We returned last evening from our Branson, MO trip. As usual, it was a great time meeting new folks on the tour bus, attending shows and eating good food. A last minute schedule change got us out of Bismarck on Wednesday night because of the threat of weather socking us in. The hunch was correct. We enjoyed hearing about the blizzard without having to experience it. It takes about a day and a half to get there and Omaha, NE was the overnight point both coming and going. The Farmers Union tours are popular and the bus was filled to capacity.
A rundown of the shows we attended includes:
1. Baldknobbers Jamboree Show - Good music and comedy, the highlight being three hillbilly comedians, two of whom took out their false teeth and one who put in a set of buck teeth. We laughed so hard I had a sore throat yet the next morning.
2. Doug Gabriel Show - Good music furnished by Gabriel, his wife and kids, and some good backup.
3. Daniel O'Donnell - My favorite, a world class entertainer. He has a tremendous ability to connect in his folksy style with an audience, and I always enjoy hearing the little old ladies in the audience squeal when he wiggles his hips. His singing partner Mary Duff is good, too.
4. Dixie Stampede - An arena show featuring lots of horses. The audience sits on five rows of risers facing the arena and food is served. No eating utensils are furnished, you eat with your fingers. Those who have never attended before were surprised when a whole Cornish hen got plopped on their plate.
5. Red Hot and Blue - Billed as the hardest working entertainers in Branson, and they may well have been with their singing, dancing, costume changes, etc. as they performed music from different time periods.
6. The Promise - A Biblical show depicting the life of Christ. Excellent production on a large stage with lots of scenery changes. We visited with one of the actors before the show, and I remarked on the barely noticeable tiny microphone he had strapped on his head. He said they cost $10,000 apiece and the cast had 28 of them.
7. Shoji Tobuchi - Always a class act show! He has the most elaborate sets and costuming in Branson. He doesn't speak English well, but he talks a lot anyway and tells funny stories. He said he is a good fishing buddy with Mel Tillis and that Mel says in his show that he can't afford to fish with Shoji anymore because Shoji always eats the minnows.
It was our fourth time in Branson, and I'm sure there will be more in the future.
