Some kind of 'Summer'
<p>The cast of The Coeur d'Alene Summer Theatre production of "Pump Boys & Dinettes" take the stage as a country western group comprised of gas station attendants and waitresses working along Highway 57 in Grand Ole Opry country. From left, Jim, Rhetaa Cupp, L.M., Prudie and Jackson, played by Dane Stokinger, Jessica Skerritt, Steven Dahlke, Jillian Zygo and J. Michael Zygo, respectively.</p>
<p>The nine person cast of the Coeur d'Alene Summer Theatre's production of "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" takes the stage Friday.</p>
<p>Lindsey Hedberg, playing the role of Tracy Turnblad, raises her arms proudly during the Coeur d'Alene Summer Theatre's production of "Hairspray." Hedberg is flanked by the three members of The Dynamites, left to right, Yudith Burton, Oyoyo Joi Bonner and Antonia Darlene.The show will premiere at North Idaho College's Boswell Hall Schuler Performing Arts Center at 7:30pm on August 7th.</p>
<p>Ellen Travolta, center, gets to share the stage with her sisters, Margaret Travolta, left, and Ann Travolta in the Coeur d'Alene Summer Theatre production of "Cinderella" which opens Saturday. Ellen assumes the role as the mean stepmother and her sister play the menacing stepsisters.</p>
COEUR d'ALENE - Here's a quick recap of the Coeur d'Alene Summer Theatre season:
Four shows.
More than 28,000 patrons.
And there you go.
"I think it was an incredibly successful season, both artistically and financially," said Roger Welch, artistic director. "In this economy, we did pretty well. People seemed to really love the work."
The work came in the form of "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee," "Pump Boys and Dinettes," "Cinderella," and "Hairspray,' which wrapped things up Aug. 21.
"I think having the production values and the talent be so high, I think people have learned to trust us and look forward to us," Welch said.
Laura Little, in her first season as the Summer Theatre's executive director, said she and her staff focused on service and quality, from better food at intermissions to having someone open the door when guests arrived.
It works. The season promoted as "Broadway in your own backyard," brought in the crowds.
"I think people noticed the difference," she said. "We're going to continue down that path and make things better next year."
Both Welch and Little agreed a season highlight was the performance of sisters Ellen, Margaret and Annie Travolta in "Cinderella."
"I think having the three Travolta sisters really kicked off "Cinderella" and turned it into a powerhouse of a show," Welch said. "That really ignited the energy of the season."
Jessica Skerritt, who played "Cinderella," also starred in "Pump Boys and Dinettes" and earned accolades from reviewers.
"She's a top talent in Seattle," Welch said.
The "Hairspray" cast, with several key roles filled by actors and actresses from New York, was also a hit, he said.
"To have that kind of diversity in a cast here in Coeur d'Alene was pretty impressive to people," Welch said.
Little said Welch's performance as Edna Turnblad in "Hairspray" shouldn't be overlooked.
"People were walking out of the theater saying, 'I didn't even know that was a male.' And you heard that over and over again," she said.
Next up for the Summer Theatre is a Christmas show, "Plaid Tidings," in December.
Little has almost finalized next season's lineup, but did say the "Wizard of Oz" will be performed for the first time by CST and plenty of kids will be needed for Munchkins. Already, 2011 season tickets are on sale.
As well, they hope to have more camps for kids, which went well this year, Welch said.
"We're really trying to work on our educational arm and outreach into the community," he said.
Little said while the final numbers are still being crunched, the theater looks to have ended the year in the black.
"We worked really hard and the shows were fabulous," she said. "The quality is something you see on Broadway. We had more people say that to us this year."
Welch said the Coeur d'Alene Summer Theatre is solid financially.
"A lot of theaters are hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt, or are closing their doors. We are incredibly healthy," he said. "We were never in debt. Our reserves have been tapped into, which is always scary."
Ticket prices for the professional theater are low compared to others, Welch added.
"If you were in a bigger market, Seattle or Portland, you'd be paying a lot for these ticket prices and seeing the same quality of talent," he said.
This year, it's unlikely they'll need the reserves to balance the books, Little said.
"Everything is starting to turn around. We're in a good spot, and each year is just going to get better," she said.