper.org 28 2018

MARCH 3RD Grammy-award winning performer and composer Edgar Meyer brings down the house with unparalleled technique.

7:30 p.m. at the Warren Miller Center for Performing Arts www.warrenmillerpac.org

50TH ANNIVERSARY COLLAGE MARCH 3RD, 4TH Featuring the very best of Bozeman’s musical talent!

7:30 p.m. Sat. and 2:30 p.m. Sun. at the Willson Auditorium www.bozemansymphony.org

WELL-STRUNG MARCH 10TH New York City based string quartet blends vocals and strings, fusing classical and contemporary music.

8 p.m. at The Ellen Theatre www.theellentheatre.com

AHN TRIO AND JAMES SEWELL BALLET MARCH 10TH

7:30 p.m. at the Warren Miller Center for Performing Arts www.warrenmillerpac.org

FILM GREASE SING-A-LONG MARCH 4TH Everyone is encouraged to dress up and sing along while watching the 1978 classic musical hit movie.

2 p.m. at The Ellen Theatre www.theellentheatre.com

THUNDERBOLT AND LIGHTFOOT MARCH 11TH

MARCH 11TH Free family movie.

2 p.m. at The Ellen Theatre www.theellentheatre.com

MISCELLANEOUS AMERIGEDDON, CHRISTOPHER TITUS MARCH 17TH With six one-hour comedy specials on Comedy Central, Titus is sure to induce uproarious laughter.

8 p.m. at The Ellen Theatre www.theellentheatre.com

SIXTH ANNUAL AUCTION FOR THE ARTS MARCH 22ND

IMPROV MONDAY NIGHTS APRIL 9TH, 23RD Enjoy cheap thrills for your laugh hole with the Bozeman Improverts for just $7!

7 p.m. at Verge Theater www.vergetheater.com

THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW 2018 APRIL 12TH, 13TH, 14TH, 15TH Prudish Brad and Janet take a wrong turn and end up at Dr. Frank-N-Furter’s castle where he is celebrating his latest creation with his bizarre entourage.

8 p.m. Thurs. – Saturday, 12 a.m Sun. at Verge Theater. www.vergetheater.com

THE REALISTIC JONESES APRIL 19TH, 20TH, 21ST, 26TH, 27TH, 28TH

Fundraising auction hosted by the Arts Council in Big Sky

A married couple meets their new neighbors, “The Joneses,” and an interesting dialogue results.

6 p.m. at Moonlight Basin Lodge

Bozeman Actors Theater

www.bigskyarts.org

8 p.m. at the Rialto Theater www.rialtobozeman.com

APRIL

THEATER A THOUSAND WINDS: SURVIVAL STORIES APRIL 1ST Individuals affected by cancer share stories of loss and hope with humor and spirit in the world premier play commissioned by the Cancer Support Community.

3 p.m. at Verge Theater www.vergetheater.com

ALEXANDER AND THE TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY APRIL 7TH, 14TH, 21ST, 28TH Kids will love this musical adaptation of Alexander’s terrible day. Tickets $7, children two and under free!

MUSIC GUSTAV MAHLER’S RESURRECTION APRIL 7TH, 8TH Bozeman Symphony’s concert series season finale featuring orchestra and choir with soprano Colleen Daly and mezzo-soprano Margaret Lattimore.

7:30 p.m. Sat. and 2:30 p.m. Sun. at the Willson Auditorium www.bozemansymphony.org

PIANIST PHILIP AABERG, VIOLINIST ANGELLA AHN AND CELLIST SARA STALNAKER APRIL 13TH

3 p.m. at Verge Theater

Tchaikovsky Piano Trip in A minor, Op. 50, Russian Folk Songs, and Shostakovich Piano Trio No. 2 in E minor, Op.67

www.vergetheater.com

7:30 p.m. at Reynolds Hall, MSU

Livingston Film Series

2018

The combination of enigmatic piano trio and contemporary dancers will take your breath away.

FINDING NEMO

PERFORMING ARTS EVENTS CALENDAR

EDGAR MEYER, DOUBLE-BASS

www.montanachambermusicsociety.org

6:30 p.m. at the Dulcie Theatre www.theshanecenter.org

2018 29

PERFORMING ARTS

PERFORMING ARTS EVENTS CALENDAR

PIANIST PHILIP AABERG, VIOLINIST ANGELLA AHN AND CELLIST SARA STALNAKER APRIL 14TH Tchaikovsky Piano Trip in A minor, Op. 50, Russian Folk Songs, and Shostakovich Piano Trio No. 2 in E minor, Op.67 7:30 p.m. in Big Timber, MT www.montanachambermusicsociety.org

FILM FUNNY BONES APRIL 8TH Livingston Film Series 6:30 p.m. at the Dulcie Theatre www.theshanecenter.org

MISCELLANEOUS FUNNY MAN TOM PAPA APRIL 14TH With 20 years of stand-up under his belt, Tom Papa is one of the top comedic voices in the country.

8 p.m. at The Ellen Theatre www.theellentheatre.com

2018

MAY

THEATER ON GOLDEN POND MAY 4TH, 5TH, 6TH, 11TH, 12TH, 13TH, 18TH, 19TH, 20TH A love story of Ethel and Norman Thayer, who are returning to their summer home on Golden Pond for the forty-eighth year.

8 p.m. Fri., Sat., and 3 p.m. Sun. at The Blue Slipper Theatre www.blueslipper.org

CAMELOT MAY 4TH, 5TH, 6TH, 11TH, 12TH, 13TH, 18TH, 19TH, 20TH Students of Park High School bring the legend of King Arthur to life at the Shane Center for the Arts.

8 p.m. Fri. & Sat. and 3 p.m. Sun. at the Dulcie Theatre

IMPROV MONDAY NIGHTS

LOVE’S LABOUR’S LOST

MAY 7TH

JUNE 20TH, 21ST, 22ND, 23RD

Enjoy cheap thrills for your laugh hole with the Bozeman Improverts for just $7!

Follow the King of Navarre and his three companions as they try to forego women for three years of fasting and study in one of Shakespeare’s earliest comedies.

7 p.m. at Verge Theater www.vergetheater.com

FALSTAFF, GIUSEPPE VERDI MAY 11TH, 13TH Will lecherous Sir John Falstaff regain wealth through the manipulation of married women? Doubtful, in this comic opera based on Shakespeare’s The Merry Wives of Windsor.

7 p.m. on Fri. & 3 p.m. Sun. at the Willson Auditorium 406-587-2889 www.intermountainopera.org

RANDOM ACTS OF IMPROV MAY 24TH, 25TH, 26TH The Bozeman Improverts, Bozeman’s best comedy troupe, takes the main stage at Verge Theater for a night of hilarious, improvised performance.

8 p.m. at Verge Theater www.vergetheater.com

MUSIC

8 p.m. at MSU Grove, Free www.shakespeareintheparks.org

TRUE WEST JUNE 22ND, 23RD, 24TH, 29TH, 30TH Sons of a desert-dwelling alcoholic and a suburban wanderer clash over a film script.

8 p.m. Fri., Sat. and 3 p.m. Sun at The Blue Slipper Theatre www.blueslipper.org

CABARET JUNE 29TH, 30TH Find romance and wry comedy in the dark, tumultuous lives of Berlin’s natives as Germany becomes consumed by the Third Reich.

8 p.m. Fri. & Sat. and 3 p.m. Sun. at the Dulcie Theatre. www.theshanecenter.org JULY

THEATER TRUE WEST JULY 1ST, 6TH, 7TH, 8TH

SYMPHONY AT THE SHANE

Sons of a desert-dwelling alcoholic and a suburban wanderer clash over a film script.

MAY 17TH

8 p.m. Fri., Sat. and 3 p.m. Sun at The Blue Slipper Theatre

The very best of the Bozeman Symphony Orchestra and the Symphonic Choir perform at the Shane Lalani Center in Livingston.

7:30 p.m. at the Shane Lalani Center for the Performing Arts www.bozemansymphony.org

JUNE

THEATER OTHELLO

www.blueslipper.org

CABARET JULY 1ST, 6TH, 7TH, 8TH, 13TH, 14TH, 15TH, 20TH, 21ST, 22ND Find romance and wry comedy in the dark, tumultuous lives of Berlin’s natives as Germany becomes consumed by the Third Reich.

8 p.m. Fri. & Sat. and 3 p.m. Sun. at the Dulcie Theatre. www.theshanecenter.org

JUNE 13TH, 14TH, 15TH, 16TH William Shakespeare’s tragedy revolves around a Moorish general and his unfaithful ensign, Iago.

8 p.m. at MSU Grove, FREE www.shakespeareintheparks.org

www.theshanecenter.org PERFORMING ARTS

30 2018

CHALK ON THE WALK JULY 31ST Chalk will be provided to decorate Main Street. Look for the work of professional chalk artists. www.sweetpeafestival.org AUGUST

THEATER NIGHT COMES EARLY

SEPTEMBER

THEATER NIGHT COMES EARLY SEPTEMBER 1ST, 2ND This fast-paced farce that shows the anxiety of a director attempting to mount a production of a play that is way beyond the capabilities of her cast and crew.

8 p.m. Sat. and 3 p.m. Sun. at The Blue Slipper Theatre www.blueslipper.org OCTOBER

AUGUST 17TH, 18TH, 19TH, 24TH, 25TH, 26TH 31ST

THEATER

This fast-paced farce that shows the anxiety of a director attempting to mount a production of a play that is way beyond the capabilities of her cast and crew.

PROOF

8 p.m. Fri., Sat., and 3 p.m. Sun. at The Blue Slipper Theatre www.blueslipper.org

MISCELLANEOUS SWEET PEA’S BITE OF BOZEMAN

OCTOBER 5TH, 6TH, 7TH, 12TH, 13TH, 14TH, 19TH, 20TH, 21ST Catherine has spent years caring for her brilliant but unstable father, Robert. When he dies she must deal with her estranged sister and a former student of hopes to profit from her father’s work.

8 p.m. Fri., Sat. and 3 p.m. Sun. at the Blue Slipper Theatre www.blueslipper.org

SWEET PEA CHILDREN’S RUN AND PARADE AUGUST 3RD www.sweetpeafestival.org

SWEET PEA FESTIVAL AT LINDLEY PARK AUGUST 3RD. 4TH 5TH Don’t miss this culmination of performing arts! 100’s of vendors will provide food, arts & crafts and entertainment! www.sweetpeafestival.org

MUSIC MUSIC ON MAIN, SPONSORED BY SWEET PEA

Montana Ballet Company 7 p.m. at the Willson Auditorium 406-582-8702 www.montanaballet.org DECEMBER

DANCE 35TH ANNUAL NUTCRACKER WITH LIVE MUSIC DECEMBER 1ST Montana Ballet Company 2 p.m. & 7 p.m. at the Willson Auditorium 406-582-8702 www.montanaballet.org

35TH ANNUAL NUTCRACKER WITH LIVE MUSIC DECEMBER 2ND Montana Ballet Company 4 p.m. at the Warren Miller Performing Arts Center

NOVEMBER

www.montanaballet.org

THEATER

2018

www.sweetpeafestival.org

NOVEMBER 30TH

406-582-8702

AUGUST 1ST Come on down to Main Street for tasty treats from some of the best vendors in town.

35TH ANNUAL NUTCRACKER WITH LIVE MUSIC

PERFORMING ARTS EVENTS CALENDAR

MISCELLANEOUS

BROAD COMEDY NOVEMBER 15TH, 16TH, 17TH The Broads are back to take an outrageous, unflinching look at America with original sketch comedy. Best not to bring your conservative grandfather.

8 p.m. at the Emerson Cultural Center www.broadcomedy.com

DANCE TEA WITH CLARA NOVEMBER 18TH Montana Ballet Company Three seatings: 10 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 3 p.m.

Baxter Hotel 406-582-8707 www.montanaballet.org

AUGUST 2ND

Photo by Inspire Photo Art

Dance, drink and socialize to live music. www.sweetpeafestival.org 2018 31

PERFORMING ARTS

Giuseppe Verdi’s

Friday, May 11 at 7:00 pm Sunday, May 13 at 3:00 pm

Spring 2018 A musical masterpiece of Shakespearean comedy and buffoonery

Montana’s longest standing and most widely acclaimed opera company.

Celebrating 4 Seasons 4

Fall & spring operas with a mid-winter musical every year.

For more information and to get tickets visit: Celebrating 4 Seasons 4

Intermountainopera.org or 406- 5 87-2889