TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — The Gaslight Theatre, a Tucson institution for nearly 50 years, paid tribute this weekend to one of its most beloved performers, Joe Cooper, with the premiere of a new documentary celebrating his career.
Cooper, who retired in 2019 after nearly four decades on the Gaslight stage, was remembered Saturday with the first showing of Joe Cooper: The Funniest Man in Tucson.
Tony Terry, founder of the Gaslight Theatre, recalled his decades-long friendship with Cooper, which began when they acted together at Catalina High School and the University of Arizona. “You know, he’s always been funny, it’s just Joe!” Terry said.
Terry added that Cooper’s path to the Gaslight was a twist of fate. “We got stuck and needed somebody to,” Terry said. “So we called Joe up in LA and said, ‘Hey, do you want to do this?’ And he said sure!”
That decision helped define the Gaslight’s comedic style for years to come. Heather Stricker, the theater’s general manager and one of its actors, said Cooper remains a favorite among audiences even after his retirement. “He’s still so remembered and still everybody’s favorite,” Stricker said. “Every single day, somebody comes into the box office and says, ‘Where’s that short old funny guy?’”
The documentary’s producer and director, Walter Fritz, said Cooper’s unpredictable humor was part of what made him so popular. “Everybody loves Joe Cooper, everyone came because you never knew what he was gonna do!” Fritz said. “If he was gonna go off on his line on purpose, or what he was gonna do on stage — he pranked everybody!”
Actor Nick Seivert, who shared the stage with Cooper for years, said the tribute was long overdue. “He would whip the audience into a frenzy of laughter,” Seivert said. “Amazing guy, I mean, absolutely the funniest guy to ever tread the board at the old Gaslight.”
Fritz said he plans to submit The Funniest Man in Tucson to several festivals, including the Tucson Film Festival next year.
Founded in 1977, the Gaslight Theatre is known for its family-friendly melodramas, spoofs and musicals, which have made it a mainstay of the Tucson arts scene.
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Eddie Celaya is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9. Born in Tucson and raised in the Phoenix area, Eddie is a life-long Arizonan and graduate of the University of Arizona who loves the desert and mountains and hates the cold. Previously, Eddie worked in print media at the Arizona Daily Star. Share your story ideas with Eddie at edward.celaya@kgun9.com, or by connecting on Facebook or Instagram.
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