Tag Archives: Bremerton Community Theatre

Jewel Box pushes back ‘Arsenic and Old Lace’ opening

The Cold and Flu Season, and Murphy’s Law, are playing havoc with local theater groups.

Citing multiple illnesses, injuries and cast changes, the Jewel Box Theatre has pushed back the opening of the comedy “Arsenic and Old Lace” a week, from Jan. 15 to Jan. 22.

That brings to four the number of Kitsap productions that have been postponed, mainly because of illness, since November, when the One Time Players put their mounting of Sam Shepard’s “Buried Child” on hold. That production is scheduled for a second opening on Jan. 14 at the Chameleon Theater in Port Townsend.

Bainbridge Performing Arts‘ musical “Mary Poppins” was forced to postpone the final weekend of its run. BPA was able to resume on Jan. 8, and will wrap things up with shows on Jan. 9 and 10.

Bremerton Community Theatre was slated to open its black-box production of the revue “My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra.” That show was to have opened a two-weekend run at the Robert B. Stewart Performance Hall on Jan. 8, but instead will open on Jan. 15.

Ticket holders for rescheduled performances who haven’t already done so, and those checking on ticket availability, can contact the various theaters at the numbers below:

One Time Players: 360-385-6207, onetimeplayers.org

Bainbridge Performing Arts: 206-842-8569, bainbridgeperformingarts.org

Jewel Box Theatre: 360-697-3183, jewelboxpoulsbo.org

Bremerton Community Theatre: 360-373-5152, bremertoncommunitytheatre.org

— MM

BCT’s ‘My Way’ delayed by illness

“My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra,” Bremerton Community Theatre‘s Sinatra songfest scheduled to open on Jan. 8, has been delayed for one week because of illness in the cast.

According to director Erin McKiernan, the show’s two-weekend run in the Robert B. Stewart Performance Hall now will commence on Jan. 15 and run through Jan. 24. Friday and Saturday shows still will start at 8 p.m., with Sunday matinees  at 2:30 p.m.

Information: 360-373-5152, bremertoncommunitytheatre.org

— MM

BCT groundbreaking, 1975: Were you there?

My esteemed and talented co-worker Meegan Reid found this photo in the archives here at The Flamethrower. It shows a bulldozer breaking ground for construction of the current Bremerton Community Theatre building on Lebo Boulevard.

We posted a little while ago to ask if anybody recognized the folks in the picture. We should’ve just called Bob Montgomery.

Bob knows a little bit about BCT — he’s the official historian for the venerable venue, and a board member emeritus. He related that the lady at left is Eddy (supposedly “Eddie” back in the day) Hammond, BCT’s founder and first president. The name of the man at the control of the dozer — a volunteer — is unknown, however.

— MM

My beautiful picture
My beautiful picture

BCT announces lineup for season No. 71

Bremerton Community Theatre currently is closing out its 70th season with a fine production of Larry Shue’s comedy “The Foreigner,” and the announcement of its 71st season sort of slipped through the cracks … until now.

It starts this summer with the BCT Jr. production of “The Reluctant Dragon,” which will have a one-weekend run July 10-12.

The main stage season:

“A Murder Is Announced” — Sept. 4-27

“12 Angry Men” — Oct. 30-Nov. 22

“Romeo & Juliet” — Feb. 5-28

“Into the Woods” — April 1-May 1

“One Man, Two Guvnors” — June 3-28

Presumably, a couple of productions in the Robert B. Stewart Performance Hall  will be announced in weeks to come.

Tickets and information: 360-373-5152, bremertoncommunitytheatre.org

— MM

Actors revisit ‘The Foreigner,’ with comic results

When the comic farce “The Foreigner” opened on June 5 at Bremerton Community Theatre, several of the show’s cast members were revisiting a play — and even specific roles — with which they had a history.

Steven Buechler, very funny as the lead character, Charlie, played the same role at BCT circa 1990. Castmate Mike Klemetsrud also was in that 1990 cast, as Charlie’s friend Froggy. This time out, he plays the menacing Georgia redneck Owen.

Like Buechler, Katrina Baxter Hodiak also has played her character — backwoods lodgekeeper Betty — before, but not at BCT. She played the role in a 2011 production at Paradise Theatre in Gig Harbor. (For you extremely detail-oriented people, Gary Fetterplace, who played Froggy in the Paradise production, was working hospitality in the BCT lobby; he’s preparing for the Bainbridge Performing Arts Shakespeare Society‘s upcoming run of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” at Bloedel Reserve this summer).

Our review of the opening-night performance of “The Foreigner” is here:

http://www.kitsapsun.com/entertainment/theater-bcts-funny-foreigner-is-comedy-with-characters_86997346

— MM

Kitsap well represented in 5th Avenue “Oklahoma Project”

Yours truly ran into Bremerton actress-singer Allison Verhofstadt on the Seattle ferry the morning of March 11, which reminded me that the 5th Avenue Theatre‘s continuation of the just-completed “Oklahoma” with an all-student cast is set for performances March 16 and 17.

Why did seeing Allison remind me? Because she’s in it, that’s why. The veteran of many plays at CSTOCK, Bremerton Community Theatre and Kitsap Children’s Musical Theatre is one of three Central Kitsap teens included in the cast.

Home schoolers Allison and Corbit Sampson — a veteran of eight shows at CSTOCK — both are in the chorus for the show, and Allison is also serving as dance captain. Michael Bryan, a Central Kitsap High School student with credits at both CSTOCK and BCT, earned the meatiest role of the three and will play Jud, the villain. The cast also includes Gig Harbor’s Maddie Kate Scheutzow in the ensemble and Kingston’s Evelina Svensson as a featured dancer.

The “Oklahoma Project” gives young actors from around the state a chance to follow in the carefully blocked footsteps (and sets and costumes) of the professional company that just finished their run of the show there. The youngsters rehearsed with director Mathew Wright and the same crew that was involved in putting on the mainstage production. Their three performances are scheduled for 8 p.m. March 16 and 17, plus a 2 p.m. matinee March 17.

Tickets for the “Oklahoma Project” performances start at $19, and are available by calling 206-625-1900, or online at 5thavenue.org.