What a Yakov!

Handicap parking is hard to come by in Branson with all the elderly guests, so don’t be late to the show! The Yakov parking lot is long, curvy, and hilly but do not let that worry you as a tram car drives around to pick up guests and drops them off at the front door.

As we entered the theatre, the staff was very accommodating to my husband in a wheelchair. The seating was adequate with wheelchair guests put on the outer end of the isles. The rows angle out so I felt as if I had to slide down in my seat so the little old lady in the wheelchair behind me could see over my head. There are large screens on both sides of the auditorium that display what is happening on stage.

The Yakov show contains a variety entertainment. There is Russian costume, dancing, music, and skits with a large dose of comedy. The main characters, Yakov and Slim have great chemistry and seem to have a lot of fun performing. In my husband’s humble opinion, Slim Chance is a comic genius and “stole the show.” Although some of the humor was aimed more towards adults our 12 year old laughed the entire show. After the show, many of the performers came out to the entrance to shake hands and allow photos.

The Yakov show kept us entertained and laughing even though there were a few serious moments. It is interesting seeing the United States through Yakov’s eyes as an immigrant turned U.S. citizen. Not to mention, it is refreshing how patriotic he is and proud to show it.

As a side note, when Yakov first came to America, he had a hard time understanding “slang” and makes jokes of it throughout the show. In other words, foreigners tend to take the literal interpretation of English, making it difficult to comprehend implied meanings. We happened to have a Korean gentleman in our party who did not enjoy the show as much because he did not “get” the jokes.

--Trish Batrano
 

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