Boomer Boys ride again!

You’ll have to excuse me for stating the obvious, I’m assuming everyone in Polson already knows this but Neal Lewing is one heck of an actor. I was first able to see the Port Polson player as Judge Turpin in the production of Sweeney Todd last November.

While the character was a bad guy, Lewing is anything but a bad guy and you’d be hard pressed to find somebody that’s more enjoyable on stage to watch.

You can tell Lewing knows exactly how to mix dramatics and humor. His characterization on stage is unmatched and he always finds a way to shine no matter the role.

Off the stage, his heart is unmatched. In 2006, the Rialto Theatre in Deer Lodge was destroyed by a fire. Something like that could be extremely damaging to a theatre company in a small community. However, Neal and Karen Lewing were the first to come to the aid of their fellow thespians.

Neal penned the show “Those Boomer Boys” along with his costars, Bob Mazurek, Steve Nelson and John Glueckert and Trish Tavenner. Tavenner has played the keyboard with “The Boys” since the show began. The show served as a fundraiser for the Deer Lodge “Prison Players” to help rebuild the theatre and continue the tradition of productions in the town.

“The decision to take the Boomers show to Deer Lodge was a joint one between Karen and myself,” Neal said. “We started and ran the Old Prison Players in Deer Lodge for 13 years, and had performed several shows at the Rialto, so we wanted to help out our extended theatre family.”

The Players have sent the show to play across a dozen-plus communities across Montana and Idaho. It has become so popular that people keep asking for “The Boomers” to appear on stage time after time.

“The first phone call from Neal Lewing came on Sunday morning, Nov. 5, while the fire was still burning at our beloved theater,” Gayle Mizner wrote in a letter to the Leader. “It felt as though our hearts had been ripped from our chests but Neal did not ask, ‘what can we do’ but rather ‘we will be there as soon as you can set a date for us.’ Neal and Karen gave us hope when all seemed hopeless and they were truly an inspiration for us to move forward.”

Members of the Mission Valley community can watch a four-day revival of the show. The Port Polson Players will present “Those Boomer Boys” to open their 37th season of Summer Theatre.

But just what is a Boomer?

Drawing inspiration from the generation of Baby Boomers born between 1946-64, “Those Boomer Boys” will give people of the Mission Valley a nice trip down memory lane.

“Boomers love recalling the first-ever TV shows, music and artists of the era,” artistic director Karen Lewing said. “There’s jokes, fashions, hairdos, cars, old high school days and first romances, just to mention some of the highlights from the musical review. Neal is a walking file cabinet when it comes to all of the above.”

The show has become so popular that the Players are putting together a “Boomer Babes” production later this summer in August that will take a more feminine look at love, laughs and lads.

“The entire summer season for the Players features a Mid-Life theme this year,” said Karen Lewing.

“Those Boomer Boys” will open with four performances: Thursday thru Sunday, June 7-10. All shows start at 8 p.m. with a 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday. Call 883-9212 or go to portpolsonplayers.com for reservations and more information.

The show is produced by the Port Polson Players in association with The Mission Valley Friends of the Arts, all performances take place at the John Dowdall Theatre on the lake in Polson.