‘Urban Cowboy’ rides into State Theatre”Urban Cowboy – The Musical,” the stage version of the 1980 Paramount release “Urban Cowboy” starring John Travolta and Debra Winger, will be performed at the State Theatre Center for the Arts in historic downtown Uniontown – for one night only – Sunday at 7 p.m.
Presented by Windwood Theatricals of New York and Paris, the show is a romance about the disappearing old west and the trials and tribulations of main characters, cowboy Bud Davis and cowgirl Sissy. So put on your favorite pair of cowboy boots and hurry on down to Gilley’s Bar – the biggest saloon in Houston, Texas, – where the girls are pretty, the guys are handsome and the music, the best that country Western has to offer, is meant for dancing. Gilley’s is an actual dance club owned and operated by Country music artist Mickey Gilley in Dallas, Texas.
As one reviewer put it, the story takes place on a “gritty landscape of oil fields, trailer parks and a sawdust-covered dance floor where nights come alive in a sea of booze, brawls, babes” accented by some of the best foot-stomping music around.
“The name itself is a draw,” said Marty Schiff, executive director of the State Theatre. “The movie was a big hit, so we felt this would bring in the crowd.”
The movie offers a glimpse into the life of a cowboy who has difficulty proving his manhood in a world that no longer revolved around roping, riding and rodeos.
As the Houston, Texas, landscape was changing, bull riding – the way many cowboys proved their masculinity – had become an indoor sport.
“Yes,” Schiff said, “It’s a musical based on a mechanical bull. And the mechanical bull is the star.”
But for Schiff it was more than that.
“This musical appeals to the generation (of people) who support the State,” he said.
“Urban Cowboy – The Musical” is based on a magazine article about Texas nightlife written by Aaron Latham. On Broadway during the 2003 season, it was nominated for Tonys in two categories: best choreography and best original score.
“I think it will surprise everyone how many hit songs actually came from this,” Schiff said.
Well-known artists like Ronny Dunn, Shania Twain, Clint Black, Charlie Daniels and the Charlie Daniels Band, Toby Keith, Willie Nelson, Travis Tritt and Waylon Jennings dot the musical credits.
The list of well-known hit songs that came from this production includes: “Devil Went Down to Georgia”; “Lookin’ for Love in all the Wrong Places”; “Mamas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow up to be Cowboys”; “Boot Scootin’ Boogie”; “Friends in Low Places”;
“Could I Have This Dance for the Rest of my Life”; “Take This Job and Shove it”; and “Beer for my Horses, Whiskey for My Men.”
“It’s going to be a great evening out,” concluded Schiff.
For more information or for tickets for “Urban Cowboy The Musical” contact the box office at the State Theatre Center for the Arts at 724-439-1360 or visit the theater online at www.statetheatre.info/office.
Tickets may be charged by phone to any of four major credit cards; ordered by mail; or purchased in person at the box office, 27 E. Main St., Uniontown, Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. All ticket sales are final and a $2 service charge per ticket applies to all orders.