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Tall Tales of the Wild West

Annie has always wanted to be a cowgirl,to ride the range, rope cattle, and gather around the campfire spinning yarns. Problem is, she can’t rope, she falls off her horse, and she’s become the laughing stock of all of the other cowpokes. But she can tell a great story . . . .

Like the one about that rascally character Pecos Bill. When Pecos Bill’s parents decide to move their family from Bill’s beloved Texas to the less crowded California, infant Bill revolts, jumping off the family’s wagon to stay behind. He is soon adopted by a family of coyotes, who raise him to be one of their own. However, a chance encounter with a cowboy inspires Bill to set out on a long journey to join the Rough Ridin’ gang,the roughest, toughest gang of cowboys in all of Texas. Joined along the way by a snake lasso and a mountain lion horse, the coyote cowboy Pecos Bill overcomes the Rough Ridin’ gang, and becomes the greatest cowboy in all of Texas.

Next Annie tells us of the lovable giant Paul Bunyon. Young Paul, having grown to be twenty-two feet tall, decides to leave his family and head west. Along the way he befriends Babe, the giant blue ox, and together they become the best lumberjacks that ever lived. As their fame grows, Paul and Babe receive a request from President Teddy Roosevelt to clear the massive forests of the Dakotas. The huge feat is easily accomplished with some hard work, and a little help from the audience. Next, Paul must float all the chopped down trees down the river to the mill. Little does he know the river he is traveling on is round, and he travels in circles for weeks. Not to worry though, Paul just uses his incredible strength to pull the river straight!

Finally we meet the famous keelboat driver, Annie Christmas. After years of poling her keelboat up and down the Mississippi river, Annie decides to retire in style by making one last trip down the river. She won’t be making her last trip on her worn out keelboat—she books passage on a fancy new steamboat. When the stubborn captain runs the boat aground, however, Annie Christmas comes to the rescue, loading the passangers on her tiny keelboat, and poling them to safety.

Full of audience participation, colorful costumes, and silliness galore, Tall Tales of the Wild West is a guaranteed good time for young and old alike. Audience members will leave not only with a newfound appreciation for a truly American form of storytelling, but also with the inspiration to go out and overcome their own impossible obstacles.

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