Evening of magic & storytelling precedes Ellen’s spring musical, ‘Company’
Downtown’s Ellen Theatre, a cornerstone of Bozeman culture, is your source for some of the area’s best big screen entertainment and stage performances. The space also houses some great musical acts, both local and those coming through town. Here’s a look at what’s happening on Main.
The Amazing Ben Seidman brings a family friendly performance to Bozeman on Saturday, April 6th at 7pm. Seidman guest stars on the Netflix original Brainchild, produced by Pharrell. He has appeared on Penn & Teller: Fool Us, as well as two Travel Channel specials. He is the only person to be named the Resident Magician at Mandalay Bay, Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. Seidman performs his one-man-show across the globe and is a favorite at venues such as Atlantis Resort and Casino (Bahamas), The Royalton Riviera (Cancún), The Venetian (Macau, China), and the World-Famous Magic Castle in Hollywood.
Ben Seidman
Seidman’s shows are jam-packed with stand-up comedy, fascinating true stories, and incredible sleight-of-hand. His energy and playfulness are contagious as they spread through the audience and he never fails to give a sensational performance. All seats are $21.25 for adults with a special youth price of only $9.50 for those 17 and under. Note: the previously announced back-to-back performances have been combined for this single, family friendly show.
On Friday, April 12th, the groundbreaking musical Company kicks off its limited, six-performance engagement. This game-changing and groundbreaking musical is a sophisticated, honest and wildly funny look at modern adult relationships. On the night of his 35th birthday, Bobby contemplates his bachelorhood, opening the door for his diverse and often hilarious married friends to explain the pros and cons of taking on a spouse. The award-winning sparkling score features such hits as “You Could Drive a Person Crazy,” “The Ladies Who Lunch,” “Side by Side,” “Company” and the iconic “Being Alive.”
The Ellen Theatre delivers this Broadway blockbuster with an A-list of 14 multi-talented singers, dancers and actors, under the artful direction of stage veteran Joel Jahnke. Stefan Stern serves as musical director with choreography by Shari Watson, costumes by Claudia Boddy, and set design by Tom Watson.
The original production of Company opened at the Alvin Theatre in New York in April of 1970, with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, book by George Furth and under the direction of Hal Prince. The show ran for 705 performances and was nominated for 14 Tony Awards, winning six including Best Musical.
Montana TheatreWorks presents Company April 12th to 21st. Performances on Friday and Saturday evenings begin at 7:30pm, followed by two Sunday matinees at 3pm. Tickets range $21–$36.
Looking toward month’s end, the next PechaKucha Night(s) come to The Ellen on Tuesday and Wednesday, April 23rd and 24th. Presentations begin promptly at 6:40pm with presenters TBA. Attendees are encouraged to come early and socialize. All seats are $9. Student tickets will be available for $5 at the door.
PechaKucha (peh-chak-cha) offers anyone with a passion or a vision – designers, artists, inventors, architects, adventurers, entrepreneurs – an opportunity to share their ideas with the community during a social, fast-paced and friendly get together. There’s just one catch: presenters have only 20 slides x 20 seconds each, a total of 6 minutes, 40 seconds!
Wine, beer, and other refreshments will be sold in the lobby one hour before all performances. Ticketing and further information about these and other upcoming events is available at www.theellentheatre.org. For additional inquiries, call (406) 585-5885 or stop into The Ellen box office. Hours are Wednesday through Saturday from 1–3pm, as well as two hours prior to any event. •
