In the musical Gone To Texas we meet the legendary characters of William Barret Travis, James Bowie, and Davy Crockett, three giants whose destinies miraculously brought them together at the Alamo, one of the most famous moments in Texas, if not world, history. Tried and experienced, although beaten down by a disheartening political defeat in Tennessee, Davy Crockett, the fiddler, comes to the Alamo where he plays the beloved and witty compromiser between Travis and Bowie. The egotistical young firebrand William Travis' desire for power and prestige clashes with the veteran frontiersman James Bowie, an angry man who has lost his beloved Mexican wife to the plague. Their struggle for power threatens the solidarity of the men at the Alamo until Bowie falls ill and twenty-six year old Travis must take sole command. For thirteen days Travis and his men hold out against sustained bombardment. Travis sends several messengers out from the Alamo to attempt to gain reinforcements from other Texans, but only one small, yet heroic, band of men from Gonzales respond to the call.
The stories of other historical characters are also spun within the primary story of the siege. Almeron Dickenson and his young wife Susannah befriend Gregorio and Anita Esparza. The Dickenson's represent the tough choice a family had to make in choosing to fight for Texas independence, but the Esparza's represent the even more difficult decision that a Mexican family had to make in choosing to fight for Texas. Even worse, Gregorio must fight against his own brother Francisco, who serves in Santa Anna's army. Susannah and Anita refuse to leave their husbands when Travis draws the famous line in the sand.
Jake and Mose symbolize the everyday men who achieved immortal heroic status by their simple decision to stay on at the Alamo. Mose had been lured to Texas by Jake's wild-eyed stories of fish-filled streams and potatoes so big it would take a horse and a wagon to get one home from the fields. A host of other characters from the arrogant Santa Anna to the heroic Juan Seguin fill out the robust cast. Near the end Travis delivers his stirring speech to rally the spirits of his men before he draws the line that symbolizes certain death for those who cross it. With a unanimous vote for death, Travis sends one last messenger from the Alamo carrying the final letters of the men.
The music and lyrics represent the pathos, the excitement, and the cultures of the various peoples caught up in the war. Frenchy the trapper, McGregor the Scot, Tenorio the Hispanic, and the ensemble of Texas Gals who populate the cantina all bring their unique voices to this score of twenty-three songs. Gone To Texas delivers a uniquely entertaining history lesson that will thrill an audience and send them humming a song on their way out of the theatre.
web site by: Celeste Masinter
