"Tuna Does Vegas"

We just got back from Galveston a little while ago..... we went to see Tuna Does Vegas at the Grand Opera House on Galveston's Strand. Anyone who follows the "Tuna" guys knows that they will see a great show.

Joe Sears and Jaston Williams are the two men who do all the characters in their plays. Not only that, but they write their own material for these very funny shows. Their others are "Greater Tuna," "A Tuna Christmas," and "Red, White, and Tuna." So very funny, all of them..... and after you have seen one or two of the plays, you get to know the characters and their personalities. Tonight's show introduced a few new Vegas people, but I don't think those characters will find their way into the other plays. The quick costume changes are amazing, as are the dialects and personalities of each person in the play.... each man does about a dozen different characters during the show, which lasts a little over two hours.

I have to wonder how the Tuna plays work in other cities around the country. Tuna is the name of a fictional small town in Texas, and all of the humor in these plays is very Texas. Greater Tuna was first shown off-Broadway in 1982, and the Tuna plays have been winning awards ever since, so I guess it really doesn't matter which city they're in. As always, when they're at Galveston's Grand theatre, every seat in that vintage venue is sold out.

Tonight was the opening show for Tuna Does Vegas, and as everyone walked into The Grand, they were handed little net bags filled with casino-chip/foil-wrapped chocolates and a pack of playing cards with photos of Joe Sears and Jaston Williams on them...... their characters' photos appear on the Kings, Queens, Jacks, and Jokers of the set.

We love the Tuna guys, and we laughed till we cried, along with the rest of the audience. Makes me want to see "A Tuna Christmas" again this year. We have it on video, but it's always nicer to see them on stage.

One funny thing about tonight's play...... two audience members came to the theatre dressed up Vegas-style. The man wore an Elvis costume, complete with white boots, dark sunglasses and an Elvis wig.... and the lady with him wore a showgirl costume (not very risque, since The Grand is a family theatre). The couple had seats up near the front, and at the end of the show, the Tuna guys saw them in the audience and gave them a good wave.

Great night..... and the Vegas theme of the play makes me want to host a card party here so we can use the Tuna Does Vegas playing cards. But.... one party at a time.... and the Harry Potter Last-Book Party is up first.