Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883

DPRCA's Gilligan's Island: Laughs for all generations

The goofy, character comedy that defined the '60s comes to life for new generations to love in DPRCA's "Gilligan's Island: The Musical."

Whether they reminisced of sitting on the couch in front of the tube, or they were too young to know anything about the TV show this musical is based, patrons seemed to agree that DPRCA's production was fantastic.

"Another great musical. Definitely captured the heart of Gilligan's Island. Very funny and entertaining. Great opening night!" wrote one patron.

"That was HILARIOUS! I will not go to another show that's better than this one!" shouted a 12-year old girl as she left the theatre. That girl said she had never seen the TV show but has attended several DPRCA productions. She's even performed in one!

"It was amazing. So great. I had to cover my mouth to keep from screech-laughing and disturbing the normal people around me," exclaimed a young woman, raving on Facebook to her friends and family.

During intermission grandmas laughed with their grandkids about which character they could most relate. "I'm Gilligan!" said one little boy, with a Gilligan-style goofy grin. "You really want to be Ginger, don't you?" the grandma asked a girl seated next to her family. "YES!!" the girl laughed.

Pieter Louters, a senior at NR-S High School, makes a grand Gilligan, hapless and hilarious.

Carrington teacher Nikki Braaten saunters across the stage as Ginger, reminiscent of Blanche on "Golden Girls" (in case you '80s kids need a reference). First Lutheran Church Pastor Doug Nemitz, in his first role on the DPRCA stage, perfectly pairs with Brenda Bachmeier, who has performed in several DPRCA productions over the past 10 years, making a convincing millionaire and his wife.

Here are five bits of trivia about the original TV series for you shipwrecked fans, all courtesy of the Internet Movie Database, imdb.com

• Creator Sherwood Schwartz wrote the theme song to Gilligan's Island in just one night.

• That theme song was the winner of the 2013 Yahoo award for Best TV Theme Song Ever, beating the theme from Cheers (1982) in the finals.

• Alan Hale Jr. (the actor who played the Skipper in the TV series) had a tendency to address people as "little buddy". Because of this, "little buddy" became the Skipper's signature term of affection for Gilligan and has become a nickname for Bob Denver, the actor who played Gilligan.  

•The ship's name, S.S. Minnow, was not named for the fish but rather for Newton Minow, head of the Federal Communications Commission in 1961. He called television "America's vast wasteland".

• The name "Ginger Grant" is believed to be taken from two stars of Hollywood's Golden Era, Ginger Rogers and Cary Grant.

With just three performances remaining, you have little time to make sure you get a chance to bust a gut watching Gilligan and his band of castaways. Get your tickets today by calling the DPRCA Box Office at (701) 947-2174 or reserving online at http://www.dprca.com.