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What’s Inside!

Featured Articles
Jewel in the Desert.............................1

Special
Grand Canyon Adventure...................5
2003 Budget......................................7
Departments
July 2002 News & Notes....................................2
Programs & Hikes.............................4
Desk Schedule...................................6
Bulletin Board...................................8

By now, the Second World War had
Jewel in the ○ ○ ○ started and times were hard. She left ○ was to influence her later life. She found
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herself explaining her creation to an im-
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○ ○
school to earn money appearing in night- ○ presario and, in the absence of her
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Desert ○ ○ ○ entertain the troops at the Stage Door ○ ○ ○ obtained a manager and was soon
clubs and, typically, gave up her time to
dancers, played all the parts herself. She
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by H. Dan Wray ○ Canteen. Soon she was appearing at the ○ heavily involved in touring. After three
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○ Radio City Music Hall and in 1946, ap- ○ years, the contract with her manager
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○
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○ peared in the revival of Rogers and ○ ended. Her new management agency
estling in the desert some 100 ○
○ Hammerstein’s Showboat. When that ○ proved a disaster—only one booking in
miles northwest of Las Vegas ○ ○
○ closed, she made ends meet by model- ○ two years.
Nis the collection of buildings ○ ing for top fashion magazines and by ○ ○ Then she met Tom Williams. Tom
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which make up Death Valley Junction. ○ freelance art work, but ballet called her ○ had been in advertising and was able to
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The road signs tell you to slow down ○ ○ secure work for her. In
and suddenly, it is there before you. No ○ ○ 1962 they married.
neon signs announce its presence and no ○ ○ Times were still not
doubt, some visitors unknowingly pass ○ ○ easy. Marta supple-
by what is the experience of a lifetime. ○ ○ mented her income
A single story motel flanks, on three ○ ○ through sales of her
sides, a square with its tamarisks mov- ○ ○ paintings. She began
ing gently in the breeze. At the end of ○ ○ to establish a reputation
the motel a modest sign proclaims, “The ○ ○ and was invited to stage
Amargosa Opera House.” The exterior ○ a one-woman show of
is unprepossessing. The doors to the the- ○ ○ her work. The opening,
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ater are padlocked to protect (who ○ November 23, 1963,
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knows what) treasures inside. ○ was overshadowed by
Marta Becket was born the daugh- ○ ○ Marta Becket, Amargosa Opera House the momentous events
ter of a newspaper reporter in New York ○ ○ ○ ○ of that day. A second show was sched-
back to the stage. She undertook another
City. As a young child, she was exposed ○ ○ spell at Radio City and then two ○ ○ uled to open in Carnegie Hall on
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to the world of the theater and the arts, ○ musicals, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and ○ November 10, 1965. Marta herself uses
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because her father got passes to the cul- ○ Wonderful Town. ○ ○ a very apt phrase in describing what hap-
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tural events of the city. By age nine, ○ pened. It was “eclipsed” she says, by
○ Meantime, it had been suggested to ○ the massive power failure in New York City.
Marta was living in Philadelphia and was ○ ○ her that she set up her own corps of danc- ○ ○
already showing her inherent talents. She ○ ers and create six ballets especially for ○ Marta’s touring had brought her out
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○ west from time to time, but one Easter,
won a scholarship in piano and art and ○ them. It was hard work researching, do- ○
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○ during a lull in her schedule, she and Tom
studied under Antonio Cortizas before ○ ing choreography and arranging scores ○
returning to New York, where she won after a day’s work. It was by pure ○ ○
another scholarship, this time in ballet. chance that she hit upon an idea which ○ Jewel, continued on page 6