BRANSON, Mo. — Ask Jason Hughes, a member of the singing Hughes Brothers, how they got to Branson, and he'll tell you, "we drove."
Like the old Carnegie Hall joke, of course, there's more to the story than that. Jason might also tell you how he grew up singing with his four brothers in Taylorsville, perfecting that sterling family harmony with the help of vocal coach Dean Kaelin; how they went to Nashville to record an album; how everyone told them they ought to go to Branson.
"Back then, we didn't know what Branson was, but we decided to stop by," said Jason. That eventually led to a summer appearance at Silver Dollar City, an opening for the Osmond Brothers, appearances in other venues — and eventually the entire family pulled up their Utah roots and moved to Branson. They now own their own theater on the strip — the former Roy Clark Celebrity Theater — and are starting their 13th season.
They've added wives and children to the show as they've come along — "we think we're the largest performing family in the world," said Marty Hughes. But they can't think of a place they'd rather be. "What we love about Branson is that you can sing about god, country and family, and no one says anything," he said. "In fact, that's what they expect to hear."
Over at the Dutton Theater, Dean Dutton can tell a similar story. No matter how talented you are — and the singing, dancing, fiddle-banjo-guitar-and-a-whole-lot-else-playing Duttons are very talented — it's hard to make a living at music with a few concerts at home and the rest on the road. Much easier to be in a place where people come by the busload to see you every night.
The Duttons "eased into" Branson in the fall of 1997, filling in a few empty slots on the schedule. They knew immediately it was a good place to be, Dutton said. "We bought our first home here in 1997. Now, with all the kids married, we own seven homes here" — not to mention the theater (the old Boxcar Willie Theater), deli and motel that make up their entertainment complex.
Their's is definitely a family show. "That's the unique thing about us. We're the only ones on stage. It's all done by family. If we decide something needs to be done, a Dutton learns how to do it. We're all exceptionally versatile."
The Duttons have seven children of their own and four adopted teenagers from Eastern Europe. There are now 18 grandchildren, who are being folded into the show. "We always have a Baby Jesus for our Christmas show," he said.
It's a great place to work and to live, Dutton added. "The real blessing is that we all like each other. There's a lot of love and camaraderie on that stage."
The Hughes Brothers. The Duttons. The Bretts. The Lowes. The Six (aka the Knudsen Brothers). There are now so many groups in Branson with Utah roots and ties that it could almost be considered Utah South.
And don't forget the Osmonds, who were among the trail-blazers for family harmony in Branson. At one time, they, too, owned a theater on the strip. It is now the Country Legends Theater. But the Osmond name is still big in town, and Merrill Osmond is there this spring, singing Broadway hits with the troupe at the Branson Variety Theater.
"I've done this for two years now, and I have to say it's been one of the best things I've done," Merrill said. He'll take a few months off this summer to do an "idol tour"— he and lead singers from various other bands will perform — and then will be back in the fall. "The Brothers will join me for the Christmas show."
Merrill, who now lives in Ephraim, still has a lot of love for Branson. "I've spent my life on the road. I've sung in Las Vegas and in concert halls all over the country and the world. There's not another place like this in the world — a place where you can bring your family and be entertained, and where every show has a strong moral code. That's not something you find in the world. It makes it fun and easy to be here."
When the Osmonds first came to town, he admitted, "there was a bit of a stigma against LDS performers. But that has smoothed out. Our strategy was simply to make friends. Years later, we're still making friends. It's good to be in this place at this time in my life."
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Branson, in the heart of Missouri's Ozark country, hosted some 7.8 million visitors last year — an increase of 100,000 over the year before.
It has long been known as a place where older country musicians came to perform, mostly to the gray-haired crowd. But that's not so much the case now. "Branson is reinventing itself," said Lynn Berry, of the Branson Convention and Visitors Bureau. "This is not your grandmother's Branson, anymore."
Family entertainment is still the focus, but "the vision for shows has changed a bit." They still draw a lot of retirees, but "we're also getting a lot of folks in their 20s," said Berry. "The focus is on entertainment for all three generations."
More than 100 shows are performed in 49 different theaters, ranging from intimate 50-seat showrooms to 4,000-seat indoor palaces, so there's plenty of variety to choose from, whether you want country, hillbilly, show tunes, western, rock 'n' roll, pop, patriotic, a combination of all those or something else entirely.
One of the newest additions to the strip is Dick Clark's American Bandstand Theater, which "celebrates 50 years of cool cars and rock stars" and throughout the season will feature such groups as Paul Revere and the Raiders, Fabian and Bobby Vee, The Comets, The Crickets and others.
Also new is the Roy Rogers & Dale Evans Theater and museum where you can see photos, books, costumes, guns and other memorabilia, including Nellybelle the Jeep from the old Roy Rogers TV show. Roy Jr. and the High Riders perform in the Happy Trails Theater.
They join a lineup of other family friendly shows. The Presleys' Country Jubilee is celebrating its 40th year in Branson this year. The Baldknobbers is still going strong.
Andy Williams still performs at his Moon River Theater. Shoji Tabuchi — the Japanese country fiddle player — draws audiences in droves. Pierce Arrow offers a mix of music and comedy, including the world's lowest bass singer. Jim Stafford is known for his fun approach to music of the '60s.
Another recent addition is magician Darren Romeo, presented by Siegfried & Roy, and billed as "the voice of magic." He not only does illusions (including making Jeff Gordon's NASCAR car disappear), he sings everything from Andrew Lloyd Weber to Billy Joel to his own songs while he does them.
The Duttons, who can play a variety of instruments upside-down, backward and over each other's shoulders, while providing stellar harmonies, high-energy dancing and heart-warming comedy, fit right in. In fact, Amy Dutton was named Branson's best fiddler, and Timothy Dutton was named Branson's most versatile musician.
But ask any Branson veteran (and you'll sit by one at practically every show), and they'll tell you that the Hughes Brothers are another favorite. The brothers — Marty, Jason, Adam, Ryan and Andy — have been named Branson's Best Vocal Group, among other things. They perform everything from today's country hits to Western classics to Broadway and gospel favorites — and even (gasp!) rap.
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In Branson, they like to say, "no wonder we're such good entertainers, we've been practicing for 100 years."
The first visitors to the area were drawn by outdoor activities and natural wonders such as Marvel Cave (located on the property where Silver Dollar City amusement park is now).
In 1898, a minister named Harold Bell Wright was advised by his doctor to move from his home in Kansas to the Ozarks, thought to be a more suitable climate for his health. He came and fell in love with the area and in 1907 published his famous novel "The Shepherd of the Hills."
The book, which tells of life in the Ozark region, was the first book to sell a million copies, has become the fourth best-selling book in publishing history, and was the basis for four movies, including a 1941 version starring John Wayne.
Visitors began coming to the area to see the old homestead Wright wrote about, and a dramatization of the story was soon offered. (That tradition continues today with a nightly summer pageant at the Shepherd of the Hills Outdoor Theater.)
In 1913, the Ozark Beach Dam created Lake Taneycomo, which drew more outdoor enthusiasts to the area. That was followed by Table Rock Dam, in 1959, which brought the power needed for business growth.
The area gained recognition in the entertainment field in 1954, when Red Foley moved to Springfield to host his "Ozark Jubilee" TV show.
In 1959, the Mabe Brothers began performing twice a week in a converted roller skating rink on the Lake Taneycomo waterfront — and Branson never looked back. In 1968, the Baldknobbers, as they called themselves, built a theater on Highway 76. They were joined by the Presley family (no relation to Elvis) in 1967. The '70s and '80s were a time of expanded growth and development, as more entertainers discovered the area's potential.
The capper came in 1991, when the "60 Minutes" TV show did a feature on Branson, calling it the "live music capital of the entire universe." At that time there were only 22 theaters; that number has since more than doubled as growth has continued.
Live entertainment remains the main draw to Branson, but there's plenty else going on: amusement parks, museums, restaurants, shopping.
Recent developments on that front include Branson Landing, a $420 million, 95-acre lakefront development that includes shops, restaurants, a fountain plaza and condominiums. The nearby Convention Center will open this fall.
Nature lovers will enjoy the new Butterfly Palace, which starts off with a 3-D film adventure, includes an "Emerald Forest Mirror Maze" and also lets you walk among more than a thousand exotic butterflies from around the world in their rainforest habitat.
The Titanic Exhibit that passed through Salt Lake City a while back has also found a new, permanent home in Branson. Housed in a ship built in half-scale to its actual size, it lets you not only see the artifacts but also experience shipboard life through the re-created grand staircase, promenade deck and cabins. There's also a radio room with a rare, original Marconi wireless set; sloping decks to try out; water temperatures to feel; and a gallery of photos from the underwater explorations of the ship.
Spend any time in Branson, and you'll see why people keep coming back. You'll see what Merrill Osmond means when he says, "there's a spirit that moves through this town. It's creative. It's imaginative. You love being around such positive people. It's a good place to be."
For more information on Branson, contact the Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce and CVB, P.O. Box 1897, Branson, MO 65615; on the Web at www.explorebranson.com; or call 800-214-3661.
E-mail: carma@desnews.com