In about 1982, I traveled with a church group from Wichita Falls to Palo Duro Canyon to see TEXAS, the outdoor Musical. Aside from sneaking a kiss from the girl I had a crush on, the trip remains in my mind for two scenes that even today, having seen the play dozens of times, bring a smile and chill to me.
The play TEXAS is set in Palo Duro Canyon and depicts the events of the late 1880s-1890s of the settling of the Panhandle. The play opens with a lone Rider galloping with the Lone Star Flag atop the mesa which is the backdrop of the play. Keep in mind that she is inches away from the edge which is 600 feet or so above the audience. It is a breath-taking site. And since that fateful day in 1982 I have wanted to photograph it from the Riders side of the Rim.
Thats more what it looks like to the audience. While the play is historical fiction, it depicts much of the history and drama that played out in forging the Panhandle of Texas. And you could not ask for a more stunning backdrop than Palo Duro Canyon State Park, which incidentally is the 2nd largest canyon in the USA and is known as the Grand Canyon of Texas.
I was given the honor of working with TEXAS in 2016 and it was one of the greatest thrills of my career. I LOVE performance photography and the Play is world class. If you follow the play, you might have seen call for auditions for this year, the 58th season of the play, making it also one of America’s longest running outdoor plays.
Here is Christy Shippy as she rides to the rim for the opening. This was my first view. To quote Tucker Yelldell, “A cowboy (girl) cuts a mighty romantic figure on a horse.” Mix in the Canyon and a Texas Sunset, well pure magic was about to happen (the photo I opened with).
As long as some one knows how to run their camera, it is almost impossible to get a bad shot.
When you see the horse bolt, you realize he is named perfectly: Flash. Truly an amazing horse and Christy is an amazing rider.
Part of the reason for my newsletter is tickets are now on sale for the summer and this is not something you want to miss. Even if you have seen TEXAS, (have seen it dozens of times) it is something I am going to see yearly and I be you would enjoy it all over again.
Click on any of the photos to go straight to Texas’ website for Tickets. I hope to see you in Palo Duro Canyon this summer!
PS: there will be some Texas photos and stories in my book, MAGIC WINDOW, which is going to hit the mail within the next weeks. Here is a link to get your copy: