How are we halfway through the year and in the 3rd of the 5 main shows for Let Me Be Frank Productions?! It seems like it was just February, and I was reviewing the first show of LMBF’s 25th season of entertainment. On Thursday evening (7/18), I had the opportunity to enjoy an evening inside the Meyer Theatre, checking out” Bay Beach Boys” – a show centered around Bay Beach amusement park, summer love, and beach-themed tunes of the 1960s.
So, what’s this story all about?
Welcome to summer at Bay Beach in the 60s! It’s another season for boss Tom to guide his hires as to how things are done. Employees Frank, Blake, Sarah, and Pat have their hands full at concession stands, ticket booths, rides, and making sure everyone doesn’t get in too much trouble. Plus, Blake has some extra “help” as he must watch over his little brother, Harrison at the park. Enter into the scene two new employees, Lisa and Lori. They make fast friends with Sarah, who happens to be nearing the end of a I’m pregnancy. Who’s the baby daddy? Maybe we’ll find out. As the summer rolls along, the male employees take a keen interest in the female employees, and sparks fly (and sometimes fizzle) under the Ferris wheel lights. Fast-forward to the following season and the ladies have had a glow up…and Sarah’s pregnant, again. Did the passing of a year make the men more mature physically, intellectually, and emotionally — and turned them into eligible boyfriends? Maybe, maybe not! You’ll have to find out in our latest and greatest all-original musical comedy.
One thing that stood out from the first song and continued to be impressive throughout was the vocal harmonies in this show. The music of The Beach Boys is known for having tight harmonies, creating their recognizable sound. The LMBF cast tackled these songs with a natural ease. Of course, LMBF shows always have incredible vocals and beautiful harmonies, but this seemed like it was cranked to a new level. Kudos to vocal director, Amy Riemer, for figuring out and assigning all the parts for each vocalist and song selection – it was even more notable this time around.
Speaking of The Beach Boys, I’m admittedly not the most knowledgeable person when it comes to their music. However, I found myself humming along to way more tunes than I expected. Even for someone like me who wouldn’t exactly label herself a fan (most of my memories of their music comes from watching the sitcom, Full House!) — I had the best time listening to the evening’s setlist. I can only imagine how tried and true fans will LOVE this show’s song selection. It’s the kind of music that puts anyone in a good mood. Each cast member (male and female!) sang at least one song from The Beach Boys’ expansive discography. It was special to watch each individual LMBF vocalist display unique vocal stylings and strengths, all to the music of the same artist.
Beyond the music, one thing I always enjoy is when the story in a Franks show fast-forwards in time between acts, and this show does that. We jump from one summer to the following summer during intermission. The time jump gives way to natural opportunities for hilarious interactions between characters and physical comedy. Even though the set stayed the same, some of the characters made some big changes. Amy and Lisa’s characters had a glamorous glow-up. And I don’t want to spoil anything, but I audibly gasped when Frank and Pat came out for the second act.
I know Frank Hermans has been toying with the idea of doing a show about Bay Beach show for a few seasons. Even the title “Bay Beach Boys” has been on his short list of potential shows for a while now. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing one of his many, many, many show ideas come to fruition right before my eyes. I loved the references to a beloved Northeast Wisconsin amusement park. Plus, the story is based off of the numerous real-life couples who worked at Bay Beach during the summer as teens and young adults, and then ended up staying together! Amy and Frank’s characters, Lori Basche and Hank the Crank respectively, are the names of two of their close friends in real life (Lori and Hank Crooks). Lori and Hank met working at Bay Beach in the 1980s and have been married since 1988! Frank and company are known for adding local lore and flair to the shows, and I can’t wait to see what Lori and Hank think of this one.
A few other thoughts and highlights:
+ Tom Verbrick opening the show with 409. Then, when he started talking, I almost did a spit take. I was not expecting that! How does he always seem to find such a funny and new character, year after year, show after show?
+ Sarah Galati’s sarcastic and snappy character made me laugh all night. I loved hearing her sing a Patsy Cline tune in this show too! It was sultry and smooth — and then to see the “walking” bit during the instrumental break, ha!
+ Blake Hermans’ airhead character and accent was a big highlight for me. I just kept waiting for him to open his mouth and say another line because I knew it was going to make me laugh. And then his rendition of Little Honda was superb.
+ Harrison Hermans performing Make Your Own Kind of Music was outstanding. He effortlessly hit those low and high notes. I felt so proud of him, I can only imagine how proud Amy and Frank must be to hear him sing each night.
+ Pat Hibbard’s awkward character and his version of flirting (should we even call it that?) made me crack up. I was having some secondhand embarrassment watching him put the moves on Lisa’s character.
+ Lisa Borley’s version of Keep Me Hangin’ On was spectacular. A huge highlight in the first act, WOW.
+ Even though there wasn’t any dancing in Pat Hibbard’s version of Let’s Dance, it allowed the band comprised of Tony Pilz, Andrew Klaus, John Singer, (and Pat Hibbard too!) to have a solid moment to shine as the second act opened. And then they really had a great instrumental moment in Tom Verbrick’s Help Me Rhonda!
+ Amy Riemer singing Ticket to Ride gave me instant goosebumps. What a stunning performance.
+ Frank Hermans rocked Fun, Fun, Fun! Those falsetto notes! Woah!!!
I left the Meyer Theatre with a big smile on my face, and that’s what I love most about coming to LMBF shows. I’m being serious when I say my cheeks hurt from grinning all night. I know I’ll be humming The Beach Boys tunes for the next several days. What a perfect summer show filled with bright toe-tapping songs and a gaggle of humorous characters.
“Bay Beach Boys” officially opens at the Meyer Theatre on Friday, July 19th, at 7:30pm with a benefit show for the Brillion Public Library. For our opening night performance, $10 of every sold ticket goes to this valuable organization in our community.
“Bay Beach Boys” then runs:
Saturday, July 20th at 7:30pm
Thursday, July 25th at 7:30pm
Friday, July 26th at 7:30pm
Saturday, July 27th at 7:30pm
Thursday, August 1st at 7:30pm
Friday, August 2nd at 7:30pm
Saturday, August 3rd at 7:30pm
Thursday, August 8th at 1:00pm & 7:30pm
Friday, August 9th at 7:30pm
Saturday, August 10th at 1:00pm & 7:30pm
Tickets are available at meyertheatre.org, ticketstaronline.com, or by calling Ticketstar at 920-494-3401 (tel:920-494-3401). Doors open to the box office inside the Meyer Theatre for day of tickets one hour prior to each performance.
The show features Frank Hermans as Hank the Crank, Amy Riemer as Lori Basche, Pat Hibbard as a Bay Beach employee, Tom Verbrick as the boss, Lisa Borley as a new employee, Sarah Galati as a Bay Beach employee, Blake Hermans as a Bay Beach employee, and Harrison Hermans, brother of Blake.
Band: John Singer (guitars), Pat Hibbard (bass), Tony Pilz (keyboards), Andrew Klaus (drums).
Lights: Ross Loining
Sound: Kelly Klaus
