Announcing its first musical, Stage West vows, ‘We’re going to go all in next summer’

By John Lamb | West Fargo Pioneer

WEST FARGO —Stage West hasn’t even taken it’s final bow of the season yet, but those behind the West Fargo Theatre company are ready for an encore.

“We’re going to go all in with two big musicals next summer,” says Adam Pankow, artistic director of Stage West.

There’s good reason for his excitement. The theater company experienced impressive success in its first full year of productions.

“We’re just a baby,” he says with a laugh, comparing the company to longer running area troupes.

Stage West ends its first full season in December with “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.”

The comedy runs Dec. 9 through 11 and again 16 through 18 at Bonanzaville.

That follows sold out performances of the dinner theater show “Murd-Arr!!! Pirates of the Salty Dog” in October and a successful run of “Legally Blonde: The Musical” this summer.

Doing two musicals at Essentia Health Plaza at The

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Lights in West Fargo next summer will be doubling the fun for Stage West, which plans on seven productions in 2023, up from five this year.

Pankow said organizers learned something from the popularity of“Legally Blonde,” which drew about 3200 fans, nearly doubling the attendance from the previous summer’s musical, “Rock of Ages.” He says audiences really like upbeat musicals.

“It will be in that same kind of vein, like ‘Footloose’ or ‘Mama Mia,’” he says.

While he’s waiting on securing the production rights for other shows, he’s ready to announce that “Jersey Boys” will hit the stage in June.

The 2004 jukebox musical looks at the career of The Four Seasons, the popular vocal group of the 1960s and early ‘70s.

“Right now our talent pool and actors are most interested in contemporary productions,” he says.

“I was pretty blown away by by the talent he put together,” says Mike Amundson, executive director of West Fargo Events, the nonprofit organization that plans cultural and community events in West Fargo, including Stage West.

Amundson says he’s been impressed by all of the Stage West performances but admits to, “a soft spot for ‘Rock of Ages,’” particularly lead actress Katie

Spokely who returned this year for “Legally Blonde.”

“I didn’t know how good the local talent was,” Amundson says.

Part of attracting the talent is the fact that all actors, musicians and technical team members get paid, something not all local theater troupes can do.

Experiencing ithe talent first hand helped Amundson get on board with more productions, like doing “Murder on the Menu,” a dinner theater mystery last spring.

“It’s fun to enjoy the cheeky humor that comes with a murder/mystery,” Amundson says.

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