2009 Cutler Bros.
The High Schoo Year
"Urinetown"
At the start of 2009 we fully anticipated producing another season at the Old Prison Museum. We had some creative differences with the Prison and when they scheduled another theatre troupe to produce a show a week before "Urinetown" opened, we decided it was best to part ways. But...where would we go?!
Kelly and Marne Davenport had seen the musical "Urinetown" on the University stage in Missoula a year or two before 2009 and they both fell in love with the show. It was hilarious! Could we do it in Deer Lodge ever? We had our doubts....
Introducing the great Cameron Fehring!
We had our doubts...until Kelly met fellow vocalist and Wyoming-born talent Cameron Michael Fehring in University Choir as well as playing complementing roles in the University of Montana's 2009 production of "Guys and Dolls." Kelly played Benny Southstreet and Cameron was Nicely Nicely Johnson. The two clicked immediately and Kelly proposed that Cameron come down to Deer Lodge and help produce "Urinetown." Kelly also approached fellow Opera Theater star Brandi Christians to play the role of Miss Pennywise because...well because Miss Pennywise has some pipes and , well...Brandi had some pipes!
Eric Calhoun & Jenna Singleton played in Bobby Strong's (Cameron Fehring) riff raff gang that caused the uprising against Mr. Cladwell's (Kelly Cutler) ridiculous water protocols.
Newbies & Can lights
Cameron's future wife Amanda would also take a role in "Urinetown." (seen right) Brandi (center) as Miss Pennywise, and new Cutler Bros. actor Blaine Aiton also took several ensemble roles. We produced the show in the Powell County High School band room and the choir room, directly across the way, served as our dressing areas. It was definitely make shift, but we made it work. Another problem we had was lights. We spent the next two months putting together a rag tag set of canned lights, made entirely out of old produce cans (some we believe were old tuna cans), and were accused by the high school of "purposely making the band room smell like urine" for the show. The heat off the cans did present a unique scent, and the band room had ZERO air conditioning in a VERY hot July 2009. But no...we did not purposely make the place smell like urine. We're not that avant-garde.
Bricks!
The brick flats seen in the background here were painted entirely by Cameron and his wife Amanda. We have used these same brick flats in countless plays and continue to use them to this day. how long will they last??
Kyle Gillette, one of the greatest thespians Deer Lodge has ever produced, took his first Cutler Bros. role as the evil and vindictive "Officer Lockstock."
The Cladwell Gang
The Cladwell gang made up the antogonistic bunch for "Urinetown." Seen here is Tina Saville, Erik Schwab, Brianne-Holland-Sterger, Kelly Cutler, Jim Cameron, and Matthew Cutler. Brianne hailed from Butte and we were ecstatic when she auditioned for the show. She had to laugh at how uncoordinated our "Cladwell" gang of dancers were, but hey, THAT'S Cutler Bros.!
Brianne and Cameron played off of each other as love interests beautifully.
Marne's Departure
"Urinetown" would mark the final show Marne has done with Cutler Bros. Productions to this date. She played Little Sally to a tee and had delighted audiences for 5 straight years on the Deer Lodge stage. She now lives in Helena with her husband and kids.
"Drop Dead"
At the conclusion of "Urinetown" Kelly and Kyle Gillette began talking about producing another show in 2009. After all, it was only July and we still had another month of summer. Kyle ended up directing a hilarious romp known as "Drop Dead." Unfortunately it only ran for a handful of performances and became the least attended show in Cutler Bros.' history.
Another article entailing a Comedy Night we produced at Scotty's Bar and Casino in Deer Lodge. Scotty's is now home to the Outpost Casino, but back in the day we performed countless improv comedy shows in Scotty's back room. Scotty is unfortunately deceased, but we will never forget his business drive and his support towards our early theatrical goals in Deer Lodge.
2009 also marks the first ever Rising Star Academy Summer Children's Camp, produced and directed by Kelly and Kyle Gillette at the St. Mary's Center. Rising Star has gone on to produce a similar camp, yet bigger and greater, every summer since this time.