Front Street show includes recent Perkins County graduate
Matthew Soper-Wendell, a recent graduate from Perkins County Schools, can be seen performing as Sparky this summer at the Front Street Crystal Palace Revue in Ogallala.
The show, performed at Front Street Steakhouse at 519 E First St., is about life in an old west cattle town in the late 1800s, when cowboys came to Ogallala following the cattle drive from Texas.
The Front Street Crystal Palace Revue, which is now in its 57th year, is the longest running summer stock theater production in Nebraska. This year’s show is directed by Tomas England.
Soper-Wendell had attended the show growing up, and after having friends perform in the past, he decided to give it a shot. He auditioned in March and earned the role of Sparky the cowboy.
He has a background performing in high school theater and speech skits, but this is his first year performing on Front Street.
After a month of rehearsal with the other 23 performers, 14 girls and 10 boys including Soper-Wendell, the shows began. Opening night was Wednesday, June 3, with shows every Wednesday through Saturday This was about a week later than usual due to COVID-19.
Each show begins at 7:15 p.m. with a shootout followed by a show inside Front Street Steakhouse performed by four cowboys, four saloon girls and a pianist. The cast changes, and the show changes with it each night, as Soper-Wendell estimates nearly 70% of the show is improvised.
Soper-Wendell says his favorite song is Sutter’s Mill, which tells about the pioneers’ journey west into America. His favorite skit is the chicken skit, a wacky and wild bit involving two of the actors dressing up as an older couple and ad-libbing some bickering, which tends to get a lot of laughs from the audience.
“I think it is a fun and stress-free environment,” he said, talking about his enjoyment of performing in the Crystal Palace Revue. “It is so much fun and it’s one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had.”
Even though he is not sure where he will take his theater experience in the future, Soper-Wendell plans to audition next year for the show as well.
Through the first month of shows, seating was very limited to comply with state requirements surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, and parties had to be seated at least six feet apart.
Now, the shows are running as normal, Tuesday through Saturday each week until the closing show on Saturday, August 8. Guests are still seated at a distance from other parties, and the cast cannot bring anybody other than family onto the stage, but otherwise the show continues normally.
Tickets for the show have been regularly selling out, so call 308-284-6000 to inquire about reservations and show times. Adult tickets for those over 13 years of age are $15 apiece, tickets for kids age 5-12 are $7, and children ages 4 and under are allowed free entrance.