Post # 6-19. Thursday June 18, 2014--Denali Park and Cabin Night Dinner Theater

6-19. Thursday, June 19, 2014==Denali Park and Cabin Night Dinner Theater

There wasn't much going on that we wanted to do except just spend the day looking at all the regular attractions in the park, i.e. visitors centers and a few movies. Plus it rained off and on.

The highlight of the day was a dinner and play at the Dinner Theater. The cabin is an authentic log paneled roadhouse. The interior was similar to what you would expect in an old log cabin. Think of the decor in a Cracker Barrel and you get the picture. The difference being all the fixtures were dog sleds, harnesses, mining equipment, early utensils, etc. You get the picture.
It is billed as Alaska's most Unique Dinner Theater and I believe it is. The seating is family style, that is, everyone shares a table (there were 10 at ours). Food is served family style and is passed around or you ask someone to fill your plate.  The menu consisted of all you can eat family-style-including: veggie salad, baked (or broiled-not sure) Alaskan  Salmon, barbecue ribs, old fashioned baked beans, potatoes, corn, drop biscuits and berry cobbler. It was delicious and believe me, I ate my share. You know how I just love salmon anyway and the ribs were so tender the meat just fell off the bone. Plenty of ice tea and later coffee to go with the cobbler. 

The play was about heroine Fanny Quigley, who left Nebraska to find fame in Alaska  in a true to life Gold Rush Tale of adventure in the early 1900's Alaska. It was a great mix of storytelling, spiriting music and humor brought to life by a cast of talented performers. It's a shame that I didn't get the names of the cast, but they were scurrying around getting ready for the next dinner and show. They perform all waitress and busing duties as well as perform

A bit abbout Fanny fromthe internet:

She was born Frances Sedlacek in 1870, on a homestead in a Bohemian settlement near Wadoo, Nebraska
Fannie Quigley is legendary in the Kantishna mining district. She arrived in 1906, and stayed until her death in 1944, at the age of 74. She staked her share of mining claims, and mined them, and although she had never shot an animal before she arrived in Kantishna, her prowess as a hunter became known throughout the Territory of Alaska. She learned to hunt caribou, sheep and moose, and to trap fox, wolves, wolverine and lynx. She was famous for her wilderness cooking, including her famous flaky pie crusts made from rendered bear lard. She grew remarkable gardens full of vegetables and flowers on the rocky slopes above timberline.

I wish I had had my video recorder, but I'm sure they wouldn't have let me record it. Copyright laws you know. Anyway, they were right on tune with their songs which were a bit comical as well as telling a story. The girls had beautiful voices and the men's baritone voices  fit right in.  Their threesome ballads were right on key and well harmonized.  The dinner and theater lasted almost two hours .  I wish them well in their future quests in their  acting and singing profession. I couldn't write this any sooner and I know I am not giving them the credit due for their performance. Thank all of you for such a wonderful performance and evening.