BPCT production provides 80s flashback

It was in the 1980s that Karen Kolar directed a special guy's drill team from Bigfork High School to perform "Thriller" at the state boys basketball tournament, with then-high school student Brach Thomson as Michael Jackson.

The two are reliving those days through work together on the Bigfork Playhouse Children's Theatre's production of "Back to the 80s," which opens this weekend.

Thomson, BPCT artistic director, brought in Kolar to help direct the show, which tells the story of the senior class of William Ocean High School, which graduated in the 1980s, all set to the tunes of the decade.

"I'm an 80s product," Thomson said.

The show follows nice guy Corey Palmer, now 30, as he looks back over the trials of his senior year.

Thomson said he'd been worried that the kids would be too far removed from the era to get the musical's humor, but he's had them look up segments on YouTube to help capture the feeling.

Thomson said the show has been cleaned up a bit, since it was originally written to be performed by adults for adults.

The cast includes 33 kids in fifth through 12th grade, as well as nine in the tech crew. The show also features a six-member band from Bigfork High School.

Thomson describes the show as having a typical popular guys vs. non-popular kids theme that is signature of 80s films.

Featured songs include "Walking on Sunshine," "Time of my Life," and "Love Shack."

Kolar remembers those days as well, as she taught Thomson during her 28 years at Bigfork schools.

"It has been so fun," Kolar said. "I'm really grateful for the opportunity."

Kolar also directs a show for the Bigfork Community Players once year. The biggest difference in working with children's theatre over the players is the schedule and the level of energy.

"My favorite part is just being with the kids," Kolar said. "Their energy is just so exuberant."

With the players, the actors have day jobs and work schedules that the show has to work around. The kids in the children's theatre know they are making a three or four week commitment.

"There's not the challenge of juggling people's schedules," Kolar said. "Both are different experiences, but both are really fun."

The players' shows are also never musicals, so Kolar said she had to adjust to dealing with choreography.

That's where Thomson brought in another person to help with the show – Carol Brannan. Brannan, also known as Carol Jakes, started the Northwest Ballet Company, and is now going back to college to go into elementary education. This will be the third show she's choreographed for Thomson, but the only one this season. Her previous credits include "Nifty Fifties' and "Friday Knight Fever."

"It has been so amazing," Brannan said. "The group is so willing to learn even though most haven't had any dance experience."

Brannan calls the five or six numbers she's created for the show "masterpieces." Her favorite is "Footloose," which features seven boys from the cast.

"It looks like an off-Broadway production," she said.

The biggest challenge she said has been the speed at which the show has been put together. She's had an hour to work with the kids per dance, plus a few extra time slots.

"We're working at 100 miles per hour," Brannan said.

Brannan said the show's quips regularly crack her up and she enjoys the music from the era.

"You're going to miss a great show if you don't go," she said.

Performances will be at the Bigfork Center for the Performing Arts at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, March 19, 20, 26 and 27 with a Sunday matinee on March 21 at 2 p.m. Purchase tickets today, March 18, for a special price of $5 for any performance. Regular ticket prices are $10 for adults, $8 for seniors, $7 for students and $6 for children under 10 and can be purchased at Chris' Tea Cottage in downtown Bigfork or at the box office one hour prior to performances.

This show will conclude the BPCT's 2009-2010 season.

"It's been a really good season," Thomson said. "I move from one right into the next. It's bittersweet."

The cast for the Bigfork Summer Playhouse arrives May 1 to start the summer season. Two students from BPCT, Colton Christensen and Jacob Sefcak, have been chosen to intern with the playhouse.

For more information, call 837-4886, e-mail bpct@bigforksummerplayhouse.com or visit www.bigforksummerplayhouse.com.