Family revives 1960s Yellowstone theater for a new era of live entertainment
Published at | Updated at
WEST YELLOWSTONE, Montana — A historic theater space with deep local roots is being brought back to life as a new generation prepares to reopen it this summer.
The Yellowstone Westgate Theatre, located at 29 Madison Avenue in West Yellowstone, Montana, is scheduled to open June 4 following a full refurbishment.
The reopening marks a full-circle moment for 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.
“My grandfather and some other partners he taught with at Ricks College started a theater there in the same building in the early 60s,” said Kyle Benson, one of Lynn Benson’s grandsons. “There’s the legacy part circling back to what our grandfather did years ago and ran that theater for 25 years.”
Kyle, along with brothers Travis and Mark, has joined forces with a local couple to make the project possible.
“I honestly never thought I’d be in the theater space, but we saw an opportunity and we’re partnering with some great people that live there in town — Jeff and Lisa Carter — they are theater people through and through,” Benson said.
Each summer, the Westgate Theatre plans to stage a classic melodrama, a straight play and a musical. This season’s lineup includes “The Great Western Melodrama”, “See How They Run” and “Annie Get Your Gun.”
“We’ll have a balcony out front that we’ll be able to do some skits pre-show and entertain people as they’re walking around town,” Benson explained.
The brothers say they’re reopening the theater to honor the legacy of Lynn and Fern Benson and create a fun entertainment option for the millions of tourists who visit Yellowstone National Park every year.
“We’re really looking forward to having a great time with this new venture,” Benson said.
Auditions for this summer’s shows will be announced soon. More information and tickets are available here.