Opera Theatre of St. Louis will present the cowboy opera "Joshua's Boots" at 7 p.m. Friday in the Touhill at UMSL.

With the allure of a cowboy story, “Joshua’s Boots” illustrates a tale of unexpected heroism amid realities of the America Wild West that generally go untold. The cowboy opera will be staged at 7 p.m. Friday (Nov. 18) in the Anheuser-Busch Performance Hall at the Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center.

Set in 1878, “Joshua’s Boots” is the dramatic story of an African American teenage boy who escapes from a lynch mob to find a new life in Kansas as one of the many black cowboys who flourished in the western frontier.

Opera Theatre of St. Louis and Lyric Opera of Kansas City (Mo.) commissioned “Joshua’s Boots” in 1998. The production was created to give young audiences a positive first experience with opera. Opera Theatre of St. Louis recommends the show for students in grades 4-12.

Tickets for the opera are $10-$12. They are on sale now at the Touhill ticket office; online at touhill.org or by phone at 314-516-4949.

The Touhill ticket office is on the University of Missouri–St. Louis’ North Campus, 1 University Blvd. in St. Louis County (63121).