Bonnie and Clyde: A Musical Comedy
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Past Shows
The Show
In this musical comedy set in 1870s Texas, an army officer stands between an outlaw family and vigilantes, while a wronged woman seeks her own brand of twisted justice. With a live band!
About the Sutton-Taylor Feud
After the Civil War, federal troops occupied Texas, while outlaw bands and vigilante groups fought over land, cattle and water. Blood feuds were common, and the longest and bloodiest was the Sutton-Taylor feud.
Farmers and townspeople in around Dewitt County were forced to take sides. Robberies, jailbreaks, ambushes and shoot-outs were frequent. Finally, in the town of Clinton, Texas, a peace treaty between the warring parties was signed.
Cast and Ensemble
The cast features Megan Ortiz, Phil Rodriguez, Taylor Baker, Dan Dalbout, Josh Meindertsma, Heath Allyn and Creighton Moench. The band includes John Cecil, Gabe Ceballos, Chris La Cava, and Jonathan Hoyle.
This project is supported in part by the Texas Commission on the Arts.
Recent and Touring Shows
For info and videos about Texas Comedies touring shows, please see www.texascomedies.com
RED SCARE
Sex educators, pinko folkies and foreign spies are rooted out in this rampaging, red-baiting, 1950s musical farce. Based on the book, “Red Scare!” by Don Carleton.
Photos by Greg Risley
PROHIBITION
February 23 – Mar 4th, 2017: Thurs, Fri & Sat at 8 PM
DAC Theater 1110 Barton Springs Rd, Austin, Texas
Set in Austin, Texas on the eve of Prohibition and World War I, this production from Texas Comedies/Crank Collective follows the feud between the “Drys” and the “Wets.” Features forbidden love, war, Temperancers and a live band.
MURDERS & MOONTOWERS
photos by www.johnlangford.com
In the 1880s, Austin was in the grip of crime, corruption and mayhem. Seven women were murdered over the course of one year, overwhelming the fledgling police force. The crime spree led to hysteria, vigilante justice, and construction of the “Moontowers.”
THE TRUE STORY OF BONNIE & CLYDE
In the ‘30s, the newspapers loved Bonnie and Clyde. Reporters called them everything from bloodthirsty killers to modern-day Robin Hoods. Whether heroes or villains, their iconic images sold millions of newspapers to a fascinated public. The True Story of Bonnie and Clyde explores the mix of fact and fiction in 1930s journalism that landed Bonnie and Clyde on the front pages of national newspapers.
The next installment of the Texas History Musicals, The True Story of Bonnie and Clyde–a one-hour musical created by John Cecil–tells an action-packed tale of crime and passion taken straight from newspaper reports of the 1930s. The production, which features a live band, is based on two Dallas reporters who pursue the story of the Barrow Gang and achieve flickering fame of their own. Hell-bent on selling papers, the two reporters come perilously close to the real Bonnie and Clyde. And, as the title of the opening song states, “Most of This is True.”
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BOOMTOWN
A rowdy one-hour musical comedy about how Borger, Texas became the most lawless town in America
In the 1920s, wildcat oil strikes, sudden wealth and the 18th heroes, villains, and lawless new townships. The most notorious of these unruly cities was the panhandle town of Borger, Texas–which director John Cecil uses as the setting for his newest musical comedy, Boomtown.
Boomtown follows the life of land promoter Asa “Ace” Borger, who seizes an opportunity to capitalize on oil strikes in the Texas Panhandle. Making a million dollars in a single day selling land, lumber, and political offices, Borger saw the population of his town boom at a staggering rate. With the notorious “Two-Gun” Dick Herwig installed as sheriff, the small city became overrun with dancehalls, bootleg liquor joints, gambling and armed robbery. The city was ultimately pacified with martial law, the Texas Rangers and the National Guard. As the final part of the Texas History Musical series, Boomtown is an hour-long musical comedy with a live band.
Montage of TV KEYE morning show spots
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ALAMO AFTERMATH
City Theatre, Austin, Texas. November 7th – 16th, 2013.
Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 8 PM.
After the Alamo fell, the Texas army under Sam Houston retreated, leaving behind charred settlements and a mob of evacuating civilians. Heroes and villains of every background emerged in this “Runaway Scrape,” ending the battle with a victory for Texas at San Jacinto. Crank Collective, under the direction of John Cecil, tells this incredible story in a one-hour operetta featuring drama, comedy, battle scenes and music with a live band.
CABEZA DE VACA
WHEN: 8 pm, April 2013
WHERE: Rollins Studio Theatre at the Long Center for the Performing Arts, 701 W Riverside
AUSTIN, Texas—As the first of two Texas history operettas, Crank Collective presents Cabeza de Vaca: Shipwrecked in Texas— a musical tribute to the extraordinary journey of Cabeza de Vaca, the 16th century Spanish Explorer who shipwrecked on Galveston island in 1527 and struggled to survive in a Native American land. Cabeza de Vaca survived as a slave, a trader and a medicine man, lived on cactus, roots and raw meat, and mysteriously learned to heal the sick and raise the dead.
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Texas Comedies creates musical comedies about famous – and infamous – events in Texas. We’ve done shows about the Texas Revolution, Spanish explorers, Bonnie & Clyde, the border patrol, and oil boomtowns. We’re always looking for new ideas: events in your Texas town or county to turn into an entertaining one-hour show with a live band.
The Feud 