Brady Bunch versus the Partridge Family — The Wolfpack Theatre Company pulls out all the punches in mash-up comedy

With a comedic mash-up of campy ’70s sitcom parody and the tangled, sometimes bloody, works of Shakespeare, the Wolfpack Theatre Company presents “The Bardy Bunch: The War of the Families Partridge and Brady” March 17, 18 and 20. 

In the summer of 1974, the sitcom-perfect “Sunshine Days” were about to come to an end for the Partridges and the Bradys. Desperate after receiving their cancellation notice from the network, the two clans meet for the first time after being double-booked for the same cabaret.  Emotions spike and a feud between the families immediately erupts.   Amid a fight-to-the-finish sing off Keith Partridge and Marcia Brady make an instant “Romeo and Juliet” connection and passionately fall in love at first sight. 

Later that night, Keith and Marcia secretly meet and hatch a plan to bring peace to the warring families by convincing Greg Brady and Laurie Partridge that they are secretly in love with each other in a “Much Ado about Nothing” fashion.  And thus begins the numerous plot references and iconic lines that are drawn from Shakespearean classics. 

“The play is very faithful to the characters and plot lines of both the Brady Bunch and the Partridge Family television shows,” Glacier High School teacher and Director Chris Adamcyk said.  “It’s a comedy in the genre of the ’70s sitcom variety, but the action also gets a little bloody in a nod to the ‘Bard’ in ‘The Bardy Bunch.’” 

“It’ll be interesting to see if the audience picks up on all of the Shakespearean allusions,” he said. 

In true Shakespearean style, the body count grows as the musical weaves together the tragic and romantic storylines of 12 Shakespearean classics with the corny jokes and iconic songs of the Partridge family and the Brady’s including “Time to Change,” "It's a Sunshine Day" and "I Woke Up in Love This Morning." 

“The music is all from songs that the Partridge Family and the Brady Bunch performed back in the 1970s.  You may be familiar with Partridge's hit “I Think I Love You,” it was a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in November 1970,” said Adamcyk.  

Conceived by playwright Stephen Garvey, “The Bardy Bunch” premiered in 2011 at the New York International Fringe Festival, where it won an Overall Excellence Award for Outstanding Ensemble. It went on to play a sold-out Off-Broadway run in 2014.  

“Stephen Garvey is a childhood friend of mine. We grew up together and I can remember putting on versions of the movies that were popular at the time like ‘The Omen’ and ‘Jaws.’  And of course, we loved the Brady Bunch and would come over to each other’s houses after school and watch reruns on a daily basis. My family went to see ‘The Bardy Bunch’ during the off-Broadway run and Steve and I have been talking about doing it here ever since,” Adamcyk said.  “When a publishing company purchased the rights and started to market it to high school theaters, I just couldn’t delay any longer.” 

The cast of “The Bardy Bunch” includes: Theron Wilton, Rachel Brannan, Jackson Presley, Ben Weddle, Autumn Bashara, Sophie Johnson, Myla Lamson, Emma Presley, Grace Miller, Lincoln Shumard, Bosley Wakefield, Anda Wahl, Isabelle McKoy, Zach Nases, Megan Mikelson, Fenyx Colby, Hilda Weber, Sophya Allred, Scarlett Johnson and Trevor Hammer. 

Supporting the cast behind the scenes is the stage and technical crew.  The crew includes Stage Manager Parker Scherer, Abigail Haley, Naemi Creighton, Brett Pilon, Brennen Anderson, Bridget Reed, Lilly Miller, Gaia Giovannelli, Peyton McCoy & Aubrey Hardwick, Eric Haley, Micah Pichardo, Christina Eddins and Courtney West. 

Performances start at 6:33 in the Wolfpack Theatre at Glacier located at 375 Wolfpack Way in Kalispell. 

Ticket prices are $12 for adults and $10 for children, students and senior citizens. Tickets may be purchased online at GoFan.co, at Photo Video Plus located at 284 Fourth Ave. W. and at the door.