BRANSON MISSOURI — LIVE SHOW CAPITAL OF THE WORLD

Few people knew about Branson, 40 years ago. Today, the Missouri town — a four-hour drive southwest of St. Louis in the Ozark Mountains — is an entertainment mecca. With 45 theatres boasting more seats than New York's Broadway, it lures more than seven million visitors annually.

It's impossible to see all 100 shows in one visit. There are morning, afternoon and evening performances. Spanning the spectrum from country, pop, rock n' roll, classical and Broadway productions, to comedy and magic, the shows appeal to all ages and interests.

You won't find any casinos, scantily clad dancers or X-rated shows in Branson. "There's nothing here that would offend your granny," says legendary country singer, Roy Clark.

Four-generation show

"Both seniors and families enjoy our show," claims Lloyd Presley (no relation to Elvis), who built the first theatre on Highway 76, in 1967. Presley, a fishing guide who swapped an old hound dog for his first guitar, is still performing today, along with his children, their spouses, children and grandchildren.

Audience watches performance at Silver Dollar City. Branson, Missouri.

Photo © Barb & Ron Kroll

"We constructed our first theatre to function as a boat shed, if the show didn't work out," he says. "We only put out enough chairs to match the number of visitors. That way, we always played to a full house!"

The family began Presleys' Country Jubilee to entertain crowds drawn by the area's two original attractions: The Shepherd of the Hills outdoor drama and Silver Dollar City.

Fiddles & funnel cakes

In the former, 80 performers, 45 horses and a flock of sheep re-create scenes from Harold Bell Wright's novel, set in the Ozark Mountains, near Branson. In the latter, a turn-of-the-century theme town, 100 "citizens" make thimbles and lye soap, play dulcimers and fiddles, fry chicken and funnel cakes.

Banjo player. Silver Dollar City. Branson.

Photo © Barb & Ron Kroll

Silver Dollar City's comedy shows, rides and shops are only a prelude to what's offered downtown. The success of Presleys' Country Jubilee and other early theatres, like Baldknobber's Jamboree, enticed country music stars to stop in Branson during their road shows, in the 1980s. Several returned to build their own theatres.

Within four years, Roy Clark, Mel Tillis, Ray Stevens, Moe Bandy, and so many other country stars moved in, that Time called Branson "country music's new mecca," while 60 Minutes compared it with Nashville.

In 1992, Branson's focus changed, when crooner Andy Williams built his Moon River Theatre, and triggered an influx of pop musicians. One of the most popular is Shoji Tabuchi. The fleet-fingered fiddler said sayonara to Japan and built a palatial theatre in Branson which he fills with high-tech lasers and a bluegrass to Broadway repertoire.

Branson's best washrooms

Don't miss the washrooms! The ladies' room features stained glass, chandeliers and orchids at every granite and onyx sink. The men's room boasts a marble fireplace, black leather chairs and a hand-carved mahogany billiard table.

Herkimer with guitar. Presleys' Country Jamboree.

Photo © Barb & Ron Kroll

Most theatres average 2,000 seats, although the antebellum-style Grand Palace (Missouri's largest live performance theatre) holds 4,000. Superstars, like the Oak Ridge Boys, Kenny Rogers, Charley Pride and George Jones entertain here.

Hickory-smoked barbecued pork

Humor highlights many shows. Jim Stafford jokes about Chihuahuas, which he calls "mice on steroids." Even country stars throw in their cornball comments. "Is that Dolly Parton back there?" asks one, peering into the theatre. "Naw, sorry," he continues, after a pause. "It's just two bald-headed old men."

Parton has her own dinner show in Branson. Dixie Stampede features 32 horses, dozens of riders, and arena seating for 1,000 people, who feast on rotisserie chicken and hickory-smoked barbecue pork loin.

Although Branson is synonymous with live theatre, it offers many more enticements. White Water is a five-hectare water park with lagoons, slides and rides. Museums range from the Hollywood Wax Museum to the World’s Largest Antique Toy Museum.

Visitors can enjoy free tours and a tasting room for Missouri wines at the Stone Hill Winery. And IMAX Theater dwarfs audiences with its six-storey-high screen.

Riding ducks

Ride The Ducks tour in an amphibious vehicle. Branson, Missouri.

Ride The Ducks uses seven-ton amphibious vehicles for land and water tours. "General Motors gave them a model code DUKW, which eventually became known as DUCK," explains one of the drivers. "Each one was designed to carry 25 Allied troops or 2,300 kilos of cargo. They were virtually responsible for the success of the Normandy invasion in 1944," he adds.

"Between 1942 and 1945, 22,000 of them were assembled, mostly by women. The ladies say that's why they're still running after all these years — but the guys say it's because the ladies never drove them much!"

The 80-minute tour brings riders along Country Music Boulevard, past several theatres, a military museum, a fish hatchery and Table Rock Dam, to Baird Mountain for panoramic views before splashing down in Table Rock Lake. (John Wayne rode one of the attraction's 18 Ducks in the movie, Guadalcanal, although it's hard to recognize, because it's now painted white.)

Other water attractions include Waltzing Waters, a musical fountain show, and Branson's American Star and Showboat Branson Belle cruises on Table Rock Lake. Lake Taneycomo, Bull Shoals Lake and Table Rock Lake offer swimming, boating, sailing, parasailing, fishing and other water sports. Besides hiking, biking, camping and birding, outdoor lovers can tee off at 12 championship golf courses.

Looking for retail therapy? Three outlet malls showcase 200 stores. Specialty shops range from Dick's Old Time 5 & 10 to Art & Woodcrafters Supply. If all the shopping and activities work up an appetite, more than 400 restaurants tempt taste buds with buffets, ethnic cuisine, fast food and fine dining.

Not bad for a town of 6,500 people.

TRAVEL INFORMATION

Branson Lakes Area: www.explorebranson.com

More things to see and do in Branson:

Ride The Ducks in Branson Missouri

Andy Williams Show at Moon River Theatre Branson Missouri