Zane Grey and the Western (Tucson)

In addition to the new opera, Zane Grey’s “Riders of the Purple Sage” spawned no fewer than five film versions of the epic saga. In this program, Arizona’s Official Western Film Historian Charlie LeSueur explores the various incarnations of the film adaptations of the novel and the overall impact the book had on the western genre. 

WESTERN CULTURAL FESTIVAL

Arizona Opera’s first world-premiere will kick-off with a state-wide celebration of our Western heritage. Celebrate the West through art, film, story, and song and explore the land that shapes our past, present, and future.

Zane Grey’s “Riders of the Purple Sage,” which has been in print continuously since 1912, is perhaps the most popular western novel of all time. It significantly shaped the formula of westerns with its themes of revenge, love and morality and gave credence to the role of the gunman as anti-hero.

The Western Cultural Festival is proudly sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield:

Location:

The Screening Room
127 E Congress 
Tucson, AZ 85701

Time:

7:00pm-8:00pm