‘The Trail to Oregon!’ musical comes to Ripon College

Get ready for a comedic journey across the frontier as “The Trail to Oregon!” runs Wednesday through Saturday at the Benstead Theatre in the C.J. Rodman Center for the Performing Arts at Ripon College. Shows take place each night at 7:30 p.m.

This audience-interactive musical comedy features music and lyrics by Jeff Blim, with a book by Nick Lang, Matt Lang, Brian Holden, and Jeff Blim, and arrangements by Clark Baxtresser and Pierce Siebers.

Originally produced by StarKid Productions, “The Trail to Oregon!” is a parody inspired by the classic educational computer game.

Audiences will follow a dysfunctional family on their perilous journey westward, encountering ridiculous obstacles, bizarre characters and plenty of laughs along the way — but at its heart, it’s a story about fierce love and family doing everything they can to protect one another.

For director Jessie Lillis ’13, bringing this show to the Ripon College stage was an easy choice.

“This show is something of a cult favorite,” she said. “It’s from a relatively small production company with a really active fanbase, so I love getting to give the students a fun, unexpected challenge while also supporting other independent artists through licensing their work.”

Lillis thinks a lot of theatre-goers will have a personal connection to the source material.

“I have a deep nostalgia for the Oregon Trail computer game like so many others, which the show is inspired by and very loosely based on, so it’s a treat to feel like I’m reliving some of my childhood,” she said.

The production also offers something Lillis noted is rarely found in more traditional musical theatre.

“This show gives students opportunities to stretch their improvisation muscles, which isn’t something we get to see a lot in more traditional shows,” she said.

Lillis is especially excited to introduce Ripon audiences to this one-of-a-kind theatrical experience.

“This show is probably quite unlike other shows that audiences might have seen, and I love getting to bring new kinds of plays to audiences,” she said. “The show is playful, bawdy and subversive, but at its core, it’s a story about a family who loves fiercely and is doing their level best to protect each other — and I think we can all benefit from a little camaraderie and togetherness.”

A hallmark of “The Trail to Oregon!” is its interactive elements, which put the audience directly in the driver’s seat.

“The audience will have the opportunity to name the members of their wagon party, just like you can in the original game,” Lillis said. “There are a few other places where the actors will ask for input from the audience and they’ll be able to dictate the direction the story goes. No two shows will ever be the same.”

The runtime is approximately 2 hours and 10 minutes, which includes a 10-minute intermission.

“The Trail to Oregon!” contains adult content and themes, including sexual references and coarse language that may not be suitable for children. Audience discretion is advised. The west vestibule entrance of the C.J. Rodman Center for the Arts will be open for performances despite construction.