Legends in Concert
Legends 'Ain't Goin' Down 'til The Sun Comes
Up!'
If you're looking for a good time,
come to Legends in Concert.
It was party time and the party
started with Steve Fairchild coming out as Garth
Brooks strutting with his guitar in hand. He had an
immediate galvanic
 effect
on the
audience with "Ain't Goin' Down ('Til The Sun
Comes Up)" [from Garth's In Pieces album]. Most shows start out with a warm-up to get
the energy levels going. Not with this show.
Steve's likeness to Brooks, his mannerisms (right down to the pot
belly) stirred up the crowd, the way Garth would. What I
especially enjoyed was his rendition of "The Thunder
Rolls". This is one of Garth's most popular songs
(No Fences has sold 13 million copies to date) and
Steve did justice to this
beautiful yet controversial ballad. What was really
delightful was the
theatrical effects (kudos to lighting and sound) so that you heard
thunder and saw flashes of light simulating lightning.
There was also the sound of a real waterfall behind the
curtains.
To me, one of the highlights of the show was when Garth
asked all couples (those that had been together a
long time) to come down and dance up
front. With a little bit of coaxing and prodding,
about fifteen pairs joined him and
 they were rewarded with
this artist's rendering
of "The Dance". He also chose a lucky single
gal to dance with him while he sang. The audience was
affected emotionally. Then, he effortlessly picked
up the tempo. No Garth impersonation would be complete
without "Friends In Low
Places" and again, he does not disappoint. Do you remember the words to that song?
If you don't, you better learn (otherwise, when you sing along,
Steve makes you say 'watermelon' in place of each word you
don't know). Man, did I say 'watermelon' a lot. If you never got a chance to see the real
Garth Brooks in person, you will enjoy seeing Steve's
tribute to him, as I did.
Who says 'Diamonds are a girl's best friend?'
Stacey Whitton channeled Marilyn Monroe as Lorelei Lee in
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Elegantly dressed,
she had the smile, the breathy voice and the platinum witchery
that
 was
Marilyn. She
copied Marilyn's comedic skills as she appealed to all.
Stacey came out into the audience - using her feminine wiles,
she wanted to pick a man to come up on stage with her.
She zoomed in on Barry and, like a tractor beam, drew him
right in. Now I know why Adam ate the fruit. Anyway,
Stacey found her hapless victim and the sonorous audience
showed their appreciation. While she was sitting on Barry's lap
(teasing him mercilessly), Stacey told
him, "Watch your hand, Barry. Mrs. Barry's watching."
What she puts her unsuspecting sweetie through at
the end you'll have to see for yourself.
Stacey does
not actually bear a striking resemblance physically, but she is
beautiful and has the thespian talent to pull off the part.
I would've liked to have seen her have the chance to use some
more favorite quotes from Marilyn's movies (after all,
Marilyn had some very memorable quotes) but she probably
wouldn't have had enough time. Stacey did very little
singing, but performed a lot of comedy and it was a nice twist to the
show.
There are two screens on either side of the stage
and they employed a nice little camera trick for The Blues
Brothers segment. They played a scene from
The Blues Brothers movie. A car
scene with Jake and Elwood exiting their
vehicle and onto the stage they came. Bucky Heard
performed as
Jake Blues and Justin Clark as Elwood. This was
no time for relaxing for Bucky and Justin helped the audience
to step up to the plate with "I Need You, You, You"
(from the song "Everybody Needs Somebody") And we
all took the calling; some were literally dancing in their
seats. The back-up dancers came out with "Soul Man"
and were a pivotal, superlative part of the segment. Bucky
(as Jake) has a very powerful voice and dragged a note out for
more than a minute until he became so loud when he hit his
high note, we were avid to know what this song was going to be.
Then
he slammed out "Shout!" Elbows began clanging
against fellow enthusiasts, but nobody cared (we were having
too good of a time). And shout we did. Everyone
was into the party. Good thing the seats have cup
holders.
Justin Clark (as Elwood) is quite a
trouper. I found out upon talking to him after the
show he had a twisted, swollen ankle yet he still performed
his Elwood cartwheels like the true professional he is.
Most audiences probably don't realize how often true
entertainers sing and dance through pain.
 In
my opinion, the dancers took the show.
This ensemble was one of the best I've seen. They are: Rae
Owen, Sharon Steidler, Jill Travis, Regina Laughlin,
Stephanie Drey and Tamara Allen. Their wardrobes were
well-done. They were very fit and managed quick wardrobe
changes as well as complicated dance routines. The
choreography was first-rate and they were well-coordinated. Hope
they stay in Branson.
The intermission for this show is 15 minutes. I
took time during the intermission to check out the theatre.
It is beautiful, well-laid out and very inviting. The
staff was very helpful. My only complaint about the
theatre would be the seating. While the aisles were
adequate, the room between the rows was tight and the seats
were small. Someone large in stature would need to
request an aisle seat. On the upside, the seats had
cup holders, so you don't worry about knocking your drink
over on the floor or soaking your pants.
The party continued. How many people remember the
Ed Sullivan Show? How about "Peggy Sue"? George Trullinger (performing
as Buddy Holly) did an
excellent job of imitating him. This segment was a
real treat. Buddy's songs were punctuated with
George's own brand of inimitable comedy. Buddy interacted with Mike,
from St, Louis and gave the audience quite a laugh.
If you want to be a part of the show, just sit up front.
By the by, I almost came out of my own seat (laughing my head off) when
George does a Jimi Hendrix version of Green Acres (yes, the
TV show). It was hilarious. He finished up
with a great line and a great song. What song?
Go see the show.
 Next, a sexy and sultry woman slowed the hearts of the men in the audience with
"Breathe". Annika Neilson performed as Faith Hill and had
tough shoes to fill, but she did a nice job. She,
along with the dancers were very animated when performing
"Piece of My Heart." This was especially appreciated
by the women. I guess it's that "Girl Power" thing
I've been hearing about.
Elvis
was performed by Shawn Klush.
The grand finale is a tribute to America where all the
performers come out and sing together. They harmonized
well. This was a really fun show to attend. The dancers
made the show. Garth (Steve Fairchild) had the closest
vocals, The Blues Brothers (Bucky Heard and Justin Clark)
did the best imitating and Buddy Holly (George Trullinger)
was the most engaging performer. If you're looking for
a good time, I'd recommend this show.
(Editor's note from BransonCritic.org: The stars that are impersonated
change throughout the year. The ones mentioned above
were the ones performing the day I was there.)
-Doug and Lori Holland, Editors.
Photo
Gallery of Legends in Concert (All Show Photos I Took)
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