Five Lesbians, Three of them Mothers, Two of Their Mothers and Me ...

[mrdreamjeans]

I'm still jazzed about Sunday's excursion to Galveston Island to see the latest installment of the Tuna, Texas comedies ... Tuna Does Vegas. It was a fun group of folks who shared a delightful dinner at De Bello's, a longtime family-owned Italian eatery on the island. Rules were showcased in the menu, the list included, "Reservations will only be held for 15 minutes" and "We only accept cash". Casey and I shared a Combination Plate with large portions of Eggplant Parmesan, Lasagna, Italian Sausage and Penne Pasta in Marinara sauce. I'm glad we split the entree. It really would have been too much for one person. Our group included two Lesbian couples, two of the womens' mothers, Casey and myself. We were seated next to a table of eight women; everyone decided it was fun to make Neil blush:)

After dinner, we headed to the 1894 Grand Opera House to see the production. It's written by the two actors and director of the piece and stars once again Joe Sears and Jayston Williams.


Joe Sears as Aunt Pearl and Jayston Williams as Vera Carp

The show revisits the delightful residents of Tuna, Texas, who through a series of quirky events wind up in Las Vegas. Tuna Does Texas had its world premiere on August 4. The show delivers a high quotient of belly laughs, but still needs work. The second act has some dead spots and some missed opportunities. One wishes they would show Aunt Pearl getting a massage or Ineda Goodwin and Helen Bedd as show girls, instead of talking about it.. It also didn't help that a lot of sure laughs were missed when Joe Sears went up on his lines several times. I'm certain that my minor beefs with the performance will be worked out in the coming weeks. It's a lot of material and I know I couldn't pull off such an amazing feat of memorization, timing and multiple personalities. It has a kick-ass ending. Tuna Does Texas will be a huge hit once it hits its stride.


Photos by Brenda Ladd Photography

The good times continued this morning when I met bootedintexas for the first time. Meeting lowfat_muffin's twin was quite fun. It felt like I was looking into a fun house mirror ... seeing and hearing a reflection similar and very different at the same time. Drew and I talked about a wide variety of topics and I didn't realize until later that I was the first LJ friend he had met in person. I really enjoyed the chat and am very happy to know both Bob and Drew. Many of you SF folks will have a chance to celebrate their 40th birthday next month. A big thanks to Drew for buying lunch!

Comments

[gryphons-hole.livejournal.com]

I love Tuna, Texas!

I got to see A Tuna Christmas while living in Phoenix. And have that and Greater Tuna on tape...

The characters are simply killer.

I love Ms. Dee Dee Schively!

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

She has a romance in this one!!!

[gryphons-hole.livejournal.com]

Well, why not? That damned no good RR went and ran off with the aliens...

[rafdfw.livejournal.com]

I saw them open "Red White and Tuna" at the Opera House in either 98 or 99. I was surprised that they were doing another one, but glad at the same time.

Drew is a nice guy...I briefly met him at Houston Pride in June, and hopefully I can get back down there again soon so I can lunch with him as well. :)

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

Red, White & Tuna is the only one I haven't seen. I hope to catch it along the way. The material is seldom performed by anyone else, so with the new show, it may be awhile before I get my opportunity.

[notdefined.livejournal.com]

I saw my first installment of Tuna, Texas in Baltimore several years ago. I believe it was A Tuna 4th of July. The word I remember the most: TANGY.

The last one I saw was Tuna Christmas here in San Francisco. I wish that they would come back.

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

"A Tuna Christmas" has become their signature piece. I've seen it several times and could see it again anytime!

[rnathanwhite.livejournal.com]

Sounds like a lot of fun! I'd love to see it. I've never seen a stage production of any of the Tuna shows.

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

They are loads of campy fun! You might check for dates in Dallas. I know they are playing Austin October 23-28.

[ruralrob.livejournal.com]

You slightly shy? Are we sure about that?

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

I can be very shy, but hardly anyone believes me:) By the timeI finally motivate myself to be out among folks, I'm usually in a chatty mood. More often than not .. and particularly if it isn't an small group or one to one, I opt out. It's why I started taking photos ... I could hide behind the camera at parties and observe everyone else:)

[bearhedded.livejournal.com]

It's nice to hear there's another installment, and kinda surprising, too! Allen Galli used to work with Joe and Jayston (or maybe they went to school together?) in Houston, (I think), and he told me they weren't even speaking to one another, anymore! Just show up at the theatre, do the show, and leave! Of course this was quite a while ago.....

I asked if they were a couple, and he said he didn't know, and had never thought of that, in a "hmmmmmm, maybe THAT'S it!", sort of tone......!

Got to see "A Tuna Christmas", and "Red, White, and Tuna", with them on tour....and their stage manager kept promising a bunch of tickets that never appeared, to a bunch of folks at Spags (to give an idea of the date), but I don't remember which show it was for......It was at the Paramount, and they're on the lean side of freebies....

There was a local production of "Greater Tuna", at the Velvet Elvis, too. Andrew Tasakos (sp?) was one of the culprits, but I don't remember the other one's name...I liked them both....

Did you notice if Linda Fisher did the costumes, again?

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

I met Joe backstage following a performance of "A Tuna Christmas" some years ago and I know he's "family". Haven't met Jayston, but I think it could be possible that they were partners at some point. Jayston also has a one-man show called "Cowboy Stories" in which he tours. Maybe they're just plain tired of each other ...what they do is intense and exhausting:)

Linda FIsher is listed as the costumer for the new show. If you see Allen, please tell him hello from me! They have three other shows: Greater Tuna, A Tuna Christmas and Red, White & Tuna.

Big HUGS!

[spatts5.livejournal.com]

I had the honor and pleasure of performing A TUNA CHRISTMAS at a local community theatre last Christmas. I played Arles and all his characters and the amount of memorization needed scared me to death. It was a great experience and I'm sure TUNA DOES VEGAS is a hoot and a half.

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

Tuna Does Vegas is great fun! Still needs the kinks worked out; and as I said previously, Joe went up a lot in the first act. I know the laughs were there, but for that Sunday night show, weren't there. Of course, as you personally know, the material is a night mare to learn and then to layer character and timing on top of that ... really a challenge. Glad you got the opportunity to shine!

HUGS!