Yellowstone Westgate Theatre welcomes audiences during first season
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Editor’s Note: This is the first of a three-part series focused on live theaters in West Yellowstone and Island Park. You can read part two here. Part three will be posted on Wednesday.
WEST YELLOWSTONE, Montana — Step inside the Yellowstone Westgate Theatre and you’ll experience cowboys, western music, comedy, and authentic entertainment.
Located at 29 Madison Avenue in West Yellowstone, Montana, the theater is described as a Victorian, Frontier-style Opera House “that honors the tradition of the old American West.”
“We really leaned into the feeling of stepping back in time and having an experience that would be a throwback to an era that is hard to find,” said Lisa Carter.
Lisa and her husband Jeff, along with their daughter Cam, are the artistic team at the theater. Jeff is the scenic designer, meaning he paints and designs. He’s an accomplished musician too.
Cam is the production manager and is a performer. They have another daughter, Jill, who directed a play and music. She’s an actress. Their daughter Bronwyn is the concessions manager and their other daughter Kaitlyn isn’t directly involved since she lives in Arkansas but is their biggest fan and supporter. It really is a family affair.
“I am the artistic director, meaning I am making all the creative plans and decisions with input, and I am also a performer,” Lisa said. “Everything that you see and experience when you come into a show is our responsibility.”
Lisa and Jeff are business partners with Kyle, Travis, and Mark Benson at Yellowstone Westgate Theatre.
The Benson family, whose patriarch, Lynn Benson, and his colleagues at Ricks College launched a theater in the very same building in the early 1960s. Click here to learn more and watch a previous interview. The brothers told EastIdahoNews.com they wanted to reopen the theater to honor the legacy of Lynn and Fern Benson.
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Lisa had spent 20 years as a performer in the building with the previous theater company.
The historic theater space with deep local roots was brought back to life following a full refurbishment. The Yellowstone Westgate Theatre opened its doors to the community in June of this year. It offers 265 new and comfortable seats. It’s up to code, ADA-compliant, and is fully insulated.
“Everything in the building is new. New electrical, new plumbing, new seating, new air conditioning. It was 100% a labor of intensity and love,” Lisa said. “Had we not done it, most likely, the building would have either been torn down or just turned into another t-shirt shop. We just could not imagine what a loss it would be to our community to not have live entertainment.”
The Westgate Theatre has three shows running currently, which are a classic melodrama, a musical, and a comedy. This season’s lineup includes “The Great Western Melodrama,” “See How They Run” and “Annie Get Your Gun.”
“People would have an opportunity to unplug from the digital AI world and experience something that is uniquely live,” she said.
Lisa acts in “See How They Run,” a British comedy. In her opinion, it is one of the funniest plays ever written. It’s a laugh-out-loud kind of experience. She said audiences are responding well to all three plays.
Westgate Theatre is trying to create an unforgettable experience for patrons. When they come to a play, they are greeted with live music before the show, and Lisa’s husband is a big part of that.
The show will start, and then there’s an intermission. Concessions include specialty sodas, old-fashioned treats, ice cream from Reed’s Dairy–which is an Idaho Falls staple–and a favorite that sets the theater apart from others.
“We have these gigantic cookies served warm. Chocolate chip is the main one, but we’ve had several flavors, Biscoff and s’mores. They’re great big huge cookies. They are phenomenal!” Lisa said.
When the show concludes, some of the actors stay on the stage so people can take pictures with them. The rest of the cast goes outside and greets any audience members who want to meet them and take pictures.
“We definitely make sure that our audience knows how appreciative we are of them coming,” Lisa said.
The theater is located one block from the west entrance of Yellowstone National Park. It’s a perfect way to end your Yellowstone trip with entertainment.
“We want our audiences to come and see our beautiful town of West Yellowstone, to have a nostalgic experience, to be able to experience live performances, music, artwork, and all of those things in one place. To laugh, to smile, and to make some incredible memories,” Lisa said.
She said they do intend to have events year-round and added that they are excited about what they are creating and are committed to family-friendly entertainment. She’s also grateful for the support from the community.
“We would just really love for people to come and see the building and what we’ve been able to do; both restore it and rejuvenate it,” Lisa said.
Click here to purchase tickets online.
