Arizona Lady
Libretto by Alfred Grünwald and Gustave Beer
Premiere: Bavarian Radio, January 1, 1954
Act I: Lona Farrell, owner of the Sunshine Ranch in 1920 Arizona, has earned the respect of her ranch hands, but insists that their dealings with her be of strictly a business nature. Her manager, Jim Slaughter, has lost sight of this and been fired for trying to kiss her. His departure leaves the gambling-minded ranch hands in the lurch—he was the only one capable of riding Lona’s prize racehorse, Arizona Lady, in the upcoming state fair race. The sheriff arrives, makes no secret of his warm feelings for Lona, and informs her that a cattle thief from Colorado named Burt Morton is feared to be in the area. Nelly, the proprietress of a traveling store, tries to peddle her wares to the gathered crowd. Cowboy Roy Dexter, guitar in hand, arrives at the ranch. Despite his lack of references and her fear for the worst when he reveals that he is from Colorado, Lona offers him a job as her new manager, which he accepts. When Lona requests that he ride Arizona Lady in the upcoming race, Roy refuses. Chester, a quirky apprentice at the ranch, tries to convince Nelly that he alone is the exception among men, who, from Nelly’s past experiences, want nothing more than to exploit women. The rich neighbor Lopez approaches Lona with an offer to buy Arizona Lady, which he recognizes is fierce competition for his own race entry, Mexican Cavalier. Roy returns, advises against the sale, and agrees to ride the horse in the race. He tells Lona that Arizona Lady (more to the point for him, the lady from Arizona) needs only some proper training. She wonders whether, finally, she is on the path to the happiness that has thus far so eluded her.
Act II: At the state fair in Tucson, all await the big race. The sheriff tells Lona that he is betting on Mexican Cavalier—although he likes Arizona Lady, he does not like its rider. Lona, annoyed, tells him that she will bet anything that Arizona Lady wins, agreeing even to marry him if the horse loses. The race begins—Arizona Lady leads the entire way until the very end, when she falls. Mexican Cavalier, ridden by Jim Slaughter, is the winner, as the sheriff announces that he is now engaged to Lona. When Roy reveals that his saddle-girth had been severed, Lopez puts the case to the race judges, but they concur in the announced outcome. Lopez has given a tip (albeit false) to the sheriff that will prove beyond a doubt that Roy is Burt Morton, the horse thief. Bar dancer Bonita is quizzed about her claimed acquaintance with a certain cowboy from Colorado. Bonita, pointing at Roy, says that she indeed knows this man and that his name is Burt Morton. Roy is arrested, as a ranch hand enters and announces that Arizona Lady has been kidnapped and that Chester is missing. Soon after, with the help of his cell mate, Roy manages to escape his prison cell and cross the border so that he is outside American jurisdiction.
Act III: In the Paradise Bar in Nogales, half in Mexico and half in the United States, Roy makes sure to stay on the Mexican side, but agrees to give himself up if the sheriff will allow him ten minutes with Lona. Chester is brought in and returned by two hoods—they want nothing more than to be rid of him. Nelly and Chester can now look forward to a happy life together. When Lona arrives, Roy explains to her that, as a young boy, his father had been shot dead before his eyes by horse thieves. He had vowed to avenge his father’s memory, and has finally succeeded. He tells her that Lopez was the head thief and that Slaughter is really Burt Morton. Both have just been arrested and Arizona Lady has been recovered. Lona asks Roy to continue in his job, but he refuses, asking that his only souvenir from the Sunshine Ranch be Arizona Lady, which Lona happily agrees to gift him. Some time later, at the Kentucky Derby, Lona and the sheriff make a wager that if Arizona Lady wins, the two will be married. Roy has entered the horse in the big race, but is not her rider, and is distressed to learn of the wager, especially when Arizona Lady wins the race. The sheriff, however, realizing that Lona’s heart beats only for Roy, releases her from the bet and bids them a happy life together. All can again celebrate the wonders of Arizona.
