Cowabunga hits Bigfork stage
Performers will take the stage this
weekend to raise money to support Bigfork schools and youth
programs through the highly anticipated Cowabunga Variety Show.
Cowabunga, put on by the Friends of
Bigfork Schools, has exploded since it was first held nine years
ago. The first year there was only one night of the show and it
sold out, organizer Mary Knoll said.
“The town talked about it for months,”
she said.
A second performance was added the next
year and shows sold out again. The third year, a Sunday matinee was
included. Typically, all three shows sell out each year.
“It’s like a gift you want to open
because you can’t wait to see what’s inside,” organizer Diana
Rahdert said of waiting for the show.
Cowabunga was the title of the first
FOBS variety show, but it stuck and the bovine has been a part of
the theme ever since. Acts are encouraged but not required to
incorporate the year’s theme, but this year, with a “Pirates of the
Cow’ribbean” theme, is the first time that it has really taken
off.
“This year they have really embraced
it,” Rahdert said.
Each show involves more than 100
residents of all ages. Staples have included gymnastics directed by
Bud and Cathy Gaiser, the Bigfork High School cheerleaders, and
choirs and acts by members of the Bigfork Playhouse Children’s
Theatre.
The kindergarten classes from Bigfork
Elementary School traditionally perform at the show. They have been
the inspiration for other group acts.
“The direction with the school was to
interest kids when they are very young to perform on stage,”
Rahdert said.
Of roughly 40 acts that auditioned for
the show back in January, the final show contains 28 selected
performances. Even those in acts that didn’t make the cut were
invited to join in the show in other ways.
“We’ve tried to include everyone in
some way or another,” Rahdert said. “We try to include and make an
offer for them to be a part of it.”
This year’s show, in addition to the
traditional acts, will include performances by a group of Bigfork
teachers, several family acts and a possible appearance of members
of the Vikings championship football team.
The show will also feature a special
reprise act of a group of girls, now seniors at Bigfork High
School, who first performed it in one of the early Cowabungas.
“It was a show stopper,” Knoll said of
the act when it was first performed.
This year’s performance will showcase a
number of high school seniors who have been constants in the show,
quite possibly for the last time.
Some of these seniors include Bailey
Vogt, Mallery Knoll, Hannah Barrett, Quinci Paine, Jacob Sefcak,
Travis Knoll and Colton Christensen.
“I just think they’ve inspired the
younger kids,” Mary Knoll said. “They have been such a diverse and
interesting group. They have so many talents.”
In its nine years, Cowabunga has raised
more than $100,000 for grants to Bigfork area schools and
youth-related projects.
“We do this show because we love it. We
love the acts and getting it on stage,” Knoll said. “And we do want
to raise money for FOBS so we can give it all back.”
FOBS allows teachers and others who
work with students to submit a big, medium and small grant wish
list.
Their work has funded computers for the
technology and yearbook class, sand box toys for the kindergarten,
Smart Boards and a standing air conditioner for a high school
classroom among many other items and projects.
Ticket prices cover the cost of the
production. It’s sponsorships and additional donations that add up
to support FOBS’ causes. Show sponsorship levels range from under
$25 to more than $1,000. Sponsorship information can be requested
from Knoll or Rahdert.
“The business community has been hugely
supportive with sponsorships and volunteers,” Knoll said.
Cowabunga will be held March 18 through
20 at the Bigfork Center for the Performing Arts. The show will be
at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday.
Tickets are $7.50 for adults and $5 for
children under 18. They can be purchased in advance at Bigfork
Drug, Electric Avenue Gifts, LEAP after-school program at
Crossroads Church and Bigfork Elementary and Middle School.
“You get to see your neighbors,
teachers and see all of the incredible talent of the town. It’s the
best $7 you can spend,” Knoll said.
For more information, contact Knoll
(249-8576, knollmc@aol.com) or Rahdert (250-5594,
diana@montanasky.us).