The musical Cowboy Bob is loosely based on the real-life story of an infamous bank robber named Peggy Jo Tallas.
Peggy Joe was able to evade capture because of her costume:
She convincingly dressed as a man - including a realistic beard. The note she would pass the bank teller said:
Authorities thought they were looking for a soft-spoken man, whom they nicknamed "Cowboy Bob" (named after a childhood icon from the 1970s and 80s).
"This is a bank robbery.
Give me your money.
No marked bills or dye packs."
The Last Ride
of Cowboy Bob
Learn more about the real-life Cowboy Bob in this gripping story from texasmonthly.com.
Inspired by...?
Dramatizing a real person's life can be tricky - or even controversial. Mostly because it's hard to condense a person's life down to two hours.
The creative team loosely took the descriptions, actions, and family of Peggy Jo Tallas and created a new character based on this mythology. This choice allowed them to shape the character of Cowboy Bob however they wanted - in order to focus on the show’s themes.
Here are a few things that are mentioned in the play. If you aren't familar with them, then this might help you enjoy the show even more.
Cowboy Bob's note would say, "No dye packs." But what's Inside an exploding dye pack?
The play makes references to this iconic show - and it's part of a key scene. It might be helpful to familiarize yourself if you aren't already a fan.
