The Days of '98 Show

The Days of '98 Show
Logo
Genre	Klondike Gold Rush
Show type	resident
Location	Eagles Hall, Skagway, Alaska
Official website

The Days of '98 Show^[a] is a Klondike Gold Rush–themed musical theater show performed in Eagles Hall in Skagway, Alaska. It is the longest running Alaskan theatrical show. Created in the 1920s, the show was put on by the Skagway chapter of the Fraternal Order of Eagles and performed infrequently in the 1930s. By the mid-20th century, the show was performed frequently in the summer, particularly on days when cruise ships and passenger ships docked. It was staffed by unpaid locals and used to fundraise for various causes including a local hockey team, an elderly care facility, and Christmas toys for all Skagway children.

Right after World War II, The Days of '98 Show began being presented with a format that would be used into the 1970s. It featured mock gambling, can-can performances, period costumes from the Klondike Gold Rush era, and a recitation and pantomime of the Robert W. Service poem "The Shooting of Dan McGrew". By 1977, the Eagles encountered dwindling membership and financial difficulties with their sole income stream, The Days of '98 Show, not making a profit that year. They inducted new members into the organization including people who were performing in the play Soapy Lives about the conman Soapy Smith. The two shows merged in 1978 after the members rewrote the script, combining elements from both shows. The revised Days of '98 Show depicts various events from Skagway's frontier history. It portrays Smith and his gang's hold on Skagway and ends with the shootout on Juneau Wharf between Smith and vigilante Frank H. Reid. The show received positive reviews for being an engaging production that teaches about Skagway's history.

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