When the West was wild, the glitziest streets in Colorado ran through Leadville, where opera, variety and burlesque lit up Magic City theaters. Theatrical legends Buffalo Bill and Oscar Wilde graced the Tabor Opera House, while revolutionary Susan B. Anthony reached a rough mining audience from a stage atop a bar. Thomas Kemp spared no expense on the risque Black Crook at the Grand Central Theater, complete with a grand waterfall, a trapdoor and dragons. Follow Leadville historian Gretchen Scanlon through these theatrical glory days, from the glamorous productions and stump speeches to the offstage theft and debauchery that kept the drama going even when the curtain fell.
Gretchen Scanlon serves as Executive Director of the Leadville/Lake County Chamber of Commerce, leads tours at the Tabor Opera House and owns Forget-Me-Not Historical and Genealogical Research. Scanlon gives Leadville history talks including "Magic City's Footlights: History of Leadville's Theaters."