Big Bad Musical' shows off new talent

Bigfork Playhouse Children’s Theatre has long drawn praise for the amount of talent it has turned out, many of whom have earned honors on stage and in other arenas, like speech and debate, wherein they have gone on to excel as speakers and performers. 

The theater's latest batch of thespians took the stage last weekend to perform in BPCT’s most recent production, “Big Bad Musical,” a special production designed for younger actors and younger audiences.

While some of the talent featured in the show was new to BPCT audiences, the combined cast gave new hope for what the theatre group holds in store for the area in the years ahead.

“One thing that I find pretty exciting is that it’s a new generation of kids,” BPCT director Brach Thomson said. “People look at the older generation of actors like what we saw in “Godspell” and say, ‘Wow! They’re never going to get another group like this.’ Then, they see a play like ‘Big Bad Musical’ and say, ‘OK, there’s a lot of talent in these younger kids, and this is the next generation that is going to step in to fill the older kid’s shoes when they move on.’”

While Big Bad Musical, which utilized area children in 2nd through 6th grade, featured a few regulars who have starred in other BPCT productions — actors like Eli Brown (the woodcutter), Jack Evans (Wolf) and Mack Paine (Judge Wise Old Man) — some of the newer talent rose to the occasion and shone like bright stars in this production.

Wilson Vogt (Fairy Godmother), Shannon Frizzell (Grandmother Hood), Shane Rieke (the Boy Who Cried Wolf) and Samantha Rieke (the evil stepmother), and a few other cast members have also appeared in minor roles in one or two other BPCT productions, but it’s safe to say that “Big Bad Musical” proved much more of a growing experience for each of them.

Samantha Rieke was cast as one of Fagin’s boys in “Oliver!” but had ample opportunity to show her ability as an actress as the evil stepmother — the Big Bad Wolf’s sympathetic but uncommitted defense attorney — with more lines than almost any other character in the musical. Rieke showed a good grasp of her lines, as well as a talent for getting into her character.

Wilson Vogt, who was previously cast as a flower girl in “Oliver!” and as the cat in “No Strings Attached,” was among “Big Bad Musical’s” biggest successes, showing an impressive mastery of her voluminous lines and a well-portrayed stage presence that drew smiles and laughter throughout the performance.

“It’s hard to believe that that little girl (Vogt) is only in 4th grade,” Thomson said. “What a pleasure it’s been to work with someone who is so direct-able. You could give her a little bit of direction and just see the wheels turning. You can tell that she’s thinking of what she can do and how she can run with it to really bring her character to life. You don’t have to spoon-feed her to get really good acting out of her. It’s very impressive for someone who is that young to have as much stage presence as she does.

“It’s really exciting to watch how much growth the little kids get to make in these productions. It always starts slower than with the older kids. Their reading levels and comprehension levels are not as advanced, so it’s always different than with the older kids. Yet, they seem to progress much more quickly. They’re very teachable. The end product is so much different than what you see in the beginning. In this age group, there are a whole lot more discoveries than with the older kids, at least visibility, where you can actually see them make those discoveries of knowing how to make the characters grow.”

The show itself centered on the trial of Big Bad Wolf, which is held in a Court-TV setting with Little Red Riding Hood, the Three Little Pigs and other victims brought forward as witnesses against the conniving canine. This made for a humorous court drama and provided numerous opportunities for defendants, attorneys and witnesses to break out in song.

However, one of the most appealing aspects of the musical was a surprise twist — in addition to the fact that the Big Bad Wolf was able to make a pretty good case for himself — that included multiple endings and the chance for the audience to become the jury.

It’s a cute production well worth checking out and making some mental notes of which kids to keep an eye on in the years to come.

Performances take place on Jan. 30 and 31 at Crossroads Church. Call 837-4886 for more information.