Branson shaking off the dust, looking for new crowd

Branson is cleaning up its act.

It’s also updating its acts, which, depending on where you are on the timeline of life, may or may not be a good thing.

First, to the cleanup: That chaotic mess that is the Missouri Highway 76 strip? Those miles of big and small theaters, and good and bad food, and every manner of motel and ticket-hustling storefront — all that stuff that makes Branson Branson?

It’s getting something of a makeover.

“We call it ‘The Spirit of 76 Project,’ ” Branson spokeswoman Lynn Berry says.

And there are other transitions of note. Comedian Yakov Smirnoff of What a Country! fame is gone.

He ended his successful 23-year run in December to return to Hollywood and reinvent himself (Dancing With the Stars, maybe?). Meanwhile, Mickey Gilley, another longtime fixture with his own theater, is retiring. The plan, we’re told, is to take it a little easier as his 80th birthday approaches.

They’re not alone.

Change in showbiz anywhere can be wrenching, but there’s an intimacy with performers in Branson that makes it more personal. It lost Andy Williams to cancer in 2012. That hurt everybody.

The four Lennon Sisters are still lovely, but when they perform, they’re down to three. Down, too, are the Osmonds, one of whom — Jimmy (now 53) — bought Williams’ Moon River Theatre and performs there, sometimes, with just two of his brothers.

Shoji Tabuchi, after selling out his own theater for years, still draws, but the affable Japanese-born violinist-showman-treasure is 72. Happily for those of us who enjoy what he does, he says he’s not going anywhere — “I’m not talking about retiring. I’ll probably fall off the stage before I retire.”

But today’s hottest tickets are younger acts, many of them family businesses. There’s SIX, with six brothers who sing both their lyrics and their “instruments” — a truly amazing performance. The Haygoods, with five brothers and a sister who sing their lyrics and play actual instruments, including a harp, and the Duttons, with lots of Duttons doing everything.

“The new kids are coming in with lasers and lights and new songs and more energy and stealing the show,” says Dominic Haygood, a 33-year-old member of the popular brother troupe. “And that’s the nature of the system.

“You rock it as long as you can, and then you pass the torch. Can’t be up here forever, man.”

For a ridiculously quick history that leaves out a lot: Branson grew, in a couple of decades, from a few modest shows plus good fishing and The Shepherd of the Hills theatrical show into something completely different.

“I came here in 1981,” Tabuchi says. “The only thing we had was the Baldknobbers and the Presleys Country Jubilee (two hillbilly comedy-music shows), Silver Dollar City (the theme park), and maybe three or four more shows. That’s all. Nothing like now.”

Sensing opportunity, a few (mainly Nashville music) stars followed — first Roy Clark, then Ray Stevens, Mel Tillis (with his beloved stutter), Bobby Vinton and others. Tabuchi built a theater. So did others.

“From there, it just started to snowball,” Tabuchi says.

The town and its shows — in most any given week — drew carloads and busloads. Military veterans were treated as special guests — and still are.

“We see about 500 military reunions a year,” Berry says.

Unfortunately, old soldiers fade away (except in our hearts), and veterans of Vietnam and more recent skirmishes, and others of their generation, are a different breed.

“It’s an SUV market,” Smirnoff says, “where two couples or three couples jump into an SUV and go wherever they want to go.”

And they don’t always crave lodging-show packages, even with discounts.

“They’re not going to be told where they want to go,” Smirnoff adds. “They don’t want to sit in a bus with 40, 50 other people.”

Silver Dollar City remains a solid attraction. The Titanic Museum, which seemed a curious addition when it opened in 2006, turned out to be a popular interactive experience, and not just for kids — who are accommodated but not patronized.

Johnny Morris, the visionary behind Bass Pro Shops (the mother ship is in nearby Springfield, Mo.), has installed a showpiece Jack Nicklaus-designed par-3 golf course at his Top of the Rock/Big Cedar Resort complex 30 minutes from town.

And there’s also Morris’ Ancient Ozarks Natural History Museum and an astounding collection of artifacts you don’t expect to find this close to the Baldknobbers and the Presleys Country Jubilee. (Both those artifacts, by the way, are still here.)

But, back to the makeover: Berry says the town has earmarked $100 million for a renovation of downtown Branson (which took a major hit 10 years ago when the Branson Landing mall opened along the riverfront) and Missouri 76.

The project is well underway and the eight-year plan calls for additions such as walkways along Missouri 76, with plentiful benches, water features and other aesthetic adjustments.

In addition, an abandoned outlet mall is being converted to Ballparks of America, a complex of replica ballparks that will host summer youth tournaments; an 80,000-square-foot indoor theme park called Fritz’s Adventure is opening soon; and an air gondola has been proposed that would connect downtown with Silver Dollar City.

“Something 10 miles long would be very interesting,” Berry says.

Not likely to change are Branson staples: performers greeting fans and signing autographs after shows, salutes to veterans, gospel songs at most performances, a general wholesomeness, and show-time traffic gluts. (It wouldn’t be Branson without them.)

But expect more new shows — younger, louder and flashier — plus traditional favorites (Oak Ridge Boys, Don Williams, Wynonna, Mel) and holdovers like Dixie Stampede and Showboat Branson Belle, as well as a parade of magicians, tribute shows, discount coupons and buffets.

This story was originally published January 20, 2016 at 10:22 AM with the headline "Branson shaking off the dust, looking for new crowd."