By
Vanessa Francis
Arizona Daily Wildcat
'Buckaroos on Broadway' now showing at the Hidden
Seeing as how Tucson is a desert town with tumbleweed and cactuses, it is quite possibly the ideal setting for a Western.
University of Arizona graduate Carol Calkins agrees.
Calkin, writer and producer of "Buckaroos on Broadway," said she wanted to incorporate the music of notable Broadway Westerns into her show.
"It was so easy to write because these were the songs I grew up with and sang along with in the first grade," Calkins said. "Plus, there were so many to choose from, I could write two to three more plays using the same theme and type of songs."
Formatted in the style of a dinner theater play, "Buckaroos on Broadway" features 30 songs from shows like "Girl Crazy," "Annie Get Your Gun," "Oklahoma!" and "Destry Rides Again."
Like Calkins, UA theater arts assistant professor and director Marsha Bagwell said she had a personal connection with the music, which was why she was drawn to the show.
"These are songs I grew up with," she said. "It's like a historical trip for me."
Bagwell, however, said the revue format of the play proved to be more challenging to direct than a traditional Broadway show or book show.
"In a book show, there is this invisible fourth wall where the actors are supposed to pretend the audience isn't there," she said.
While it may have presented difficulties for the direction of the play, musical theater senior Marlene Montes said the dinner theater format provides a casual environment not found in traditional theater.
"I like the dinner theater style because it's really interactive and allows the audience to participate," Montes said. "(The audience) cheers longer, and people are eating and drinking. It's good for all ages."
"Buckaroos on Broadway" utilizes a play-within-a-play narrative to further break down the boundary between audience and performer. The performers are playing actors who are preparing for a show, when one character, Hank, does not show-up to perform.
A waiter within the audience, Will - played by UA senior dance major Drew Humphrey - is brought onto the stage as a last minute replacement. Prior to his entrance, Will is assumed to be just a waiter and not one of the performers.
"(This plot device) is inspired by the story line of (the musical) '42nd Street' where the character pleads with the actors to not cancel the show, since the audience members are such nice people," Calkins said.
This format also allowed for the inclusion of historical information about the songs.
"We (the characters) will discuss the play 'Annie Get your Gun' and then begin to sing the songs from it," Bagwell said.
"Buckaroos on Broadway," which is set at the Crystal Palace Saloon in a fictional Western town, originally ran last summer at the Hidden Valley Inn, 4825 N. Sabino Canyon Rd. The venue requested the play be renewed for the winter months to accommodate out-of-town visitors.
Calkins said Western-themed musicals have always been popular, though, because they contain elements of danger and excitement.
"People are fascinated with the Wild West in America, and the plays involve strong themes of hope and inspiration, which is probably why 'Oklahoma!' was popular during WWII," she said.
