Theater review: Pickleville Bandito comes to the Salt Lake stage

SALT LAKE CITY — For the first time ever, the Pickleville Playhouse show featuring the infamous Juanito Bandito is coming to Salt Lake.

Known to Bear Lake residents and visitors, the Pickleville group has already entertained patrons from the Davis County, Salt Lake and Utah Valley areas for years during the summer months.

Now, according to TJ Davis (aka the Bandito and show's director), the shows are going on the road.

"Bear Lake is kind of far away for some folks," Davis said. "People tell us all the time after performances that we should take the show on the road so that they can bring their family and friends to experience Bandito. We're excited to finally be able to make it happen."

Davis isn't really sure what makes the Bandito so appealing.

"We feel like the Bandito shows are a truly unique genre of live performance. It's a musical comedy with a modern-melodrama flair, but it's unlike anything that people have seen before," he said. "The Bandito shows are the only ones I've ever been involved in where the audience is literally laughing the entire time from start to finish."

One preschool teacher told Davis she has a 5-year-old who puts down his crayons and surveys his art work when he's done and says, "Oh yeah. That just happened!" (A Bandito favorite remark.)

One time, a whole audience of elderly folks came in wearing Bandito mustaches that they wore for the entire show.

"It's crazy," Davis said.

But he and the other cast members are happy to be riding the wave.

"Our plan is to keep expanding by touring our unique Pickleville brand of family fun," he said. "We have as much fun as the audiences, probably even more."

If you go:

What: "Who shot Juanito Bandito?"

Where and when: Jeanne Wagner Theatre on 
Friday, Feb. 3, at 7:30 p.m.
 and on Feb. 4 at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Ellen Eccles Theatre on Feb. 17 and 18 at 7:30 p.m.

Cost: $14.75 children/$18 adults. Call 888-451-ARTS (2787)

Website: picklevilleplayhouse.com