Musical – ‘Seven Brides for Seven Brothers’ – is the end result
CAST AND CREW for the 2014 Mountain Lake Public High School’s spring musical, “Seven Brides For Seven Brothers.” CAST AND CREW for the 2014 Mountain Lake Public High School’s spring musical, “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.” Front, from left, Mrs. Hoallum (Liana Blomgren), Mrs. Sanders (Rebekah Klassen), Dorcas (Lydia Hildebrandt), Alice (Jenny Wright) and Townswoman (Carly Paulson). Second row, from left, Mr. Hoallum (Austin Wallert), Mr. Sanders (Caleb Rempel), Benjamin (Josh Grev), Adam (Ben Grev), Milly (Carmen Syverson), Gideon (Sam Grev), and Townswoman (Meredith Suess). Third row, from left, Nathan (Alex Gerdes), Jeb (Carter Kirk), Preacher (Eric Wenner), Zeke (Regan Syverson), Ruth (Rachel Dukes), Liza (Signey Stoesz), Martha (Jordan Syverson), Townswomen (Laura Dalton and Ashley Watkins) and Follow Spotlight (Jareya Harder). Third row, from left, Caleb (Zach Fredericksen), Daniel (Ethan Karschnik), Ephraim (Ruben Fentanez) and Sarah (Olivia Hopwood). Back, from left, Light and Sound Technician (Daniel Harder), Townsman (Julian Jung), Matt (Andrew Fast), Joel (Aaron Fast), Luke (Josh Fast), Frank (Derek Harder) and Townswomen (Brooke Fast, Jaden Hoek, Lexia Peters, Kalley Rempel and Kenna Gardiner).
The Pontipee brothers – all seven of them – with the oldest, Adam, leading the way by finding his Milly – leave their Oregon frontier mountain home in 1850 and head into town to go a-courtin’. The brothers are named – alphabetically – from the Old Testament. In birth order, they are Adam, Benjamin, Caleb, Daniel, Ephraim, Frank (which is short for Frankincense as the Old Testament has no names beginning with the letter “F”) and Gideon. While in town at a barn raising, they find women of their choice (Dorcas, Ruth, Martha, Liza, Sarah and Alice) – who- fortunately – like them back in return. But,their troubles in getting hitched just head off from there.
The end result is the musical, “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” – presented by the Mountain Lake Public High School (MLHS) Drama Department Friday, April 4 and Saturday, April 5, in the Mountain Lake Public School auditorium. The musical was presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI).
DIRECTOR JULIE BRUGMAN
Julie Brugman was the director for the play, with Andrea Brinkman, Mountain Lake Public School vocal teacher, the musical director. Kelli Tucholke, Mountain Lake Public Elementary School first-grade teacher, was the choreographer. Directing the orchestra accompanying the production was Mountain Lake Public School instrumental instructor, Kurt Jahnke.
“Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” was adapted by Albert Hackett, Frances Goodrich and Dorothy Kingsley as based on the short story, “The Sobbin’ Women” by Stephen Vincent Benet, which was, in turn, based on an Ancient Roman legend.
Musical’s music
The musical includes the songs “Bless Your Beautiful Hide,” “Wonderful, Wonderful Day,” “When You’re In Love,” “Goin’ Courtin’,”Barn Dance,” “Barn Raising,” “Lonesome Polecat,” “Sobbin’ Women,” “Kidnapped and Chase,” “June Bride” and “Spring, Spring, Spring.”
Below, share a photographic synopsis of the chronology of the musical – along with the participating actors, actresses, technical team, directors, musicians and choreographer:
OREGON BACKWOODSMAN Adam Pontipee (Ben Grev), right, goes to town in search of a wife – and right away spies Milly (Carmen Syverson) – who agrees to marry him, in spite of only knowing him for just a few hours.
MILLY (CARMEN SYVERSON), center, tells her girlfriends in town that she has met a man – and is going to marry him and leave town to head to his mountain home. From left, Alice (Jenny Wright), Liza (Signey Stoesz), Martha (Jordan Syverson), Milly (Carmen Syverson), Ruth (Rachel Dukes), Dorcas (Lydia Hildebrandt) and Sarah (Olivia Hopwood).
AFTER GETTING HITCHED by the preacher (Eric Wenner), at back, Milly (Carmen Syverson) and Adam (Ben Grev), receive a send-off from women from the town, including Brooke Fast, Carly Paulson, Ashley Watkins, Kenna Gardiner, Meredith Suess, Lexia Peters, Kalley Rempel, Jaden Hoek and Laura Dalton.
ADAM’S SIX BROTHERS – all living in the same house – are a surprise for Milly – and Milly’s “whip ’em into shape” attitude is a surprise to the brothers. Attempting to thwart the brothers’ mad dash for breakfast is Benjamin (Josh Grev), front in his red long johns. Other visible brothers include, from left, Gideon (Sam Grev), Daniel (Ethan Karschnik), Frank (Derek Harder) and Caleb (Zach Fredericksen). Also, somewhere in the brothers’ scrum is Ephraim (Ruben Fentanez).
TEACHING THE BROTHERS proper manners – including saying a table prayer before eating – is just part of Milly’s mission in taming the herd. From left, Daniel (Ethan Karschnik), Milly (Carmen Syverson), Ephraim (Ruben Fentanez), Caleb (Zach Fredericksen), Benjamin (Josh Grev) and Gideon (Sam Grev). Behind and not pictured is Frank (Derek Harder).
LEARNING TO DANCE is a part of proper etiquette and Gideon (Sam Grev), left, is being an attentive student in learning how to offer a woman his arm. Teaching him the finer points is his sister-in-law (brother Adam’s wifei), Milly (Carmen Syverson), right.
CLAD IN CRISP, clean clothes, the brothers take to dancing, turning the mountain home’s main room into a dance floor. Above, Benjamin (Josh Grev), left, twirls ’round his sister-in-law, Milly (Carmen Syverson), right.
WITH ONLY ONE available woman with which to dance, the brothers are forced to take a few spins around the floor with each other, just as Gideon (Sam Grev), left and Ephraim (Ruben Fentanez), right are doing in the above photo.
AFTER LEARNING ALL the fine graces of social customs, the brothers head into town to attend a barn raising – and do some courting with the town’s women. Above, at front, Gideon (Sam Grev), left, finds that Alice (Jenny Wright), right, takes a shine to his good looks and good manners. Behind are Adam (Ben Grev), left and Milly (Carmen Syverson), partially hidden right.
HOWEVER, THE WOMEN’S suitors from town do not take a shine to the attention being showered on the females from the Pontipee brothers. Eventually, a fight breaks out. Above, Gideon (Sam Grev), right, lands a right hook on the chin of Jeb (Carter Kirk), left. Also recognizable involved in the fighting is Zeke (Regan Syverson), center, one of the women’s suitors from town.
BACK AT THEIR cabin in the mountains – and not allowed to go back into town by order of the townspeople – the brothers discover – as first hinted by Adam (Ben Grev) – the story of “Sobbin’ Women,” in which the men kidnap the women they have taken a liking to. From left, Frank (Derek Harder), Benjamin (Josh Grev), Ephraim (Ruben Fentanez), Daniel (Ethan Karschnik), Caleb (Zach Fredericksen), Gideon (Sam Grev) and Adam (Ben Grev).
SNEAKING INTO TOWN, Adam (Ben Grev), right, gives his brothers a pep talk as they prepare to kidnap the women of their choice. From left, Gideon (Sam Grev), Frank (Derek Harder), Ephraism (Ruben Fentanez), Caleb (Zach Fredericksen) and Benjamin (Josh Grev).
WITH HER MOTHER, Mrs. Hoallum (Liana Blomgren), right, completely unaware of the goings on behind her, Benjamin (Josh Grev), left, takes his choice, Dorcas (Lydia Hildebrandt), aware with him – without any trouble.
LURING RUTH (RACHEL Dukes) outside by mimicking a cat’s melancholy meowing, Caleb (Zach Fredericksen) throws a quilt over the woman and carts her away.
THE PONTIPEE BROTHERS, and the women they have chosen to be their wives, escape town in a wagon in the dead of night, their brother, Adam (Ben Grev), seated right, at the reins, coaxing the steeds to pick up speed. In the bed of the wagon are, from left, Gideon (Sam Grev) with Alice (Jenny Wright), Ephraim (Ruben Fentanez) with Martha (Jordan Syverson), Daniel (Ethan Karschnik) with Liza (Signey Stoesz), Frank (Derek Harder) with Sarah (Olivia Hopwood), Caleb (Zach Fredericksen) with Ruth (Rachel Dukes) and Benjamin (Josh Grev) with Dorcas (Lydia Hildebrandt).
AN AVALANCHE BLOCKS off the mountain from the town, and the wait is on for the spring thaw. At that time, either the brothers will be able to bring up the preacher to do the marryin’ (who they forgot on their kidnapping foray into town) or the men of the town will come to take the women back. Time will tell what will happen first. In the meantime, the brothers, banished to the barn because of their kidnapping trick (the women claim the house), lament their problems, ending Gideon’s (Sam Grev) complaints by placing a metal pail over his head.
IN THE SONG “Lonesome Polecat,” the brothers assuage their woes and vow to do right by the women – taking them back to town. From left, Frank (Derek Harder), Benjamiin (Josh Grev), Caleb (Zach Fredericksen), Gideon (Sam Grev), Daniel (Ethan Karschnik) and Ephraim (Ruben Fentanez).
WHEN MILLY GETS upset over the kidnapping scheme – Adam’s plan – he goes to the hunting cabin further up the mountain for the rest of the winter. While he is gone, however, Milly (Carmen Syverson), seated center, shares with the girls that she is pregnant – and Adam does not know. The girls share their excitement over the news with Milly. Seated, from left, Sarah (Olivia Hopwood), Liza (Signey Stoesz) and Dorcas (Lydia Hildebrandt). Standing, from left, Alice (Jenny Wright), Martha (Jordan Syverson) and Ruth (Rachel Dukes).
ADAM EVENTUALLY RETURNS home – right before the spring thaw. His brother, Gideon, had visited him over the courses of the winter to let him know he was a new father. But, it was not until he had the chance to see his daughter, Hannah, that Adam develops a new sense of maturity and responsibility. With their daughter are Adam (Ben Grev), left and Milly (Carmen Syverson), right.
WITH THE SPRING thaw come the men from town – the preacher among them. While the brothers attempt to round up the women to bring them back to town, they resist. As the townsmen storm in, the women protect their respective brothers. Above, Dorcas (Lydia Hildebrandt) tries valiantly to cover Benjamin (Josh Grev) with her skirts. At back left is Mr. Sanders (Caleb Rempel) of Sander’s Eats, a restaurant in town), armed with a rifle as a persuasion in rounding up the brothers. At back right, Liza (Signey Stoesz), left, protects her brother of choice, Daniel (Ethan Karschnik), right.
ADAM IS EVENTUALLY surrounded and the men from the town believe vengeance is theirs. From left, Mr. Sanders (Caleb Rempel), Joel (Aaron Fast), Adam (Ben Grev) and Matt (Andrew Fast).
WHEN BABY HANNAH lets out a wail, the townsmen demand to know whose child is crying. ALL of the women step forward to claim the infant. Which ends up in an official wedding for all the brides and Pontipee brothers. From left, Dorcas (Lydia Hildebrandt) and Benjamin (Josh Grev), Ruth (Rachel Dukes) and Caleb (Zach Fredericksen), Liza (Signey Stoesz) and Daniel (Ethan Karschnik), Martha (Jordan Syverson) and Ephraim (Ruben Fentanez), Sarah (Olivia Hopwood) and Frank (Derek Harder), Alice (Jenny Wright) and Gideon (Sam Grev) – and even Milly (Carmen Syverson) and Adam (Ben Grev). The event is made complete with brothers and brides in matching shirts and dresses.
MUSICAL DIRECTOR AND piano accompanist, Andrea Brinkman.
THE ORCHESTRA. FRONT, from left, Levi Jahnke on trumpet, Anna Engstrom on clarinet, Caitlin Oeltjenbruns on flute and Kurt Jahnke, orchestra director and trombone. Back, on drum set, Eric-John Niss. Missing is clarinetist Karen Soutthivong.
