When planning our time in Medora, I wanted to find something for us to do that didn’t involve hiking – both as a change of pace and as a treat for Peanut, who was coming off a summer of musical theatre camp. Surfing around the travel internet, I found dozens of recommendations of The Medora Musical, a rollicking song and dance show that tells the story of the Dakota Badlands and Theodore Roosevelt’s life. It sounded fun and a little bonkers, so I booked us four seats. As we walked into the outdoor amphitheatre, I was stunned by the elaborate set, the Hollywood sign-style “MEDORA” in the hills behind the stage, and the amped crowd. Clearly, this was the place to be on a Saturday night in Medora.

We sat down, I provided popcorn in response to Nugget’s clamoring (he is a popcorn fiend) and we prepared for a wild experience. The dancers and singers delivered bigtime.

The western town scene moved around. There were horses ridden down from the hills and across the stage. There were explosions. There was a random basketball interlude.

The climactic scene featured a rider on horseback galloping down from behind the MEDORA sign, waving an American flag. I kid you not. It was absolutely wild.

I can’t recommend The Medora Musical highly enough. One of the TripAdvisor reviews I read noted that it was “not Broadway” but was of a quality equivalent to “the best regional productions.” That seemed about right to me; it was a higher-budget production than I was expecting – with the movable set, the horses, the many costume changes – and the kids loved it. (Steve and I enjoyed ourselves too.) I had just told them we were going to a “musical show” without more details – since I didn’t really know what it was all about, myself – and everyone was blown away.

What a fun night! I’m reliving it now, looking at these pictures, and grinning. Next week, we drive to a different unit of the park for a fun hike – check back then!