On July 17, 1897, the steamer Portland docked in Seattle's harbor with seventy ordinary men who were carrying an extraordinary million-dollar fortune in Yukon River gold. Their fantastic stories coursed through the city streets. "It was a half a ton of gold—no, a ton! —and the nuggets lay big as marbles, bright in the streambeds, just there for the taking." As one wide-eyed prospector said, "This is the richest thing ever known. Everybody is crazy." The bonanza promised wealth to anyone who could get to the Klondike, and the great rush was on! Yet would prospectors be ready for the unimaginable challenges to be faced in their quests to strike it rich?
Join us on a musical adventure from Seattle to the wild Yukon to discover this important and thrilling period in Pacific Northwest history. Witness the hardships, struggles, and triumphs experienced by those in the frontier, and learn how the Klondike Gold Rush shaped our region forever.
Dates: February 13–June 2012
Grades: appropriate for grades K–8
Running Time: 50 minute performance plus a 5 minute Q & A
Audience size: Maximum attendance is 300 students per performance. For a larger number of students, schools must book a double performance.
Cost: