Review: THE BELLE OF TOMBSTONE at The Gaslight Theatre

THE BELLE OF TOMBSTONE, the newest offering at The Gaslight Theatre, is a resplendent musical about courage, love, and the Old West! Written by Peter VanSlyke and adapted and directed by Katherine Byrnes & Mike Yarema, this classic melodrama fits snugly into Tucson's Southwestern culture. The staging by Byrnes and Yarema is mile-a-minute fast, which is also how fast the jokes fly. My favorite thing about The Gaslight Theatre is its unpredictability; you never really get the same show twice. This is because actors will often ad lib and improvise (within reason) and feed off the audience. My daughter enjoyed the moments of audience interaction. This is the perfect example of what makes these shows so entertaining.

Josh Lamoreaux excellently manages the 3-piece Gaslight band and achieves a balanced sound from the singers. Some of the actors in this cast are triple threats. Some of the actors are less strong at singing but make up for this with full-throttle enthusiastic performances that pull the audience into the story. This is also the first time my son was able to sit through the entire 2-hour show (including the Olio) without the assistance of Paw Patrol. That definitely speaks to the entertainment value of this production! Katherine Byrnes injects the show with high-octane western choreography. The dancing in THE BELLE OF TOMBSTONE looks like a lot of fun.

Heather Stricker plays the title role in this story. Her dazzling voice is front and center and is easily a vocal highlight. Beyond that, Stricker is very entertaining to watch and her character is kind and personable. Stricker also leads many of the dance numbers and possesses clear skills. Mike Yarema is the evil Jack Diamond. Personally I found this villain to be more by-the-book, but I enjoyed Yarema's charisma and humor as always. I loved his rendition of "Ring of Fire." Todd Thompson commands the stage as the villainous Johnny Ringo, both vocally and physically. There were more villains in this production, which I appreciated.  

Tyler Wright is fantastic as Marshall Ned Wingate. His comedic timing is impeccable and his facial expressions are hilarious. Wright is also front and center during dance numbers and dazzles with his vocals. I particularly enjoyed the duet "Arizona Moon." Kelly Coates is delightful as Patsy and has great chemistry with her fellow actors. Her Marilyn Monroe during the Olio was marvelous. This cast of actors is particularly strong and there are many great gags created by each character.

Samantha Cormier is quirky and comedic as Clementine, who is looking to strike it rich in the West. Cormier has a magnetic personality and charisma a mile wide. She wins over every audience she plays in front of. Janée Page is one of the finest singers to grace the Gaslight Theatre stage. I enjoyed her work as Loretta. Jacob Brown as Curley Bill and Jake Chapman as San Pecos Sam round out the cast as two goofy cowboys who like to cause a ruckus.

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