Exclusive: A Snapshot of Time at Tuacahn

It’s Saturday, July 1, 2023, 6 p.m., 105 degrees Fahrenheit.  Tuacahn Center for the Arts in the red rock wilderness of southern Utah is abuzz with activity, but it feels like any other day in the regional theatre’s summer season, which spans from May to October each year.  With an annual budget of approximately $25 million, it employs more than 300 visiting and local artisans, performers, and staff, not including the countless volunteers. 

Originally built in 1994 against a jaw-dropping backdrop of majestic red cliffs for a tourist-centric show called UTAH!, the outdoor amphitheatre has continued to evolve and develop into a powerhouse producer of professional family-friendly musicals.  The first regional theatre to present TARZAN, more than a decade ago, its current new production of the show features original Broadway star Josh Strickland.  Tuacahn was selected to present a pre-Broadway production of ALADDIN and a pre-West End production of THE PRINCE OF EGYPT, and next year it will be the first regional theatre to present FROZEN. 

The former Tuacahn High School for the Arts and its indoor Hafen Theatre, adjacent to the amphitheatre, is the home of BEAUTIFUL: THE Carole King MUSICAL, which had its second and final preview this afternoon before opening tonight.  It’s a replica of the Broadway production shipped in from Ogunquit Playhouse, and the large team only had two weeks to prepare the sets, costumes, and wigs in a whirlwind process.  In the meantime, other rooms in the building are being utilized to design and hand craft dozens of costumes and wigs from scratch for THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME, which opens July 15 to continue in repertory with CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY and TARZAN (both of which opened in May) on the main stage. 

Next door is a building that houses a dressing room for the child actors with costumes from last night’s performance of CHARLIE hanging on a rack in the back.  In the next room, the cast of HUNCHBACK is hard at work rehearsing “Topsy Turvy.”  An outdoor rehearsal pad will provide an opportunity to practice in a similar environment with the same dimensions as the stage.  It has recently been finished with a roof to keep out the sun; decorative rocks are soon to be added. 

In set construction areas on the other side of the large campus, large bells and other scenic pieces for HUNCHBACK are being completed and waiting for their eventual use next to sets from CHARLIE, which are in storage until the next performance the following week.  Crews arrived this morning for a full switch-out of the CHARLIE set after its previous night’s show, moving in TARZAN’s to prepare for tonight’s performance.  Now the massive LED screens are being configured and readied before the audience arrives. 

Under the stage is a large tunnel for crossing, with storage areas for actors’ water bottles in the wings (vital in the current 100-degree heat).  Beside it is an air-conditioned green room stocked with cold water and sports drinks.  There are dressing rooms for the adult actors and a large area filled with costumes and wigs, the crew already two hours into their work day as they ready the TARZAN items for tonight. 

Behind the performing area and up a hill is a waterfall and pump system that completely floods the stage at the beginning of TARZAN.  Pyrotechnics are being prepared for tonight’s post-show patriotic fireworks in celebration of Independence Day, which will be much longer than the typical fireworks display that accompanies bows at every outdoor performance. 

Down the hill is the stable area where full-time staff take care of horses, a camel, goats, and chickens, often utilized in the shows where possible.  A baby goat for Esmeralda to hold in HUNCHBACK just arrived an hour before and is getting used to her new surroundings.  A horse drawn carriage and working white stretch limousine, both used the night before in CHARLIE, are also parked there. 

Elsewhere, box office and marketing staff are busy in their recently constructed workspaces and ticket office.  Childcare facilities are getting ready to welcome the children of not just audience members but also some of the performers.  In the nearby new Tuacahn Café, with a large adjoining gift shop, cast and crew members of BEAUTIFUL and TARZAN are eating dinner before call time for their evening shows. 

Also built in the last few years is a housing complex for the visiting artists (many of whom have Broadway and national touring company credits), and portions of the old high school will soon be remodeled to become additional apartments.  New parking spots and an additional traffic lane in the lot have been added.  Storage buildings under construction are nearly finished, and a tall concrete staircase running the span of a large hill from storage to amphitheatre was just completed.  Padded seating has been added to the premium section, and up next is the addition of 75 seats to expand the seating capacity on the sides of the theatre. 

Tuacahn is unmistakably growing, both in its physical footprint and in its reputation as a destination for its own brand of distinctive musical theatre.  The star-filled desert sky is the limit for what it can accomplish.  But first there are two shows to put on tonight.  Opening night of BEAUTIFUL at 7:30, followed by TARZAN at 8:45.  And let’s not forget the fireworks. 

For more information about Tuacahn and to purchase tickets, call the box office at 1-800-746-9882 or www.tuacahn.org.

Photo Credit: Tuacahn

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