Pierce Arrow – Great Music, Great Fun

I had an exchange with a tourist the other day that went something like this:
ME: “So, how are you enjoying Branson; have you seen any good shows?”

GUEST: “Oh, yes. We saw Pierce Arrow just last night. It was great. I do believe it is the best show in Branson.”

This exchange is pretty typical. Guest after Guest pick Pierce Arrow as the best show in Branson. It had been a couple years since I had seen the show, so my wife and I visited it Friday night. To help me analyze the show, I brought along two of my grandsons and a granddughter, all under 8 years old.

As expected, the show began with a bang! Literally. Jarrett Dougherty, the show’s funny man for several years never fails to amuse guests, and – once again – he was the highlight of the show. In the show he plays Ed Winnebag, or “Edwin,” an RV Repairman who mistakenly comes to the “Pierce Arrow” Theater to repair a “Pace Arrow” RV. Once he wanders on stage and sees the spotlight, he wants to be a star. Dougherty never fails to get laughs with both new jokes and time-tested routines, and – even though I knew a lot of what was coming – I couldn’t help but laugh as loud as anyone. My grandkids loved his antics, and that speaks volumes. To his credit, and to the credit of the entire cast (who must have performed the same routines hundred if not thousands of times), every line seems spontaneous and fresh. Dougherty is a pro, and a very funny man. (I must warn you, though, that some – a very little – of his humor may be considered rated PG, a new trend in Branson that I first noticed in the Paul Harris Show).

Bobby Blackburn, a fine guitarist and musical director acts as Dougherty’s straightman. He does well in that roll, and is more than a little reminiscent of Oliver Hardy in both his looks and his nature.

Dan Britton, owner and executive producer of the show founded the Pierce Arrow quartet over years ago. Incidently, he holds many world records for the lowest notes ever sung. In recent years, he has stepped out of the spotlight, and has hired Tim Storms to sing bass. Britton performs only when Storms has other engagements. Storms himself holds the current record for lowest note sung, and has recently set a new kind of record. He sung a note so low that the human ear could not detect it. It was recorded only by instruments (and I am guessing a few thousand elephants in zoos across the midwest). Storm is clearly the crowd’s favorite, and his performance generates many spontaneous rounds of applause throughout the night. When one watches Storm perform, one feels his bass part as much as hears it; he rocks the house.

Christian recording artis and founding member of Pierce Arrow, Gary Korieba, is back again this season and does a fine job as lead singer in the quartet. His wife, Kim Boyce, sounds and looks as lovely as ever. The show – in my opinion – would not be worth seeing without them.

New to the Branson stage this year is the very talented Luke Menard. Luke’s name may be familiar to you from his time with the a cappela group, Take Six, or you may recognize him as a finalist from American Idol. Luke adds much to the show, and he seems to be a natural fit.

Also on the stage this year is a fourteen year old sensation from Branson who – even at such a young age – sings like a pro. CeCe Day, discovered by Dan Britton’s daughter at the Branson Junior High School, has a great future ahead of her. The country songs that she sang Friday night blended very smoothly with the music of Pierce Arrow.

Speaking of the music of Pierce Arrow, their show features a half dozen songs of the Statler Brothers. This section of the show in and of itself is worth the price of the ticket.

Is Pierce Arrow my favorite show? Maybe not, but it kept my young grandchildren entertained, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I strongly recommend this show.

2012 Branson Passport Rating for Pierce Arrow (out of 5):

Family Friendly – 4

Entertaining – 5

Musical Abilities – 5

Vocal Abilities – 5

Professionalism – 5

Total Score – 4.8

Pierce Arrow plays Monday through Thursday and Saturday at 3 PM and 7:30 PM at the Pierce Arrow Theater in Branson. On Fridays, Pierce Arrow perfoms at 7:30 PM. For a complete schedule, go to http://piercearrowtheater.com/shows.php

Smoke on the Mountain: Fun-filled Family Fare

One of the joys of this blog is the unexpected discovery of wonderful Branson shows. Smoke on the Mountain is such a wonderful show. The year is 1938. The setting is the fictional Mount Pleasant Baptist Church. The situation is the visit of the Sanders family, gospel singers invited to the church by its young, new pastor. Both the young pastor and the visiting evangelists may be just a tad too modern for the ultra-conservative congregation. Much of the humor of the show comes from interaction with the congregation, which is – in fact – comprised of the show’s audience.

The show is very funny, but it’s humor is not situational, rather it is drawn from the characters themselves. While the lines are funny, the show might fall flat with a different cast. The actors indeed bring these characters to life. Not once does the audience see Branson performers, but for two straight hours, one experiences the trial and tribulations of a pastor who wants to drag his church into the twentieth century, but who is afraid of offending his staunch and stodgy church pillars.

Smoke on the Mountain is different than most Branson Shows. Whereas most Branson Shows are variety shows or concerts, this is a play; a good one. There is plenty of music, though. Good music. The cast is talented, and the production is simple, straight-forward. The theater is the Little Opry Theatre in the Imax Complex, which is intimate and comfortable. I sat on the back row on the right side, yet I had no trouble seeing the twinkle in the eyes of the cast on stage right.

To some, my description of this enjoyable play may sound sacrilegious, but it is not. It is a true-to-life account of situations with which any middle-American can identify, if raised in a Christian home. The young pastor is full of temptation. Mr. Sanders is a simple working man who does his best to share the Word of God through his music, but he is a little out of touch with his college-aged children. Mrs. Sanders is full of passion for the Gospel, but must be tempered by her husband. And, the hapless youngest daughter struggles for attention. Watch the youngest daughter carefully when you see this show. She is the funniest actor on stage. Her improvisation of American Sign Language (she claims to be an interpreter, but knows absolutely NO signs) will have you rolling in the aisle.

I highly recommend this show. You must see it. The cast is, by the way, preparing a Christmas show that I am dying to see.

2012 Branson Passport Rating for Smoke on the Mountain (out of 5):

Family Friendly – 5

Entertaining – 5

Musical Abilities – 5

Vocal Abilities – 5

Professionalism – 5

Total Score – 5

Smoke on the Mountain runs Tuesday through Saturday at 8 PM at the Little Opry Theatre in Branson . For a complete schedule, go to http://www.bransonimax.com/index.php/big-live-shows/6-SMOKE-ON-THE-MOUNTAIN

The Rat Pack – a Tribute

I have always hated to see any Branson Show fail, but, last night, I made up my mind that some shows simply deserve to fail. The Rat Pack at the Icon Theatre is perhaps the worst show I have seen in Branson. While watching it, I did something I have never done before, I left at intermission. I simply could not take anymore.

Please, let me explain: it is not all bad. The band boasts a couple of Branson’s finest musicians. Why they are laboring away at one of the poorest and smallest shows in Branson can only be explained by a poorer economy. But, when I say band, I mean just that. The show advertises a full orchestra, but what it has is a guitarist, a bass guitarist, a drummer, and a piano player. The band, though, was the best part about the show.

The Rat Pack is a 5 pm show that bills itself as a dinner show, but there was no dinner available. “Not until peak season,” I was told. I wanted to respond with a flippant remark, that it is the first of June, and it is peak season in Branson, but I bit my lip. After all, that was all I would be able to eat, with no dinner served.

The Icon Theatre is a small, second floor venue, with cushioned convention center chairs instead of theater seats. It is so small that there is not a bad seat in the house. So, I took mine on the second row. That was a mistake. Sitting little more than arm’s reach from the impersonators allowed me to see all to clearly how little they look like the stars they mimic.

The show was opened by John Shaw, who has performed at Dean Martin in New York and Vegas. He, indeed, sounds much like Dean when he sings, even more so when he talks. He doesn’t look much like Dean, though, and his performance was lackluster. I sat through it thinking that I could tolerate the show, so long as the guy performing as Sinatra was pretty good. He wasn’t.

Duke Hazlet – Sinatra – has been around for years. A Google search of his name shows that he quickly went from a wannabe to a has-been Sinatra impersonator. I cannot say if this guy was ever a world-class Sinatra impersonator, but I can tell you that he doesn’t sound like Sinatra now. He struggled with his breath control, couldn’t hit any of the high notes, or hold a note for long. His voice cracked. Listening to him was not enjoyable.

Before intermission, “Sammy Davis, Jr.” made an appearance. In fairness to James Tarver, who plays Sammy, he does a reasonably good impersonation. But, after watching the dismal performance of Hazlet, I needed to be wowed. Whether my attitude or whether I sensed the attitude of the performer, Tarver seemed to be merely going through the motions.

Intermission was at the end of Tarver’s second song, and I left. My wife, who had remained silent through the show, commented that she was glad I chose to leave. She, too, found it unbearable. She insightfully noted that all the performers – band included – seemed uninspired, had no charisma, and were not enjoying themselves. But, then, it is hard to enjoy oneself when you are attached to a dying show. There were only a dozen people in the audience (on a Friday night). If no one can resuscitate this show, I hope it dies quickly and painlessly.

But, then… this is only one man’s opinion.

2012 Branson Passport Rating for The Rat Pack (out of 5):

Family Friendly – 4

Entertaining – 2

Musical Abilities – 3

Vocal Abilities – 2

Professionalism – 2

Total Score – 2.6

The Rat Pack performs most nights at 5 PM at the Icon Theatre in Branson . For a complete schedule, go to http://www.theicontheatre.com/cristy_lane_theatre_004.htm

Vasken’s Deli: A Hidden Gem

I am asked nearly daily to recommend a good place to eat in Branson. I almost always send people to Vasken’s Deli. Vasken’s is an anomaly. They do not spend a bundle on advertising. They have a terrible location, in that they are off the strip, hard to find. Their sign is small, not much larger than a rummage sale sign. They are only open through the afternoon, and close just before dinner. Their deli is small, even cramped. Yet, Vasken’s is successful.

Located near the front of an office park at 1015 Hwy 248, Vasken’s seems to thrive on good word of mouth. When I eat their, which as not as often as I would like, I try to arrive around 11:30 or after 2 to avoid the rush. The place is always packed, mostly with regulars. The line to the counter during lunch is inevitably backed up to the door, and guests don’t mind the wait; it is worth it. One can always count on seeing friends in the place, or even a few stars. A couple of the Liverpool Legends, for example, are regulars. As the food is prepared in front of you, it is not unusual for staff and guests to become well acquainted, so hellos from the staff are sincere, and served with a smile.

Service is quick. Order at the counter, take a number, choose a table, fix your drink at the fountain, and your food is delivered to your table. Not only is the food served quickly, but it is always good. Vasken’s food is simple, affordable, tastes great, and is consistent. Vasken specializes in Greek food. For example, on a recent visit, I enjoyed the special, curry chicken salad, and my wife ate her usual, a falafel. The special, available on white, wheat, pita, marble rye, or without bread, was made to perfection, with just the right amount of curry, moist, meaty, and mild. The price is just $5.99. Each sandwich comes with chips, pasta salad, or potato salad. My wife always loves the food. Our recent visit was no exception.

Put Vasken’s Deli in your GPS, and find the place. You won’t be disappointed. Oh, and what do I recommend? Well, I have never had a bad sandwich there, but my favorite… hard to choose, but I often order the corned beef on rye. It is piled high with meat sliced paper thin, just the way it should be. It is mouth-watering good.

Vasken’s Deli is located at 1015 Hwy 248 Suite D, Branson, MO. 65616. They are generally open 10-5, Monday through Friday, though I have been in there as early as 8 ordering lunch sandwiches to go. Find them on Facebook, here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Vaskens-Deli/105720182835980 – Their website is found here: http://vaskensdeli.com/ – — Enjoy.

Branson Passport Rating: 5 out of 5

Quality of Food: 5
Portions: 5
Taste: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5