So, I will instead focus on a distraction…
When I first came to Skagway, I was booked as “showgirl” in a 4 person musical about the history of Skagway and the Gold Rush. It was quite the summer, and I learned a lot about who I am (and am not) that year. Sure, for employment, I wore a cancan skirt, fishnet tights, an feathers in my hair…but my lewd behavior stopped there. Whew.
This isn’t a picture of me, but I suppose it could have been (just imagine someone MUCH shorter). If you want to see a fun cancan picture of me, you’ll have to look me up in Facebook…where a former cast member tagged me with a fun photo 🙂
But this post isn’t about me…
It’s about this gentleman here, Jim Richards:
He has played the lead role in “The Days of ’98 Show with Soapy Smith” for 36 years! And since 300+ performances are done each summer, that is a LOT of shows, folks! Sure, the script changed many times, and the songs have been rewritten, but the male lead has stayed the same. Jim grew to fill the role of this notorious outlaw perfectly, both on and off stage. Need I say any more?
Anyhow…it just seems that there were many shifts occuring in Skagway this summer. Jim retiring, other stores closing, people moving, etc. It’s sort of weird to watch a town shift so dramatically in just a summers’ time.
Hi –
Jim Richards is my uncle. He’s my mom’s brother. I’ve always known that he was a celebrity in Alaska… I wish I had seen him portray Soapy Smith. Our family is not close – at all. Maybe in spirit, but there’s been too much abuse, too much anger, too much time and not enough therapy. After a while, people seem to just get comfortable holding on to the anger. If it were to leave, they have no idea what to replace it with.
Theater, acting, performing are gifts that run strong in our family. It’s a shame that very few of us have the confidence to follow our dreams….
Thanks James Roland Richards IV for having the courage to follow your dreams.
-Tre Gibbs
Hi Tre,
Thanks for dropping me a note. I went to Hawaii a few years back and stopped to visit him and his wonderfully sweet wife at their home: http://livingoutsideofthebox.com/2009/12/21/still-alive/
I tried to do a Youtube search, but couldn’t find a video he had been in (well, I did find this one…but he’s just in the background as the gals do some comedy relief…but this is the stage for you to see, at least! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SZNnKAfirA)
Yes, Jim certainly made a life for himself in Alaska, and now he has a beautiful life in Hawaii, where he seems genuinely happy working away with his hands at building his house (some more)!