The show goes on at Bigfork Summer Playhouse

Coronavirus hasn’t been a showstopper at the Bigfork Summer Playhouse this summer, and the cast and crew are relieved. BSP has made a multitude of changes so that their four shows — “Newsies,” “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” “Something Rotten,” and “Hits of the 50s, 60s and 70s” — can go on this season.

They’ve resorted to adjusting their seating to allow for social distancing in the theater and quarantining all of the cast and crew for two weeks upon their arrival in Bigfork. To make the theater as safe as possible, they pushed their schedule back by about two months and limited the number of tickets available. Patrons are encouraged to wear masks in the theater.

It’s been a bumpy road, but at long last, BSP opened their first performances of “Newsies” and “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” at the end of last week.

“We have a lot of hoops we’re jumping through,” laughed associate producer Brach Thomson, following the first performance of “Newsies” on Thursday, July 2.

He and the rest of the playhouse leadership have been determined to salvage their season one way or another since Montana businesses first closed down this past spring — even though he said the changes they’ve had to implement to make that possible have been “outrageous.”

They’ve appreciated the community’s understanding and continued support through the unpredictable run-up to their summer season, although Thomson acknowledged sales are down, since there are fewer seats to fill, and some patrons have asked for their money back after showing up to the theater and feeling unsafe in the audience.

But everyone who has been hard at work getting ready for the delayed opening seems to be excited now that the curtain has finally risen.

“The Bigfork Summer Playhouse is a well-oiled machine,” noted Brianna Lynn Melroy, choreographer for “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.” She was confident in the dedication of the actors and the guidance of the directors to get the season underway successfully.

She admitted the preparation for the July 4 opening was “very unconventional.” Like many of the actors, Melroy flew in from New York City at the beginning of June and subsequently quarantined with the rest of the company for two weeks in their Bigfork dormitories.

Community members volunteered to bring food, groceries and supplies to the cast and crew during their two-week stay-at-home period, and the company was grateful for the outpouring of support.

“Bigfork is such a lovely community,” said Melroy, who marks her first visit to Montana this summer. “I’ve felt very loved and very welcomed … It’s sad we haven’t gotten to be in it [the community] as much this year because of coronavirus.”

In previous years, company members have sold tickets and gone out into the community to get familiar with the locals. This year, obviously, they haven’t had that opportunity.

“This is definitely completely different than any experience I’ve had here before,” remarked Joey Carroll, who is returning for his third year with BSP in the role of Davey in “Newsies.”

Carroll drove 30 hours from his home state of Louisiana to get to Bigfork. He admitted venturing to Montana and quarantining with the rest of the company was “very terrifying,” but he also relished having an “oasis” with his fellow actors.

It was nice, too, to have a little time to get familiar with the rest of the company before starting rehearsals. In previous years, Carroll said it could be a little overwhelming jumping “right into rehearsal right off the bat.”

“We all got to know each other,” agreed Melroy, who added that the costumes and sets were also completed well ahead of schedule.

Still, she admitted the company’s first night out at the Garden Bar following their 14-day self-isolation was a bit of a culture shock. “You could tell we were cooped up,” she laughed.

It’s fitting, then, that one of the main themes of “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” is protagonist Quasimodo’s experience of extreme isolation. Melroy said the play is “a tearjerker” that audiences will likely find particularly relevant.

“Newsies,” on the other hand, is an upbeat musical that Carroll hopes will leave viewers with the feeling of “hope and change” that is sorely needed these days.

“The shows have a wonderful, beautiful message,” Carroll said. “People really need those words right now, and that energy and life.” ■