Freak Out! shows, Shakewell & DASH funk up Rialto
Gearing up for its first summer since reopening, the historic Rialto theater brings an exciting lineup of top-tier talent from around the country to its event space in Downtown Bozeman. Here’s a look at some of the upcoming happenings.
The Rialto will present a limited run of Freak Out!: The Musical on Friday and Saturday, May 18th–19th. Friday night’s performance begins at 8pm with doors at 7:30pm. On Saturday, an early show will get the evening started at 6pm, followed by a late show at 9pm. Doors at 5:30pm and 8pm, respectively. Tickets to these 18+ shows are $20.
Freak Out! tells the story of two counter-culture bikers in the late 1960s on a voyage of self-discovery who accidentally find themselves embroiled with a devilish cult trying to take over the world! The all-original psychedelic musical is performed with larger than life puppets and a live four-piece rock band. Equal parts Easy Rider, Rocky Horror, Duck Soup, Hair, and Rosemary’s Baby, Freak Out! opened in 2017 to audience acclaim and a sold out run.
Written by Ryan Cassavaugh (Jimmy’s First Christmas on Parole, Three Glorious Weeks) and Joe Knapp (of SlomoJoe Trio, The Salamanders) and directed by Sadie Cassavaugh (Row After Row, Three Glorious Weeks) Freak Out! stars Ryan Lawrence Flynn, Pol Llovet, Steven Harris-Weiel, Ty Gardner, Wren Garverick, Leandra Hill, Leyla Osman-Kirschner, and Harry Jahnke. Knapp, Garrett Robinson, Ryan Cassavaugh, and Dan Haywood perform the production’s live musical accompaniment.
Freak Out! is a truly unique theatre experience unlike anything you’ve ever seen before – a singular blend of puppetry, lights, sound, and music. Check it out!
Ever wanted to try stand up? Take a chance with the Burn Box Comedy Series open mic night on Saturday, May 26th at 8pm. Experienced comedians and newbies alike are welcome to take a shot on stage – or just head upstairs and enjoy the show. This 21+ event is free of admission. Doors at 7pm.
Also on May 26th, step on downstairs for The Rialto Funkdown with Shakewell and DASH beginning at 8:30pm. Tickets to this 18+ show are $6. Doors at 7:30pm.
A funk brotherhood of lifelong friends and collaborators, Shakewell thumps out funk, neo-soul, and rock n’ roll. The 5-piece will toss you around with original songs and imaginative mashups, cranking the Richter scale up to 11. Keep eyes on the seismograph and ears to the ground, ‘cause Shakewell is comin’ to throw down.
DASH was formed out of a love for light-a-fire-under-your-ass rockin’ soul music, as well as a desire for honest and entertaining lyrics backed by a powerhouse sound.
Enjoy the sounds of the Matt Flinner Trio on Saturday, June 2nd at 8:30pm. Tickets to this 18+ show are $15. Doors at 7:30pm.
Renowned mandolinist Matt Flinner, guitarist Ross Martin and bassist Eric Thorin cover a wide variety of musical styles – all with the common ground of originality. Bluegrass, jazz and Celtic music are all present here, but not necessarily overtly or in a contrived sense. Call it Americana, or new acoustic, chamber grass, or just great music; whatever label you put on it, it’s guaranteed to be fresh, original, and definitely something you’ve never quite heard before. The trio’s latest album, Traveling Roots, is available now.
The Dirty Dozen Brass Band visits the Rialto on Monday, June 4th at 8:30pm. Tickets to this all ages show are $27. Doors at 7:30pm.
Celebrating over 40 years since their founding in 1977, the New Orleans-based group has taken the traditional foundation of brass band music and incorporated it into a blend of genres including Bebop Jazz, Funk and R&B/Soul. This unique sound, described by the band as a “musical gumbo,” has allowed the Dirty Dozen to tour across 5 continents and more than 30 countries, record 12 studio albums and collaborate with a range of artists from Modest Mouse to Widespread Panic to Norah Jones. Forty-plus years later, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band is a world famous music machine whose name is synonymous with genre-bending romps and high-octane performances.
The Rialto is located at 10 W Main St. in the center of historic Downtown Bozeman. Get further acquainted with this exciting new event space at www.rialtobozeman.com, where you can also peruse current happenings and buy advance tickets. Follow the Rialto on Facebook for the most up to date event announcements, @therialto. •
