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THE GAWNES
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The Gawnes
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THE GAWNES
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THE GAWNES
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The Gawnes
Words by Dennis Begin
The performing arts in Tucson, Arizona, is fortunate to have a number of excellent theatres, but it is the Gaslight Theatre that has a unique approach to draw an audience. Gaslight is known for its parodies, melodramas and musical comedies over the past forty-one years.
A melodrama is a play interspersed with songs and music with exaggerated characters for comic relief. A parody is an imitation of an individual or genre that produces comedy. Both generate musical comedies, be they westerns, science fiction, historical characters or events. Musical comedies are often associated with movies or individual characters made famous in Hollywood movies. The music is typical of the '50s to '70s songs, backed by a three-piece ensemble. Some of the musicals produced are The Phantom of the Opera, Space Wars, The Lone Stranger, Back to the Past, the Three Musketeers and 007.
The Gaslight Theatre has a family-friendly atmosphere with simple storylines, clean jokes, and continuous audience participation. The humour could be described as tongue-in-cheek, slapstick, play-on-words and bad puns resulting in groans or guffaws. The audience is encouraged to "boo" or "hiss" at the bad characters and "cheer" for the good characters. The actors even wander into the audience, making ad-libs comments and singing.
The Gaslight is about the closest thing to dinner theatre as Tucson has. There are 72 tables, sitting 215 patrons. The menu is American comfort food including pizza, salads, hot wings, ice cream along with beer, wine, and sodas. Popcorn is free. The food comes from Little Anthony's Diner, a '50s decorated restaurant, popular in the American Southwest. This restaurant is adjacent to the theatre and is owned by the Gaslight Theatre. In addition, once a month the restaurant sponsors a classic car show in the parking lot.
The Gaslight Theatre started out as an idea in 1977, when Tony Terry Jr., a student at the University of Arizona, started his own theatre company with 17 members. They took their show to Alaska but returned to Tucson when winter arrived. Over the years the Gaslight Theatre has performed in various locations and settled in its present site, near the corner of Broadway and Kolb in 1990. As for the name Gaslight, it originated with the original gas lights that permitted shows in the evenings. The theatre is cozy and is decorated in a Western theme. The walls are filled with photos of previous shows/actors who have performed over the years. Currently, the most famous actor to perform at Gaslight was Jack Wagner, who has starred on Days of Our Lives.
Do not confuse the Gaslight Theatre with the Gaslight Music Hall. Although the music hall is also owned by Tony Terry Jr., this building serves largely as a concert hall and is located in the Oro Valley on N. Oracle Road. Some of the concerts have been tribute bands featuring John Denver, the Eagles, and the British Invasion. The music hall has also been booked for dances, murder mystery shows, magic shows, concerts, and school reunions.
My wife and I enjoyed The Belle of Tombstone. The town of Tombstone, Arizona is primarily known for the Shootout at the O.K. Corral on October 26, 1881 and thus the writer and director Peter Van Slyke has written a spoof on a western theme of good vs. bad. The notorious cowboys of Tombstone were responsible for bar room brawls, stagecoach robberies, and street gunfights. Heather Stricker plays Belle, owner of the Silver Dollar Saloon, who along with Territorial Marshal Ned Wingate tries to bring peace and justice to Tombstone. When silver is discovered in Tombstone, the evil Jack Diamond tries to steal the claim of Frank the bartender. At the same time, Wingate is determined to "…clean up Tombstone" and confronts the evil Ringo. This melodrama would not be complete without a romantic interlude between several characters.
Heather Stricker went to high school in Tucson, graduated from the University of Arizona and studied opera and classical flute. She has performed with the touring Broadway show Camelot, as a USO Girl in support of American troops and backup singer for Barry Manilow, just to mention a few of her many accomplishments. At the Gateway Theatre she not only performs but serves as Co-General Manager and Media Contact. Although Heather is one of the major characters in the musical, all the actors are very talented and share the stage equally. Many of the actors, technicians, and musicians have been at Gaslight for years if not decades. It is obvious that the actors enjoy their roles and love to ad-lib and enjoy a good laugh while performing.
The final act is a musical tribute to the Grand Ol' Opry Olio. The entire Tombstone cast features the songs of Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Porter Wagner, and Minnie Pearl, along with the dry humour of Homer and Jethro.
The Gaslight Theatre operates seven days a week. Mondays feature a Family Concert Series, hosting many tribute bands. The remaining six nights are reserved for the featured performance with multiple shows on the weekend. Christmas is always the busiest period of the year. Since sellouts are common, it is essential that you make RESERVATIONS.
The Gaslight Theatre
7010 E Broadway
Tucson, Arizona 85710
(520) 886-9428
Past Shows
Back to the Past – April 4th, 2019
Upcoming Shows
Space Trek – June 6th, 2019