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The Duttons return to the Branson stage after a brief hiatus as they transition into their new temporary home at the Yakov Smirnoff Theatre.
In late September, the Dutton Family rebooted its 2022 season in Branson for the first time since the July 13 fire that destroyed the Dutton Family Theatre.
“Yakov was so nice. He reached out to us and said, ‘I have this great big theater. You guys will be a good fit. We’ll have a schedule. ” said Timothy Dutton, CEO and performer of Duttons. “With all the fire recovery, it quickly became apparent that it was taking longer than we wanted. We hoped it would be over within a few months. We will be ready to reopen at the Dutton Theatre next April. 2023 April. Meanwhile, we’ll be at Uncle Yakov’s.
For their grand reopening, the Dutton brothers put on a special Reunion Week show where all seven Dutton siblings were reunited on stage.
“We’ve been bringing out our family of retired performers, my siblings, some of those retired actors for a couple of years, and giving them weekly tours. Then we had the brilliant idea of taking them all out ,” Timothy said. “The schedule is set, the stars are full, and the seven of us are coming to the reunion week show, which is fun. We are happy on and off stage, enjoying each other’s company, going out to dinner, and playing games.”
Sales and box office manager and performer Judith Dutton added that the reunion was just what the family needed after the fires this summer.
“We really needed the elevator. After the fire, let me tell you, it’s only been a tough few months,” Judith said. “I’d rather do a show than clean smoke-filled equipment. It’s great to have the support and support of the whole family.”
For those who didn’t get the chance to see The Duttons perform this season, Timothy shared what the audience can expect.
“The Dutton Show is hard to explain and hard to describe. It’s very exciting and fun. Fun for the whole family. So many different styles of music,” Timothy said. “Something new, something old, something ‘Duttonized’ and when you come to the show you know what that means. We put a little bit of flair into everything we do. Comedy, Dance and variety shows are everywhere.
Some of the recent additions to the 2022 show include some new special effects and several new songs featuring three generations of Dutton performers.
“We have actors of all ages, and if you don’t change it, the kids are going to get bored,” Judith said. “You have to involve the kids, and that means there has to be something new happening all the time.”
Jessica Dutton, the eldest son of Dutton’s grandchildren, performer and fudge master, confirmed what her mother said about her grandchildren.
“Once you’re fully acclimated to muscle memory on stage, it’s time to change,” Jessica laughs.
In addition to Timothy, Judith and Jessica, The Duttons’ current cast includes Dean, Sheila, Amy, Julian, Damian, Josiah, Abigail, Grace, Seth, Orson, Marcus, Nerida, Selena and Leila. They were joined by drummer Rob Wilson, bass guitarist Steve Leach and two interns: Kashton Hanson and Sayler Connover.
As they prepare to restart their 2022 season on “Uncle Yakov,” Timothy shared that it was overwhelming to consider taking their entire production to the next level.
“We came here and we thought, ‘How are we going to do this work?’ Doing one thing at a time, we set up the whole stage. All the white (riser) pieces came from our theatre, so We are very familiar,” Timothy said. “We brought a lot of lighting, we brought a lot of equipment, and it ended up being a perfect fit, so we totally made it a home on stage. It was natural to perform here. In fact, on the first night, it felt like It’s like we’ve been here for months. The audience has responded so well, it’s our new home right away.”
When not in Branson, the Duttons can often be found performing across the country. When they headed to Yakov’s house, Judith shared that being a touring family was considered an advantage.
“We tour a lot, so we’re often going out on a stage that we’ve never been on before and in unfamiliar situations,” Judith said. “I actually had a couple of people say after the show, ‘You’re more appropriate on the stage in Yakov. Like you need a bigger venue to accommodate all of you.'”
SecondEarlier this month, Duttons award-winning violinist Amy Dutton Arambulo announced that she had been diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer. Timothy said his sister learned of her cancer on Tuesday, September 6, so the diagnosis is still very recent.
“She was just starting her treatment plan and started implementing it. Just a few days ago, it was her first chemo. Immediately after that she was doing great and now she is really feeling the effects of the chemo,” Timothy said. “She has no plans to stop acting. She just takes it every day and sees how it goes.”
Judith added that if Amy doesn’t want to be part of the show or production, they have contingency plans in place to give her time off. However, Amy has stated that she fully intends to be a part of every show.
“It’s good for her to have a strong feeling that I’m going to beat it, and I have to get up and fight it,” Judith said. “Getting up every night to perform is the best way for her to fight it. Feel the music. Give the music. Let the music touch her heart and heal her.”
Amy’s youngest son, Josiah, is a leukemia survivor. He had his last chemotherapy in November 2016 and has been in remission since. On the show, Amy shares Josiah’s story with viewers before sharing her own diagnosis with viewers.
“It’s interesting that going through the whole experience with Josiah, I’m less scared and grateful. I know exactly what to expect,” Amy said in a statement. “I know what questions to ask my doctor, and I am familiar with the entire process. Having all this knowledge has been a blessing in my life, and having such strong and loving support from my family is another.”
People who haven’t had the chance to see Dutton’s performance in recent years will be surprised to see more of Dutton’s grandchildren now stepping up to take on bigger roles in the production. As the eldest grandson on stage, Jessica explains what it’s like to be part of a third-generation cast.
“I left school for a couple of years. I actually went to Disney World for an internship for a fall. Every time I left, I would miss the show. Really, this family is so wonderful, they really want us to live there and gain experience “Because I’m the eldest, I’m the only one who’s gotten to the point where I’ve left and come back to perform full-time,” Jessica said. “We have a couple in school right now, we have a couple of them in church, and it might take a while for everyone to know what they want to do with their lives, but I really think it’s a great place to be a A great thing.”
With just a few weeks left until the end of the fall show season in town, Jessica confirmed that rehearsals for the Christmas show have begun.
We do have some exciting Christmas presents,” Jessica said. “We’re planning to do the show as usual, so only half of the show is Christmas, and then we’ll keep some of the show for the entire regular season. We don’t plan to make too many changes. “
Many Christmas show props were lost due to the fire, but “Uncle Yakov” once again helped the Duttons.
“Yakov did provide us with his Christmas props and decorations. Because he didn’t do a Christmas show, we’re going to take advantage of that,” Judith said. “This year could be Christmas in Russia.”
Showtimes for The Duttons are 2pm and 8pm on select days through Wednesday, December 14th. The Yakov Theater is located at 470 State Route 248 in Branson.
For more information on the show or to book tickets, call the box office at 417-332-2772 or visit theduttons.com.
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