Two riders fire their six-shooters into the sky, the horses' hooves pounding the ground as the American and Texas flags stream across the wind. The 36th season of the epic production is a must-see event. The outdoor musical has attracted more than 3 million visitors from throughout the world. Eighty singers and dancers take you back to the Old West and bring you the story behind the struggles of Panhandle pioneers and their challenge to tame the Texas High Plains. The script remains consistent each year, carrying on the production's original intent of preserving the Panhandle's heritage.
Spectacular lighting is a prominent part of the play.
More than 500 individual lighting instruments illuminate the stage and flood the canyon walls. Ten speaker locations, in concert with the canyon's natural acoustical properties, take a sudden thunderstorm and the grand finale off the stage and into reality. Smoke, lighting and pyrotechnics capture the blazing beauty of a prairie fire. Even Uncle Henry's dream sequence transfers the audience into the action. The musical drama reaches into the past to reveal early settlers' struggles, strengths, celebrations, burials and politics of the day.