'Big' piano, bigger laughs
<p>Andrew Steiner, left, playing the role of Josh Baskin, performs "Chopsticks" on an oversized piano with his castmate Greg Washington who plays Mr. MacMillan, the owner of a toy company.</p>
<p>Kalla Mort, playing the role of a toy store employee, tries to talk Matt Suhr's character down from a stack of blocks.</p>
COEUR d'ALENE - Christian Youth Theater-North Idaho is producing its first summer musical with adults playing adults.
CYT-North Idaho will produce "Big the Musical" at the Kroc Center. This version of the show is new to the Northwest after a successful tour of the country.
"This fun and family friendly musical is based on the popular '80s movie, 'Big,' starring Tom Hanks. With lots of kids, young adults and adults, fun music, great choreography, and a comedic story line, this show has something for everyone," according to a press release.
"Big the Musical was chosen because of its great upbeat musical numbers, large cast of characters, young and old, and its heart-warming story of a young boy who wishes to be grown and upon fulfillment of that wish, discovers there's much more to being an adult than he's bargained for," according to a press release.
Andrew Steiner plays "big" Josh, and Jacob Nairn plays young Josh.
Brett and Susan Sommer, owners of Figpickels Toy Emporium in downtown Coeur d'Alene, recently ordered kids "walking pianos" for their inventory. Along with sponsoring Big, they gave CYT a walking piano to let locals create a tune with their feet. A smaller version of the piano made famous by the movie starring Tom Hanks, this piano sounds like the real thing and is relatively easy to master, a release said.
Show dates and times are Aug. 9, 10, 11, 17 and 18 at 7 p.m. and Aug. 11, 12, 18 and 19 at 3 p.m.
Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for children under 12 and seniors, and $15 at the door. Students get $3 off the door price with ID.
CYT produces three Broadway-style musicals a year giving students enrolled in their theater arts classes the opportunity to use the skills they have honed in the CYT program.
Big the Musical, is a fundraiser for CYT-North Idaho for their after-school theater arts training program which runs September through June. CYT-Idaho's fall session begins Sept. 11. Students between the ages 8-18 will be eligible to audition for the fall musical, "Disney's Beauty and the Beast."
Info: www.cytnorthidaho.org