Why the showbiz in Branson, Missouri is so popular

More than a dozen performers — Presleys and non-Presleys alike — in sparkly embroidered jackets and sparkly bodycon dresses covered Randy Travis’ “I Told You” and Tony Joe White’s “Rainy Night in Georgia” and other national standards. Among their fans tonight are retired Bill and Joe Hale, who have driven 8 hours from Houston to this Ozark entertainment oasis with over 30 theaters packed with country singers, magicians, religious Shows and equestrian shows.

The amiable Hales, Branson’s returning client and two members Texas Senior Softball Hall of Fame, when Gary Presley in his tattered silly hat, sunflower-yellow shirt, and blue smocks, in between songs with Eric, there is a song as old as Shakespeare He smiled gratefully when he was the clown-like bumpkin. When the band played a version of the theme song from the 1960s sitcom “The Beverly Hillbillies,” I ended up singing along, and some of the one-liners that Herkimer and Cecil babbled on were so corny that they made me laugh and cringe at the same time.

“There’s one food that will ruin your love life,” Gary declared. “Wedding Cake!”

Live entertainment has been king in these areas since the 1960s, targeting audiences in the heartland, a clientele that the city’s fluent theater critics rarely interact with. So I went to Branson, a town of 12,000 people that swells to as many as 70,000 on weekends in high season, to see options for large swaths of America wanting to see a show. Few places in the country have such a quirky and sprawling professional performing arts scene as the Missouri Hills town dozens of miles north of the Arkansas border. Singer Andy Williams opened a theater here. So did comedian Yakov Smirnov.

My curiosity is because most Americans look forward to a night out on the town, but we’re divided on what that night looks and feels like. Of course, this reflects a great country with different tastes, but also the chasm in our national cultural life. Following a pandemic, Branson welcomed about 10 million visitors in 2021 and is on track to surpass that number in 2022, according to the Branson/Lake District Chamber of Commerce and the Convention and Visitors Bureau. Most arrive by car and bus on the 650-mile-wide geographic circle from Texas to Illinois and Oklahoma to Kentucky. (In 2021, only 8,227 tourists to Branson came from outside the United States.)

They came, of course, for the music, inspired by Nashville and Vegas, and the great guitar and banjo picking traditions of these mountains. Branson attributes its popularity in part to the Presley family of pickers, who entertained tourists in the Ozark Caves that day. Roy Clark, Wayne Newton and Willie Nelson are just some of the stars who have played here.

But many tourists also come to reaffirm their basic values. It’s no secret that Branson caters primarily to clients who worship a Christian God and have some kind of vision for the country: On cozy West Street downtown, T-shirts hang outside souvenir shops with the words “I stand for the flag.” , I kneel “cross” for the flag and “people who voted for Biden owe me gas money”.

I sometimes can’t shake the feeling of being removed twice as a bystander whose worldview may not have been widely shared in this beautiful corner of Missouri’s red state.

“Do you carry a hidden weapon, my lord?” asked the front door attendant at “Dolly Parton’s Stampede,” which features an appetizing chicken dinner, during which 1,000 guests Sit around a rodeo-style ring and take part in equestrian competitions, realistic buffalo roaming and agility dog ​​competitions.

The thought of packing calories and eating cookies and watching the piggy race on the dirt road blew my mind.

“Hidden weapon? That’s a thing? “I asked the doorman. He looked at me like I was crazy.

Testimony of Faith was a regular occurrence at the eight shows I attended in late September (tickets ranged from a reasonable $42 to $85), and nearly every show required a standing ovation from veterans. For example, at the end of “Dolly Parton’s Run,” the Stars and Stripes will be displayed at the ceremony, which features a parade of flag-adorned horses and a recording of Parton singing patriotic songs.

I’ve had more fun with concert-style performances like Boomer’s nostalgic “Songs of Rock” anthology featuring high-energy singers and dancers from Aerosmith, Def Leppard, Elton John, Tina Turner, and Bon Jovi. I also play Johnny Cash or Barbara Mandrell popular country music for the Presleys and other families.

Elsewhere, like a performance by the Crazy Gadgets country band highgood or cruise ship Showboat Branson Belle At Table Rock Lake, the American flag flashes electronically on the screen. Tributes became needed, as in the old days of prayer in public schools. Even magician Rick Thomas – once a mainstay in Las Vegas, now the director of “Rick Thomas’ Dream House” at the Andy Williams Moon River Theater in Branson’s Entertainment District Headliners – Ends his show with “Please thank the veterans again.”

But surprisingly, MAGA hats are not seen in the vast majority of older white people. (I’ve occasionally counted a black couple, a Latino family, a hooded woman.) The vibe around town is rustic: “You have to be very customer friendly,” says Rachel Wood, chief marketing officer at the Chamber of Commerce. And added that this is not Branson’s strategy, but part of the local culture. The performances are mostly nonpartisan, although Gary-as-Herkimer does offer a slightly skeptical joke at the expense of climate change.The only time I felt unwell was during the most jaw-dropping lavish event of my stay, the epic-scale installation of the story of Jesus – titled “Jesus” – by Audiovisual theatrea company with sister theaters in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

“Jesus” is a dramatic spectacle with music on a scale big enough to bring Cecil B. DeMille to his knees. Fifty actors surround a huge set performance in a 2,000-seat theater that, from the outside, looks like a combination of a classical basilica and a shopping mall. The Son of God walks on water; Jesus heals a leper and drives moneylenders out of the temple; Lazarus is raised from the dead; camels, goats, sheep, and horses walk up and down the carpeted aisles. There appeared to be no savings in this well-planned, two-and-a-half-hour extravaganza, which featured everything from a manger to a crucifixion.

The venue was packed, and the audience was fascinated by the matinee. However, that’s not the case with “Godspell”. In multiple scenes, Israel’s rabbis are depicted as overly vocal advocates of Jesus’ executions. Sometimes they chanted reverently in Hebrew, but at other times they were portrayed with menacing and intrigue features that made up ugly stereotypes. This interpretation is frustrating and disturbing, a feeling confirmed when the Roman governor Pontius Pilate was besieged by the rabbis and immediately accepted their demands for blood.

Some of the tourists I met said they came to Branson mainly for “Jesus” (the “Christmas Miracles” show that starts in November), which is in keeping with the area’s long-standing spiritual allure. It was the best-selling novel of 1907,”shepherd on the mountain“Author and preacher Harold Bell Wright put the area on the map, with its inspiring tone and portraits of the country people he encountered: “Many Miles,” Wright wrote Dao, “distance from the so-called civilization of our city. (John Wayne starred in the 1941 Hollywood version.)

In rolling terrain a few miles from the city center, a “Hill Shepherd” theme park features an outdoor play based on Wright’s book, performed by dozens of actors from the Thurman Outdoor Theater.

“His story speaks to the beauty of the Ozarks, and the power of the people who live in the area,” said Jeff Johnson, a former banker who took me on a tour of the 177-acre Adventure Park, where he and partner at the time Bought together. Financial arrears from a few years ago. “We have an obligation to tell this story in a way that Harold Bell Wright brought people to attention.”

This literary legacy places Branson in a solid narrative framework. What attracted me most was the raw urge to gather crowds, sing and talk about the history and traditions of this part of the world. The boulevard — a mile-long byway officially known as West 76 Country Boulevard — likely offers restaurant chains and the attractions of any other flashy entertainment district. But what makes the Branson experience most memorable is the show that really resonates with the country.

like Peterson family, They play their American roots at the 200-seat Little Opry Theater on the Shepherd of the Hills Expressway, the most intimate space I’ve ever encountered. They were another local family, such as the Presleys and Haygoods, who showed a genetic predisposition to G-clef and arpeggios. Mom Karen plays the bass, her grown children Katie the violin, Ellen the banjo, Matt the guitar, and an “Honor Peterson” Emmett Franz playing a dobro Guitar, he holds it sideways and fingerstyles it. (Another singing Peterson sister, Julianne, is studying English literature at Oxford University.)

Their fresh, easy-going style and easy harmonies blend smoothly in their bluegrass arrangements, from John Denver’s “Annie’s Song” to the Gospel “Down to the River to Pray” to the Eagles’ “Song of Annie” Outlaws,” and they’re both delightful. Their show also featured a godly message: “We have some friends from Christ Church in Collinsville,” Matt announced at one point. But the spirit that moved me the most came from a delightful, lighthearted version of Abba’s “Mamma Mia.”

Ellen, who is married to Michael Haygood, who sings the Haygoods, says the band’s roots lie in their mom’s passion. “She just loves music,” Allen said. “That’s why she got her M.S. in music education. Like music theory was her jam.” The Peterson brothers like to point out their own different degrees in chemistry, business, in their chit-chat between songs—theirs His father was a doctor and attended Johns Hopkins University. It’s a fascinating way to let their fans know more about them, and their interests go beyond what their instruments show.

When listening to music in the mountains, my favorite reminders are helpful reminders centered on family and artistic pursuits. Even after all these years, Presleys embody that, with their elegant goofiness and sleek craftsmanship. The glazed pecans at the concession stand are also a fond memory for me – in a theater full of Gary Presley memories.

The Presleys often tell the story that when they built their theater (originally called the Mountain Musical Theater), they weren’t sure the audience would come. Gary’s backup plan, he said, is that if things don’t go well, they can turn the place into a winter warehouse for boats anchored on the lake. Yet for more than fifty years, the nightly crowds of pickers, pianists and singers have made the Presleys’ dream come true.

“It’s a good business with repeat customers,” Gary said. “When the audience walks into our theaters, there’s a warm, homey feeling. It’s taken them 55 years to get here.”