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

The Incomparable Mickey Gilley

By reading my show reviews, one might think that Branson hosts nothing but impersonators and tribute shows. While there are many, that is far from the truth. After all, we have been home to Andy Williams, Mel Tillis, and Mickey Gilley for twenty-plus years. Tonight, my wife and I enjoyed the incomparable talents of Mickey Gilley.

It’s not news that Mickey is recovering from a 2009 fall that severely injured his spine, so I was not surprised when he performed the majority of the show from a chair. I had to laugh at myself when I thought that it took a pretty good set of lungs to sing from a sitting position… then I remembered that Gilley has performed sitting at the piano for his entire life. Though he still has not recovered the use of his hands enough to play the piano, his voice is unhindered by age or injury. It is as strong and clear as it was when he was at the height of his popularity in the 1980s. During the show, he danced two numbers with his back up singers, the Urbanettes. He is on the mend.

While sitting in a tribute show is a wonderful journey down memory lane, sitting a few feet from the real thing is in itself a memory. Sitting in Gilley’s show creates a memory to be cherished. While many nationally-known performers in Branson keep a distance between themselves and their audience, erecting an invisible fourth wall (to steal a television phrase), Gilley knocks down the barriers. He constantly attributes his success to his fans, as when he calls his many hits, “the number one hits you gave me.” After the show, Gilley drove his car up to a church bus full of fans as it left the parking lot, stopped it, got out of his car, and climbed aboard the bus to thank the fans for coming to his show. Then, as is his habit, Gilley drove next door to Gilley’s Texas Cafe and signed autographs.

While many performers put on great shows, Gilley’s is more than just a show. Sitting in Gilley’s theater is like sitting in his living room, chatting with an old friend. He relays stories of how he got his start in the business. He tells tales of growing up with his two famous cousins, Jerry Lee Lewis and Jimmy Swaggart. He talks about how his first record flopped, yet 50 years later earned him over $50,000 when Yoplait used it in a TV ad in Ireland. He tells how he became “an overnight success” in his late thirties after struggling for nearly 20 years. Yet, somehow, during all his sharing, he manages to perform every one of his 17 number one hits, a couple of songs by his buddy Johnny Lee, show us a couple clips from TV appearances in the 80s, and sing us a couple of his favorite tunes that did not make it to the top spot on the chart.

Gilley is an every-man, longing to play golf again, truly enjoying his fans, and working hard to once again do what he does best, sit at the piano, playing and singing. He moves his hands when he sings, playing the piano in his mind, fingering the chords. Even without the piano, though, an afternoon at Gilley’s is a true joy.

2012 Branson Passport Rating for the Mickey Gilley Show (out of 5):

Family Friendly – 5

Entertaining – 5

Musical Abilities – 5 (rating the band and back up singers in this case)

Vocal Abilities – 5

Professionalism – 5

Total Score – 5

Gilley performs four shows per week at the Mickey Gilley Theater . For a complete schedule, go to http://www.gilleys.com/theatre/showtimes.cfm

Class of ’57: Statler Brothers Revisited

Thursday night in Branson, early in the spring, so I didn’t expect to see a full theater when my wife and I decided to check out “Class of ’57,” a tribute to the Statler Brothers, but what we found was a delightful surprise in many ways. Not only was the theater nearly full (including a motor coach full of visitors from Iowa), but the show was
phenomenal.

The Statler Brothers began singing in the mid-1950s, and were a part of the pop and country music scene until 2002 when they retired. They have not performed together since. But, visit the God and Country Theater on the 76 strip in Branson, close your eyes, and you can hear them once more. Class of 57 is a tribute show, not impersonators, but
they sound remarkably like the real thing.

The men who sing in the tribute show are exceptional performers. Place these same four singers together for any concert, though – be it Statler’s music or not – and one would see a noteworthy performance. This group is not just four guys off the street; rather, Class of 57 is comprised of three seasoned professionals and one young talent. Put together by Ronnie Page – who says his granddaughter drug an old Statler Brothers album down from his attic, inspiring him to form this group – Class of 57 runs smoothly, sounds great, and is flat out fun. Page is a former member of the Oak Ridge Boys and of the Chuck Wagon Gang, and is founding member of the Downing Street Boys, a local Gospel Group. Page knows how a Branson show should sound, and upholds the highest standards in all his work. He sings bass in this group, though in his younger years, he has sung baritone, and even tenor.

The baritone for this group is singer-songwriter, Roy Morris, who bears one of the strongest stage presences in Branson. He has performed with his wife, Barbara Fairchild, at their diner for several years, and this year can be found at the Golden Coral and, on Sunday mornings, leading worship at the Music City Center.

The lead singer on many of the songs in this Statler Brothers Tribute is Mike Walker, who has headlined his own show in Branson. Walker is one of the most likeable performers in Branson, as well as the most talented. His own show (at 2 pm at the God and Country Theater) includes impersonations – of which there are over 50 – of Willy Nelson, Johnny Cash, and many, many more. In this show, Walker doesn’t seem to impersonate Don Reid, but sings in his own voice, which sounds incredibly close to Reid’s voice in most songs. Walker is also one of the most humorous people on the Branson stage. During a take off on a humorous Statler Brothers song Thursday night,
Walker laughed so hard, he almost cried.

Singing Tenor for the Class of ’57 is Cody Boggs, a newcomer to the stage. Cody, who is manager at the Reebok store on the Tanger Mall is an exceptional talent, and does a great job hitting the high notes (even on John Cash’s “Daddy Sang Bass,” on which the Statler Brothers sang back up).

All your Statler Favorites are hear, Class of 57, Counting Flowers on the Wall, Elisabeth, and many more, including a nod to the Statler’s roots in Gospel music. But, then, what else would you expect with a show that features Ronnie Page and Roy Morris. I highly recommend this show. You will not be disappointed.

2012 Branson Passport Rating for Class of ’57: Statler Brothers Revisited (out of 5):

Family Friendly – 5

Entertaining – 5

Musical Abilities – 5

Vocal Abilities – 5

Professionalism – 5

Total Score – 5

Class of 57 perform at God & Country Theater in Branson, MO at 8pm (Wed & Thu). For a complete schedule, go to http://godandcountrytheatre.com/#/statlers-revisited/4558285717