60 years of ‘greatest show in the West’

As the musical notes drift over the Badlands backdrop and into the summer night sky, the Medora Musical will herald a milestone with its 2025 season. This year, it celebrates a 60-year tradition of gathering friends and families in the Burning Hills Amphitheatre for a magical evening of entertainment.

A handwritten note in the archives describes the vision for the early Medora Musical: Theodore Roosevelt, fireworks, horses and Western action.

While the performances and the venue have undergone transformations over the decades, that early vision remains.
This year, folks from Medora are giving a welcoming “howdy” for the 60th year.

“We want people in North Dakota to come celebrate with us. We want them to be part of it,” says Randy Hatzenbuhler, CEO of the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation (TRMF).
 

‘We should have a show’
In 1958, Theodore Roosevelt’s 100th birthday was commemorated with an outdoor drama, “Old Four Eyes,” in the Burning Hills Amphitheater, which was carved out of the Burning Gulch by local volunteers, cast members and boys from the Home on the Range. That production continued until 1964.

“And it was successful at first, but it was essentially the same show year after year, and it dwindled after that initial success,” says Kinley Slauter, TRMF entertainment and retail director.

In 1965, businessman Harold Schafer purchased the property from the Marquis de Mores descendants.

“And then he decides, ‘Well, we should have a show,’” Slauter says.

Schafer contracted a production company in March, and the first Medora Musical was held July 1, 1965.

That first show included eight singer-dancers, a host, a couple of variety acts and a group of stuntmen.

“That was sort of drawing on the excitement and action of Western movies, so literally from Hollywood, they hired these stuntmen. Sometimes, when I look at old photos and look at video footage from the ’70s, I think it’s really wonderful that we made it,” Slauter says with a laugh.

Early choreography was limited, as performers had to avoid microphone cords snaking around the stage.

“I can remember a few times in the early years that I worked where, ‘Oh, that wasn't supposed to happen,’” Hatzenbuhler says with a chuckle.

And early attendees remember the wooden plank seating.

“Depending on which end of the plank you sat, sometimes it would feel like your knees were hitting your chin, and sometimes it felt like your feet were barely touching the ground,” Hatzenbuhler says.

The uneven seating was caused by erosion from spring and summer Badlands gulley washers.

Hatzenbuhler remembers shoveling dirt that had washed onto the stage and tamping pea gravel around the seating to stabilize the planks.

“We didn’t care about leveling,” he says with a smile.

“I think the words ‘primitive’ and ‘rustic’ have been used. It’s sort of self-deprecatingly said, I feel like we’re lucky we made it. On the other hand, the magic is that spot, where the show is incredible,” Slauter says.

Hatzenbuhler says the formula for the show hasn’t changed.

“It’s been enhanced, but if you read that original letter, you smile with pride that we’ve stayed true to it,” he says. “That which is rare becomes more valuable over time. I think the Medora Musical is rare.”

The musical’s staying power is a credit to the people involved, Hatzenbuhler says, including Harold Schafer, Rod Tjaden, Slauter and others.

“That is why I think the heart of the show has stayed, because the people who are responsible for the show feel a privilege and a responsibility to Harold’s vision,” Hatzenbuhler says.

Over the years, a single organ was replaced with a live six-piece band providing the instrumentation and wireless microphones allowed for more stage movement.

A 1992 rebuilding of the amphitheater into a renowned facility was the focal point of the creation of the TRMF in 1986.

“In those early days, there was no guarantee it was going to survive. … There was real anxiousness of whether or not Medora would survive, and it was very early determined that the most important thing they could do is get a theater that would be suitable,” Hatzenbuhler says.

The rebuild nearly doubled the stage to 100 feet and replaced the plank seating. The walkway was made more accessible with an escalator, and two elevators have since been added. The set buildings were placed on railroad tracks to open and close, using a vision by an Emmy Award-winning production designer, Renee Logler, and the steel-building abilities of a Dickinson company.

In 2005, a major rebuild of the set created storefronts that connect strongly to historic Medora. And a welcome center now houses a gift shop and shares Medora history with visitors.

The cast has grown to 20 singers and dancers, six horseback riders and six musicians. With crew members and front-of-house workers, about 100 people bring the magic each night.

The cast has ranged from college-aged students to professional talent, some of whom have returned for a decade or more, including a host, Chet Wollan. And cast members come from across the United States to share their talents.

“But our audience sees them as North Dakotans, because while they’re here, they fall in love with the place, so you feel like they’re part of the community,” Hatzenbuhler says. “You really have professional performers who really love Medora.”
 

Badlands are part of the show
With Schafer’s tenacity to “making things work,” attendance in 1965 was 25,000 during the 60 nights of productions. Early photos show people sitting on the hillside, as the seating capacity was probably around 1,000.

Today, the theater seats 2,853, with seasonal attendance averaging 115,000. Shows are June 4 through Sept. 13 every day except Mondays.

For the first few decades, the shows started at 8:30 p.m. MT, but now start at 7:30 p.m. MT. During five nights a year, two shows are held at 5:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.

Those hours are part of the musical’s backdrop.

“Theatrically, it changes things, because it’s lighter. But over the course of the year, it’s kind of magnificent to see the way the show morphs over the season,” Slauter says.

“It’s so beautiful to look out over the Badlands and see the sun setting on the butte,” Hatzenbuhler says.

“We could take the production of the Medora Musical on the road, but it wouldn’t be the Medora Musical if it wasn’t in the Burning Hills,” he says.

Many show attendees return year after year, and sometimes several times in a season for one reason: tradition.

“They grew up coming. They came with their parents. They came on their own. Now they have kids. It’s almost a rite of summer for a lot of people, in North Dakota particularly,” Hatzenbuhler says. “And they wouldn’t keep coming back if they didn’t enjoy it.”

When the chords to “Come Home to North Dakota” or “Medora” echo over the butte, it simply feels like home.

“It’s an emotional connection for a lot of our guests,” Hatzenbuhler says, whether that’s the musical or the setting itself.

“They just stop and they exhale. … When they bring their grandkids or their kids, there’s something about the landscape itself. It’s very, very unique,” he says.
 

The tradition continues
TRMF, which has raised $100 million during its lifetime, will now ensure the tradition continues.

“It’s the people of North Dakota, people of the country, and it’s why it’ll survive,” Hatzenbuhler says.

The Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library is now under construction, which will draw more visitors to Medora, as Hatzenbuhler plans his retirement in October following 28 years as CEO of TRMF and 38 years of working with the Medora Musical.

He is most proud of the volunteer program that draws 750 workers to Medora, as well as the international workforce.

“It is the people who make Medora go. If you’re just selling a ticket, just selling a steak dinner or selling a clean room, well, that’s nice. You can do that in a lot of places, but we really, really believe there’s something special about a place and that it can impact people. We have a vision statement that says, ‘Connect people to historic Medora for positive life-changing experiences,’” he says, becoming emotional when pointing to Slauter building a family and living in Medora.

2025 will be the year of gratitude, as groups ranging from farmers to energy workers across the state will be recognized during performances.

And the howdy will be extra loud this year.

“Medora is enjoyed in many, many ways. But it’s always more fun if you bring friends or family,” Hatzenbuhler says.

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Luann Dart is a freelance writer and editor who lives in the Elgin area.