I am going off of memories when I was very young:\
I remember about three different shows in the Saloon when I was a kid. One of the shows had Mean Murphy; he had the silver cup over his bit off nose. The second was the Carry Nation’s show where she would hack the saloon up with her ax. The third one I remember vaguely. I think that everyone was nervous because the owner was coming, something like that, and she would sit in the box seat above the bar. If you remember any of these Old Guy, please expound on them!
I would have loved to have seen the Medicine Wagon Show!
Wow, a lot to cover here... The first saloon show was the Carry Nation one. For the press preview, thay sold nickle beers, the only time alcohol was ever served at SDC along with bags of peanuts The saloon girls and guys sang "Why do they call them Wild Women" an actual turn of the century song (I used to have the origanal sheet music). Midway through the show there was a lound banging on the door and Cary came marching in with her girls singing
"Away away with Rum by gum
with Rum by gum
with Rum by gum
Away away with Rum by gum
is the song of the temporance union"
She would pull a tourist from the audiance and admonish him for being a drunk.
"Tell all these good people how long it's been sense you woke without your mouth tasting like the bottem of a parrots cage cage"
"...but Jim has seen the light (Cue pinspot on guest) "There it is Jim. That one"
She and her girls would then start smashing the place up
The saloon owner pops up from behind the bar with a spitoon stuck on his head Carry would rench it off
"Thank you my good man. This is just what I need"
"No Carry! Not my new St. Louie mirror!"
She winds up "Stand aside you felonious purvayer of pestulance!"
Crash! Mirror smashed and Carry and her girls lead the audiance back into the sunlight "This joint is Closed"
Mean Murphy (played by Ed Marshal, former rainmaker) came next and lasted several seasons, then the Buffalo Fred and the Buffilo Gals show with his pink and white suit and guns,the knife throwing, rope twirling, song and dance stuff. It was in my opinion the funnyest of all the saloon shows.
Last I heard the man who played Fred was in Oklahoma working with at risk kids I believe.
Dusty Chaps! I couldn't remember his name. There was such a chemistry between him and Tillie - almost like they were smitten with each other outside the saloon show. There's no way they could have had such a chemistry unless they enjoyed each other and their jobs.Oh, and I must mention, Tilly and Dusty are friends of my wife and myself, and did wed a number of year ago and have a whole passel of happy children. A happy ending that explains the chemistry.
More latter!