Sharon Sparlin: “THE LONE STRANGER”

Legend has it that The Lone Ranger was the only survivor of a group of six Texas Rangers who were ambushed and killed during the pursuit of a band of outlaws led by Bartholomew "Butch" Cavendish. Later, an Indian named Tonto stumbled upon the scene, discovered one of the rangers still alive and nursed him back to health, thus forming a lifelong bond.

The story of The Lone Ranger surfaced in 1933 as a radio show but it was the TV series that aired between 1949-1957 that the character became a common household name.

The Lone Stranger and Tonto at Gaslight Theater

On a recent trip to Tucson, Arizona I had the pleasure of spending some quality time with my grand-daughter. I found myself asking the question “What would an ‘almost’ 70 year old grandmother do with an ‘almost’ 15 year old granddaughter?" My conclusion was dinner and tickets to “The Lone Stranger” at Gaslight Theater. It proved to be a perfect choice.

With my granddaughter at Gaslight Theater

Entering into it’s 35th year, Gaslight Theater productions are hysterically funny musical melodramas. Each one represents a ‘spoof’ on a well-known classic and shows have included such favorites as “The Phantom of the Opera,” and “The Lone Stranger.” Newer comedies have also been introduced such as 2010’s “Space Wars,” 2011’s “Wizard of the Rings,” 2012’s “Back to the Past,” and an upcoming show titled “Spider Guy”. Their productions entertain the young, the old, and everyone in between.

If you are planning on eating at Little Anthony’s, the 50’s diner attached to the Gaslight Theater, you will need to arrive one and a half to two hours prior to show time. We arrived at 6pm and with insufficient time for seating at Little Anthony’s, we opted to order from the theater menu once we were seated.

Our seating assignment was D1 and we had a fantastic view even though it was an end table, 4th row from the stage. This venue is small and intimate, seating under 300. Tables are cafe style with blue and white checkered tablecloths and pre-set with popcorn and a playbill. Popcorn refills are unlimited.

Inside Gaslight Theater

The menu selections in the theater are somewhat limited but all the food is excellent. My granddaughter opted for a medium pepperoni pizza. We should have ordered a small as we had much more than we could eat. Due to the size of the tables, a black wrought iron 3-legged stand was used to elevate the pizza.

Pepperoni pizza at Gaslight Theater

We found the crust to be perfectly cooked. Not too thin, not too thick, but just right with plenty of pepperoni. Simply delicious.

I selected the chicken tenders and fries accompanied with a ranch dressing dip. OMG! The chicken was cooked perfectly. Crisp on the outside, similar to a KFC crispy chicken order, and included 4 tenders plus the fries. We ended up getting a to-go container for both the left over pizza and the chicken.

Chicken Tenders and Fries at Gaslight Theater

The show began right on time as Music Director Linda stepped out from behind a curtain and sat down in front of an old upright piano. She was followed by a drummer and a guitarist. The music produced by these 3 individuals was
outstanding. They played almost non-stop for the entire 2 hours.

Music at Gaslight Theater

The melodrama was titled "The Lone Stranger" and it was simply a HOOT! We laughed through the entire evening.

The interaction between the characters was classic and I especially loved the improvisation of the Tonto character.

Tonto and The Lone Stranger at Gaslight Theater

The creativity of costumes, stage decorations and backdrops was simply classic. From a wooden horse that would rear up to a bonfire on the open plains to a moving stagecoach to an Indian attack including smoke signals and shooting arrows, this show was a classic.