Branson style appeals to all and their families
 Branson belongs to the big time with its 47 theaters and 70 shows. (Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce/CVB) |
BRANSON - Here in the Ozarks, it's all about family.
Sure, Mickey Mouse may be the corporate symbol of squeaky clean good times, and that vixen Las Vegas has tried for years to enfold families in its racy embrace, but this town has unabashedly used a quirky mix of family fun to lure visitors by the millions for nearly half a century.
And we are talking serious numbers here. In 2007, Branson, population 7,000, drew roughly 8.4 million guests, making it the 20th most popular overnight leisure vacation destination in the country, according to local tourism officials. High gas prices and general economic woes may cut into those num bers this year, but Branson has an extremely loyal customer base and has weathered economic downturns before.
So what exactly is it that keeps people coming back by the car-, van-, and busload? Nothing mysterious: reasonably priced family activities, including amusement parks and museums, shopping options that range from craft stores to factory outlets, a wide variety of outdoor pursuits, plus lots of live entertainment.
"We like Branson because we always find something for everyone to do - from me to my grandma," said Brian Stevens, 12, of Muncie, Ind., who had come with seven family members in two minivans on the nine-hour drive from home. The whole clan, decked out in matching tie-dyed T-shirts, was enjoying lunch at the Casa Fuentes Mexican restaurant on Highway 76 Country Boulevard, also known as "the Strip."
Like the gaudier Vegas version, Branson's Strip runs through the heart of town (where it is frequently clogged with traffic) and displays the full gamut of what the city has to offer.
Our recent visit began on the east end of the Strip, where we stayed at the new and nicely appointed Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing. The hotel overlooks the Landing's outdoor shopping mall along the shore of Lake Taneycomo, which was formed by damming the White River. The two-year-old mall is anchored by a Belk department store on one end and a Bass Pro Shops on the other, with lots of mid-range shopping and dining in between. A second Hilton hotel is attached to the nearby and also new Branson Convention Center.
Just to the west of the Landing area is historic Downtown Branson, which dates to 1888 and retains something of its 19th-century flavor with brick sidewalks, Victorian lampposts, and stores like Dick's Oldtime 5&10 and The House of 1,000 Clocks. Walking tours of downtown are available and give an interesting glimpse of Branson's roots.
Past the downtown area, the Strip begins in earnest with its mixture of buffet restaurants, souvenir shops, attractions such as the massive Titanic Museum, and some older motels that still offer "2 for $32.95" in the off-season. There are also 47 theaters sprinkled along the Strip and on nearby thoroughfares, whose shows are by a variety of artists, a number of whom you know, others you've never heard of, and some you could have sworn were no longer with us.
All of those shows, and Branson's blossoming as entertainment mecca of Middle America, can be traced to 1960, when an outdoor pageant based on Harold Bell Wright's 1907 novel "The Shepherd of the Hills," (made into a movie with John Wayne in 1941) began performances that continue today. Around the same time, two families, the Mabes (rhymes with "babes") and the Presleys (unrelated to Elvis), began entertaining visitors, who were largely attracted by the good fishing.
The Mabes and Presleys have a bit of a feud going: The Presleys' Country Jubilee claims the title of "original show on the Strip" while the Mabes' Baldknobbers Jamboree Show - named after an Ozarks vigilante group of the late 1800s - maintains it is "Branson's first show." The two theaters are nearly within spitting distance of each other across the Strip.
We had to pick one, so we went with the Baldknobbers and here's what we found: a talented, attractive cast including several generations of Mabes performing slick versions of country songs, along with a little gospel and a stirring tribute to the military veterans in the audience. There was also a lot of hillbilly humor featuring oddly dressed comedians with bad teeth, including "Droopy Drawers Jr.," played by Tim Mabe, who took over the role from his father, Jim. Picture the comedy of TV's "Hee-Haw," the hillbilly caricatures more extreme and the jokes even older. The audience loved it.
For an explanation of the unique Branson phenomenon, we turned the next day to Dan Lennon, vice president of the Branson Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Visitors Bureau. Lennon just happens to be the brother of the Lennon Sisters (we told you this was all about family!), who got their start on "The Lawrence Welk Show" in the 1950s, and now perform at the Welk Resort Center in Branson.
Lennon has been around show business most of his life and has seen the full spectrum of entertainment. When it comes to a reason for the enduring success of Branson's original productions he offered: "Certainly, some of it is celebrating simple songs and humor in a non-ironic way." He added: "The whole world doesn't need to be like that. But it's good to have a place that is."
And while the Presleys, Mabes, and Japanese fiddle player Shoji Tabuchi remain fixtures, Lennon says that Branson's entertainment scene is evolving. "Performers here cut their teeth on the World War II generation, and now that's fading away, so you're seeing a shift to the baby boomers," he said. Dick Clark has opened a theater on the Strip featuring artists like Bill Medley of the Righteous Brothers, Bobby Vee, and Fabian. There also is a "Liverpool Legends" tribute to the Beatles and Elvis impersonators abound.
New resorts like the Chateau on the Lake also appeal to boomers with spa treatments and fine dining. However, for our second lodging experience, we took a step back in time to the Boxcar Willie Hotel located near the Strip's western terminus. The Boxcar bears the name of the late hobo country singer and star of a million pre-cable, late-night TV infomercials. We found the accommodations spare but fully functional, including an indoor pool, at less than half the price of a night in the Hilton.
Our plan to experience fly-fishing on one of the region's many lakes was washed out by an all-day monsoon, so we shifted gears and played 36 holes of miniature golf indoors at the Grand Country Square on the Strip. One of many mini-golf options in the area, it is the only one to feature a simulated indoor thunderstorm complete with rain showers.
At Lennon's suggestion, we stopped at the Engler Block, a little farther down the Strip. Here, local artisans in more than 30 shops create and sell authentic Ozark crafts. We examined handmade musical instruments, glass, and pottery before fulfilling all our gift needs at Old John's Woodshed, where proprietor Paul Guilfoyle carves all kinds of creations out of local and exotic woods.
Our final night in Branson brought us to the Moon River Theatre, where Andy Williams has been playing regularly since arriving in the 1990s as the area's first real non-country act. Williams, 80, has lost some range in both voice and motion, but he remains a gracious and engaging entertainer. The theater, which Williams owns, along with the Moon River Grill restaurant next door, is beautifully designed and decorated with artwork and photographs that trace his decades-long career.
On this night, Williams was joined on stage by Ann-Margret, 67, and the still-vivacious redhead brought plenty of life to the performance. The star of "Bye Bye Birdie" and "Viva Las Vegas" sang and danced up a storm, which left her a bit winded but willing to laugh at herself, which the audience appreciated.
"This was the highlight of our trip," said Sadie Kessler, 78, of Edmond, Okla., during the intermission. "Both of them just want to give so much of themselves."
After the show, we adjourned to the Moon River Grill and enjoyed our best meal in Branson. Before long, Williams himself appeared and worked the room a little before settling into a booth and ordering a beer. A steady stream of fans approached for photographs and autographs and Williams appeared happy to oblige, making each one feel just like family.
Doug Warren can be reached at dwarren003@austin.rr.com.
