'Gone to Texas' musical goes to audition on Broadway

SAN ANTONIO -- Composer Tom Masinter has always hoped that "Gone to Texas," the Alamo musical he scored a few years ago, would have a life outside of San Antonio.

He's invested a lot of energy in making that happen, making sure that it is staged every year in some form and sending off the script to anyone who might be even the tiniest bit likely to do something with it.

"I didn't want it to look like the show is over," he said.

"You can't give up."

It looks like all that effort may be paying off. Four years after the show premiered at the Josephine Theatre, "Gone to Texas" has won a slot in the Developmental Reading Series at the York Theatre in New York on May 25.

The series is designed to help creative teams get promising material on its feet so they can see where it stands and continue developing it with an eye toward production.

Among the shows that have gone on to bigger things from the series are "Musical of Musicals," which has been staged across the country and just opened in London; and "Avenue Q," the politically incorrect musical starring profane puppets that scored the 2004 Tony for Best Musical.

Masinter, book writer Steve Warren and lyricist June Rachelson-Ospa would like "Gone to Texas" to land on that list one day.

"I hope a producer or a director will see (the reading) and want to do a workshop production," Masinter said.

Daniel Neiden, who played Jim Bowie in the first Josephine staging, is directing the reading.

Neiden and Masinter won't be the reading's only ties to that production. Although auditions will be held in New York to cast most of the 15 parts, Masinter also has drafted San Antonio actors Pete Sanchez and Michael Berlet to reprise the roles they've played at every staging. Both received Globe Awards from the Alamo Theater Arts Council for their portrayals.

Sanchez will once again play Mexican official Capt. Tenorio, a comedic character whose sassy number "Take the Tex Out of Texas" has been a big audience favorite.

"When (Warren) first wrote it, I only had one scene that led to the song, then I wasn't seen until the end for the curtain call," Sanchez said. "The second production, he brought me back as a deserter (Tenorio) joined the troops at the Alamo as a turncoat.

For this (reading), I've got (another) song and more scenes."

The part has meant a lot to Sanchez.

"I'm so proud to be an originator of something," he said.

"It's just wonderful, because I was able to create a character."

Berlet will once again put on his coonskin cap to play Davy Crockett. He's excited by the opportunity to take part in the next phase for a show that his wife, Missy Miller, directed the first time around.

"I'm biased, but I won an ATAC Globe Award for playing Davy Crockett, and it's not just me; it's got a lot to do with how I was directed," he said. "I'm going to go up there because there are going to be a lot of producers and directors watching this show, and I want to show them we're just as good as (they) are."

He also thinks Broadway could use a little Lone Star flavor.

"It's about time to have something for Texans on Broadway," he said. "I would like to have San Antonio represented."

Over the years, Masinter, Warren and Rachelson-Ospa have tinkered with the show, tossing out characters and songs in the interests of streamlining the tale. They've also tightened the focus on Alamo Commander William Barrett Travis, reducing the roles of Crockett and Bowie.

"Most people (outside the state) do not know Texas history," Masinter said. "They know Davy Crockett, but Travis is just a footnote. It's important to tell Travis' story."

That's not to say that audiences will be getting a 100 percent historically accurate version of that story.

"As we have re-written and re-worked, it's not historically accurate any more," Masinter said. "If you want to tell the Alamo story, there are history books that you can go to for the information."

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(E-mail: dlmartin@express-news.net)

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