(Above: Sword dancers perform in Cottage Theatre’s production of Brigadoon; left to right, Lindy Lou Smith, Dylan Ferguson, and James Kiser)
Edited by Randi Bjornstad
Cottage Theatre begins a four-weekend run on April 5 of Brigadoon, a classic tale that takes place in the Scottish Highlands and has been popular with aficionados of musical theater since it first had its Broadway debut on in 1947.
The words and music — by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe respectively — combined to win a Best Musical award and ran for 581 performances on Broadway, with at least a half-dozen revivals since.
It’s a simple plot: Two New Yorkers, Tommy and Jeff, travel to Scotland and unwittingly stumble into a mysterious village that turns out to exist for only one day each century. The problem is that if anyone succeeds in leaving the village that day, the magic spell will be broken and Brigadoon will disappear forever. That supposition, of course, becomes a plot twist when Tommy and Jeff find themselves falling in love with Fiona and Meg, two of Brigadoon’s fairest lasses.
The Cottage Theatre production is directed and choreographed by Pamela Lehan-Siegel, with Debi Noel doing music direction. The production team also includes Judy Smith (assistant director), Maya Burton and Elizabeth Briggs (stage managers), Tony Rust (set design), Mollie Skye (lighting design), and Rhonda Turnquist (costume design).
The acting cast features Dylan Bunten as Tommy, John Young as Jeff, Jessica Rossi as Fiona, and Lexie Chipman as Meg, with additional roles by Joseph Harris, Scott Barkhurst, Stefhani Anderson, Siena Stanau-Reicher, Matthew Boatman, Dylan Ferguson, Katrina Ferguson, James Kiser, Tannah Lawn, Ross McIntire, Alana Merz, Angela Pearson, Victor Pearson, Lindy Lou Smith, David Work, Chris Bond, Tynan Kiser, Steve Knight, Evelyn Philpot, Myra Pratt, Andrea Turner, and Ylektra Young.
Brigadoon at Cottage Theatre
When: Evenings at 7:30 p.m. on April 5-6, 11-13, 18-20 and 25-27; matinees at 2:30 p.m. on April 7, 14, 21, and 28
Where: Cottage Theatre, 700 Village Drive, Cottage Grove (east of the I-5 freeway at Exit 174)
Tickets: $29 for adults, $15 for youths, available by telephone at 541-942-8001 or online at cottagetheatre.org, all seating reserved and advance purchase advised to be assured of availability
About Cottage Theatre
Founded in 1982, Cottage Theatre produces a year-round season of plays and musicals featuring talented Lane County performers. The theater also offers year-round educational programs for youth. A member of the American Association of Community Theatre (AACT), Cottage Theatre is one of just six theaters in the country selected to produce a world premiere as part of the AACT 2024 NewPlayFest. The theater is known for its strong production values, in keeping with its mission of “engaging and enriching our community through the magic of live theater.”
