Awe and wonder key to Branson show survival?

Branson’s live entertainment scene has changed dramatically in the last ten years. The era of the out-of-town celebrity, which fueled Branson’s 1990s “boom,” has largely exited stage right. The marquee names that once defined the town—Andy Williams, Roy Clark, Mel Tillis, Ray Stevens, Mickey Gilley, the Osmonds, Glen Campbell and Box Car Willie—are gone, leaving a vacuum for other shows to fill. 

Branson’s roots lie in the “Hillbilly Jubilees” of the Baldknobbers and Presleys—earnest, local family bands that provided nighttime entertainment for lake-bound tourists. While many of Branson’s shows carry on that tradition, they are being eclipsed by what some critics call an “Economy of Exaggeration.” 

An example commonly cited is the productions of Sight & Sound Theatre and their spectacular biblical productions. Their productions feature a 300-foot-wide immersive set, live animals and live horses going through the aisles, offering a sensory, even olfactory, experience. As an entertainment experience, it is a spectacle that unlocks the audience’s sense of awe and wonder. 

The same can be said for Dolly Parton’s Stampede. The huge arena, with its combination of galloping horses, audience interaction, amazing special effects, and a “unique” meal, is an entertainment experience that unlocks the audience’s sense of awe and wonder. Legends in Concert, with its Las Vegas-style production and high-caliber tribute artists, creates a sense of awe and wonder, bringing audiences as close as most will ever get to seeing some of the greatest entertainment legends perform.

“But Seagull, those shows are national shows owned by big corporations, developed for multiple locations with advertising and production budgets unheard of by the typical Branson shows, family-owned shows.” So what? That doesn’t change the challenge or what other Branson shows are competing against.

One thing that adds to the audience’s sense of awe and wonder with these shows is that they are one-of-a-kind shows in Branson. Most of the other Branson shows, whether it’s the standard musical variety, concert, Branson paradigm, “tribute” or magic shows, all fall into a similar competitive set.

“Seagull, are you saying that only these Branson shows are the only ones capable of creating awe and wonder? Absolutely not, simply pointing out the challenge.

One show that comes to mind is the Haygoods. They’re a family-owned Branson show and look what they’ve done! One thing for sure, it didn’t happen by them sitting around waiting for somebody else to market to bring people in. It happened because they worked their tails off to develop a high-quality product they are excited about. A product that has evolved, leaving its audiences in awe and wonder, and an extremely effective marketing program that shares that with its target audience.

“Are the Haygoods the only ones who have met the challenge?” No, there are a few others, but they are, in the opinion of an Ole Seagull the ‘poster show' for awe and wonder.