BWW Reviews: Boulder's Dinner Theatre Presents Adorable Performances in CHURCH BASEMENT LADIES

Based on the humorous novel Growing Up Lutheran by Janet Letnes Martin and Suzann Nelson, CHURCH BASEMENT LADIES is dishing up laughs at Boulder's Dinner Theatre now through May 12th. CHURCH BASEMENT LADIES features four distinct characters and their relationships as they organize the food and confront the problems in a rural Minnesota church. From the elderly matriarch to the young bride?to?be learning the proper order of things, the story and music give us a touching yet funny look at their lives as we see them handle a record breaking Christmas dinner, the funeral of a dear friend, a HawaiIan Easter Fundraiser, and a steaming hot July wedding.

No pressure BDT, but Minnesota holds a very special place near and dear to my heart. Not only do several family members hail from up north, but I also went to college there and fell in love with Minnesota and their Scandanavian ways. In this review...get ready for some "oh fers" and a whole lot of fun!!

OH FER SWEET: This review is dedicated to my Aunt Barbara Heglund and Grandma Dorothy Beavers, the original church basement ladies in my life.

OH FER CUTE: I have to say that this show was an heartwarming delight and totally reminded me of the radio plays that Garrison Keillor has made famous in Minnesota. This "Lutheran Nunsense" if you will completely transported my back to my family's church up North and our audience absolutely loved every moment. I loved the integration of sound effects and rhythm from the various cooking instruments and the vocal harmonies were wonderful. The women worked so well together with fabulous comedic timing. While some struggled with this unique accent (watch your O's ladies), the songs were adorable and executed well. Highlight songs include: Closer to Heaven, Get Down to Business, My Own Personal Island, and Sing a New Song.

OOF DAH: No hot dish...no cheese curds...no jello...no BARS!?!? Sorry Boulder's Dinner Theatre, but you missed a golden opportunity here, although you're saving grace was having beef stroganoff on your menu (which was delicious)! This would have been the perfect chance to captivate your audiences senses even further and honor the unique traditions of Minnesota.

OH FER FUNNY: Bren. Eyestone Barron as the menopausal Mavis was over the top and hilarious. Her gusto and hot flashes stole the show and the audience absolutely loved her. Vivian (wonderfully played by Barb Reeves) was the grumpy set in her ways gal with a heart of gold. She made the audience smile with her song The Cities and made us cry with her endearing song, For Good. Alicia Dunfee was superb as the new girl in charge, Karin. I absolutely loved her song - This is Most Certainly True and was just a enchanting to watch. Heather Marie Doris was simply adorable as Karin's daughter Signe and I have to admit that she had the best Minnesota accent of the bunch. She brought that fresh youthfulness that provided a nice contrast to the rest of the older cast and had such a wonderful voice. Wayne Kennedy respected the ministry with his tender interpretation of Pastor Gunderson and his golden voice in Song for Willie brought me to tears.

OH YA: Director Curt Wollan and Music Director Neal Dunfee put together an amazing ensemble with wonderful comedic timing and lovely voices that translated perfectly into this production. Curt was quite thoughtful on his staging that ended up being a scurry of movement and provided perfect comedic timing and flowed flawlessly. The overall outcome was that this rowdy audience was in stitches and smiles from beginning to end. Linda Morken had fun with these costumes and I especially loved all those many aprons and especially the special additions for the HawaiIan Easter Holiday Fundraiser. Scenic designer Amy Campion was spot on in her interpretation of the Lutheran Church Kitchen. From the accordion window, right down to the linoleum this set was a total reminder of those church kitchens that we know and love whose smells always made us hungry during service and looking forward to food, family and fellowship. I also loved the window effects, that were small, but effective to set the season. Wayne Kennedy brought some great sound effects (especially for Willie) that added hilarity and fun to this show. Lighting by designer Rachael Dugan further enhanced this visual production.

YOU BETCHA: So grab the family and check out this adorable, feel-good musical that is sure to bring a smile to your face and warm your heart. CHURCH BASEMENT LADIES is delighting audiences now though May 12th. For tickets or more information, contact the box office at 303-449-6000 or log on to www.bouldersdinnertheatre.com. Boulder's Dinner Theatre is located at 5501 Arapahoe Avenue in Boulder, CO.

Boulder's Dinner Theatre presents four Broadway-quality musicals each season, and has been recognized locally and nationally for theatrical excellence. The Wizard of Oz rounds out a spectacular season of musicals beginning May 18, 2013. The Full Monty will open up BDT's 36th season on September 6, 2013.