2012 Cutler Bros.
A New Cutler Bros. Theatre
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New Stage, new Era
New Stage, new Era
In August 2011 Kelly landed the music job at Deer Lodge's grade school after graduating from the University of Montana in May with a Music Education degree. The moment he landed the job in Deer Lodge he knew that Cutler Bros. needed a more permanent home, we couldn't store 7 truck loads of sets, props, and costumes in friends and neighbor's garages anymore. After a quick search of the open Deer Lodge real estate Cutler Bros. Productions found its home at 301 Main Street, previously "Discount Video" and previously, previously the Crichton Hardware Store.
The space seemed ginormous, but after adding a stage, dressing rooms, costume racks, a prop's room, and more, it quickly shrank to size. The building was purchased in November 2011, about the worst time to start a business in Montana. The 1st ever show was a "Christmas Comedy Night" featuring local hairdresser Stacey Clark and over 200 people showed up for the event. We borrowed lawn chairs from an outfit in Helena, MT and the audience was so packed we had some people sitting on the windowsills at the front of the building. The "makeshift" stage was created out of milkcrates and plywood, and following "Comedy Night" we realized we needed a larger and more solid area to create our theatrical events. The new stage seen above was built and designed by Roger Frazer. He also assisted in designing the lighting system and updating our sound equipment.
Oliver!
Oliver!
"Oliver!" Twist the Musical was the first official show on the new Cutler Bros.' main stage in May of 2012. The cast boasted over 20 children. Kelly, being the new music teacher in town, had access to all the kids ages kindergarten - 8th and he recruited many of them to try their hand at theatre.
Greydon Nicholson played the Artful Dodger.
Jenn Logan and Paul Chapman
Jim Cameron played the sinister Bill Sykes and Ramona Chrisman took the lead as Nancy. She won Best Death Scene and Best Leading Actress at the 2012 Award's Banquet. Cameron won Best Villain, naturally.
On one particularly exhausting crunch week rehearsal we arrived at the part of the show where Bill Sykes dies. We had created this tall platform that Cameron was going to fall off of after getting shot with a pistol. We never practiced the fall or even talked about it, but Cameron decided to spread his arms after getting shot and mummy fall off the back of the stage landing flat on the concrete behind the set. It was a serious moment at the time, now we look back and laugh, "What were you thinking!?"
Dodger and Fagin
Dodger and Fagin
Kelly played the manipulative, yet father-like "Fagin" who takes in these homeless young men and teaches them to pick-pockets as a livelyhood. The Artful Dodger is the best of the best when it comes to this. During Fagin's song "I think I better Think it out Again," Kelly would appear to the crowd from all over to pull the laughs, including one time coming from beneath the stage itself.
The audience bathrooms at the time were to the left behind the brick flats. Audience members had to come through a backstage curtain to use the restroom.
Ramona's son Marik would play Oliver Twist. A talented young man that would take many roles with Cutler Bros. Productions in the future and would also go on to sing the National Anthem at the 2024 "Final Four" basketball tournament.
Kyle Gillette played Mr. Bumble, a role of comic relief.
Crunch Week FUN!
Crunch Week FUN!
Crunch week, or "Hell week" as some like to call it, is the final week of rehearsals before a show opens. It is generally a pretty stressful week because it is when the entire show manages to "come together." Seen here is a Sunday rehearsal, 5 days before Oliver! opened, where the children in the cast were blowing off some steam.
$3-Dollar-Bill$
$3-Dollar-Bill$
In June of 2012 the second show to see the new Cutler Bros.' stage was Kelly's original "$3-Dollar-Bill$." The play had originally been produced under the Deer Lodge Player's guise when Kelly wrote it in 2002 as a sophomore in high school. The come back show starred Kelly's good friend John Knispel and a cast of wonderful comedians.
Kyle Gillette played the paranoid, schizophrenic Arthur Wiley (previously played by local bank President Mike Richards), Kelly revamped his role as the flamboyant Paul Burlesque, Jenna Logan (left) played the loving wife Alex to John Knispel's "William." The show consists of 8 eccentric characters. "William" gets in some hot water with the IRS and mistaken identity ensues to the point that Alex believes William is cheating on her with his mother in law Martha (Tina Saville). (Alex has never met Martha, hence the silly confusion).
Wolfie Winter took on his favorite role of all-time as "drunken George Rutherford." Kelly asked Wolfie if he'd ever acted at a high school wrestling meet in 2002. When Wolfie said "never," Kelly knew he had his guy.
"Das Froot"
"Das Froot"
The newly created "Das Froot" improv team also scheduled a plethora of shows in 2012. The team still meets, rehearses, and performs around Montana to this day!
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