Branson, MO

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A Branson Vacation - Part 2: Theaters & Shows

This article is part two of a complete Branson overview. The first part discusses some general information about Branson. In this section we will take a look at what made Branson famous—shows and theatres.

You will arrive in Branson to an overload of media. There are more than 50 different theatres in Branson. Most theatres have several different shows performing throughout the day. The biggest entertainers will perform the 8:00 p.m. shows, but that does not mean that the morning and afternoon shows are second rate. They are just as good in most cases. Whether you are looking for a headliner or not, there are more than 100 shows to keep you busy while in town.

Branson Shows, Theatre & Tickets

The whole Branson craze started with just a couple shows. The Presley’s Country Jubilee and the Baldknobbers Jamboree. Both of these country variety and comedy shows are still going strong today, 40-50 years later. They are among the most popular shows in town for good reason. They put on a quality show every night and their fans return year after year.

If you enjoy country and gospel music served along side hilarious comedy, then you will find your fill in Branson. Beside the two shows already mentioned there are many more of this genre all over town. Some of the other popular ones include Pierce Arrow, Grand Jubilee, and the Braschlers.

Another large category of shows in town can be grouped as family shows. That is not to say they are designed for the whole family to enjoy, because that would describe almost every show in Branson. By family show, I mean most of the cast and sometimes the crew comes from the same family. The Duttons, Haygoods, Lowes, Hughes, and the Brett Family, just to mention a few. All these families blend their amazing harmonies to create some of the best and most touching shows in town.

The impersonators are yet another major group of shows in town. Toni Roi is one of the most noted Elvis impersonators in the world. He has his own show and he also occasionally performs with The Legends Live in Concert, who also has a popular show in town. You will also find a Hank Williams and Patsy Cline show. One that I personally highly recommend is a full comedy show called A Tribute to Red Skelton.

There are a few Broadway style shows that prove Branson has it all. You can see Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Cirque, Spirit of the Dance and even off-Broadway shows like the touching and funny, Smoke On The Mountain.

Then Branson is also famous for a broad category of shows that are designed with your family in mind. These shows are designed to mesmerize the kids and astonish the adults. This group includes everything from comedians to magicians. Starting with magicians you will find several huge shows with large illusions at Grand Illusion, Darren Romeo and The Hamner Barber Variety Show. If magic is not your thing what about the Chinese Acrobats, Comedy Pet Theatre, Bounce the Basketball Show or even a live family game show called Hot Seat.

If you remember the 20’s & 30’s, 50’s, 60’s or 70’s – really any decade, you will be able to take a trip down memory lane. You can spend the 50’s At The Hop or get Stuck In The 70’s. You might even choose to drive to Motown.

By this time you are probably getting hungry. We can’t forget the dinner shows. Of course Dixie Stampede with it's horses and a stampede of buffalo is the biggest show in town, but you can also enjoy a ribeye steak while watching lumberjacks compete at the Tall Timber Lumberjack Show. If you would like to take a cruise on Table Rock Lake, the Prime Rib Dinner Show on the Showboat Branson Belle is unbeatable. You can also enjoy a delicious western BBQ meal at the Circle B Chuckwagon Dinner Show. If you like music while you eat, try the White House Theatre or catch Bob Anderson’s Show. You will not leave hungry, and you get a show to boot.

Last but not least, the headliners. In the mid 1980’s there were many well-known performers who moved to Branson and opened theatres. A few of them are still here and performing amazing shows. If you remember Andy Williams, Ray Stevens, Jim Stafford, Mickey Gilley, Mel Tillis, The Gatlin Brothers, Pam Tillis or Roy Clark you will love seeing them live in Branson. The Grand Palace brings in the hottest performers on tour today. It is not uncommon for Tim McGraw to be on stage one week and Jeff Foxworthy to be appearing the next week.

Branson has also created it's own headliners. The fiddle-playing Shoji Tabuchi is one of the most popular performers in Branson, and he, without a doubt, has the most ornate theatre bathrooms in Branson. Other performers like Moe Bandy, Doug Gabriel and Paul Harris have made a name for themselves in this tough town.

I did not even try to mention all the shows in Branson. As a matter of fact, I did not even begin to scratch the surface. The performers and venues change all the time, so some of the shows mentioned may be gone by the time this article is up.

I encourage you to use sites like www.bransoncritic.org and the Branson Lake Area Chamber of Commerce website to find the shows that your family will enjoy. Branson Critic has plenty reviews of area shows. Normal people like you write all the reviews. They saw the show and wrote a review. This is a great way to decide which shows to see.

Another great way to find a good show while in town is to ask the front desk clerk at your hotel or the waitress that served your lunch. Locals know which shows are a must-see and which show to avoid. You might even strike up a conversation with the person sitting next to you at a show. Find out what they have seen and what they thought. You might even make a friend.

Tip #3: Brochures do not tell the whole story – ask a locals for the truth about which shows are a must-see.

This would be a good time to talk about ticket prices. Branson shows are not cheap. If you look very hard you will find a couple shows with an admission price under $15. There are a few more in the $18-$22 range, but most show tickets are at least $25 per adult ticket. Dinner shows are even more.

You will find coupons in FREE magazines all over town. With these you are able to save a couple dollars per ticket. Check the brochure racks for the coupons.

You might even have a timeshare company offer you FREE tickets. That is an option worth considering, but I will discuss the timeshare package in Part 5 of this column.

There is still one more way to save on tickets. You can check on eBay for Branson show tickets. I have bought them there before. I paid less than half price. This way takes a little more effort, but can save you lots of money.

Another option, strongly enough, involves radio stations. Don’t worry; you do not have to be the tenth caller. Branson shows love to trade radio station's commercials for tickets. The radio station will advertise for the show and in return the theatre will give the radio station 50 adult tickets to the show. The tickets are usually good anytime through the end of the year. The radio station is not really interested in the tickets; they want the money for the advertisements. So they will sell the tickets at a major reduction off the box office price. You just have to find the stations with the tickets. I have used this method several times. Though it means you will have to plan ahead, you will save money.

Here is how I find the radio stations with the tickets. I will do a Google or Yahoo search for “Bids For Bargains on Branson Shows.” You may need to reword the search, but when I typed that in I got several hits. You will want to look at different sites and see what they have to offer. One station I have used several time is: http://www.regionalradio.com/KJEL/html/branson_tickets.htm

I pick what I want and call them. You pay with a credit card. They are close to my home so I just pick the tickets up. However, they will also mail them to you. A good example of the saving I found on the website mentioned above, in September of 2005 I found two Jim Stafford Tickets for $32. Those tickets would cost you almost $60 at the Jim Stafford Theatre Box Office. They have about 25 different show listed with discounts. Give it a try.

Tip #4: Save money -- Search high and low for show discounts.

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