Celebrate America Show

K. H.
Branson MO
Branson Show: Celebrate America
Recommendation: Yes
Ratings: 5 of 5
Date: May 12, 2004
Time: 9:26 AM

My family loved this show!

It is always good to welcome a new show to Branson, but this is more than just another new show come down the pike. First of all, it is big and beautiful.  Wonderful costumes, scenery and a very large video screen behind all of the action. There are probably thirty people in the cast of performers.  All very talented.
The basic story is that a town is having a 4th of July celebration, but one little girl and her grandfather are discussing why her dad has to be away in the military.  The grandfather tells a story that explains to his granddaughter why Americans have always fought for freedom.  They travel back to Colonial days and then proceed further along history to arrive back to the present day at the 4th celebration.  They visit the Colonial times, pioneers, the Civil War, The New York World's Fair at the turn of the century, the 1920s, the Depression, the 1940s, modern day and more.  The Vietnam Wall section is as powerful as anything I have seen in theater.  GREAT DANCING AND SINGING!  The video screen was amazing, just like putting live singing and dancing in front of a movie - hard to describe, you have to see it.

The narrator is a bit slow in his delivery, but the words are good.  The little girl playing the grand-daughter is excellent! She has a fun solo set with animals and some cute dancing.

The show runs right at 2 hours but is incredibly entertaining.  Nothing else like it in Branson - put it on your schedule! We are already planning on going back to see it with guests this summer.

-Parking - very good, flat, with plenty of spaces.
-Food/ Dining (if applicable) standard soft drinks, candy, hot dogs, etc...good prices.
-Gift Shop - great stuff in here.
-Cleanliness (lobby, employees, bathrooms, auditorium) beautiful theater! None is nicer looking, very clean, great restrooms, beautiful grounds.
-Service of theatre employees - WONDERFUL!!
-Seating – adequate, comfortable, etc.  Great seats; someone said there are 300 seats.
-Lighting - AWESOME!!!
-Acoustics Sound system?  Sounded great, could understand all of the words.

-Music- very good!
-Comedy - some funny moments:  The part where the soldiers were reading a letter from home was a stitch
-Acting - Mostly very good, the narrator was a bit slow, but did a nice job. Overall terrific
-Hold a child’s interest?  Lots of moments that would interest children, color, movement, movies, singing and dancing, but geared more for school age and above.
-Creativity - WOW!!!!!!!

H. S.
Broken Arrow, OK
Branson Show: Celebrate America
Recommendation: Yes
Ratings: 5 of 5
Date: June 21, 2004
Time: 3:28 PM

Our family, including a 2-year-old daughter and a 12-year-old son, saw Celebrate America last week. I love musicals and history, and enjoyed this show very much. My husband thought it was pretty good, but our son only thought it was "okay." Nonetheless, it was a great history lesson for him, and he seemed quietly thoughtful afterwards. Our daughter liked parts of it (the girl, and the dancing), but then fell asleep. =o) The music and action on stage was sufficient to keep her from distracting anyone.

The show opens with a rush of energy as the actors sprint down the aisles, saying hello to people in the audience. They are dressed in modern attire and begin singing a patriotic song - "Celebrate America." The curtain rises on a modern day town square, where people are preparing for a 4th of July celebration. One of the main characters, a girl, is sad because her daddy is in the armed forces and might not make it home in time for the
festivities. I'm teary-eyed already!

The show is Grandpa's attempt to explain why the United States is a great country, and why men and women have been willing to die fighting for our freedoms. Each era of U.S. history is depicted with scenery, dialogue, song, and choreography. Also, behind all of this, the back wall of the stage is projecting real photos of people, artifacts, and footage of the era. One of my favorite scenes was of a frontier mother rocking her baby to sleep, singing "Mama's gonna buy you a mockingbird." On the screen behind her there is a slide show of simple images from around a house of days gone by... The images are like memory flashes that an older person might have of "home," viewed from a child's perspective. A nightstand with an old alarm clock, an old framed picture, a dining room and a rocking chair. Call me a mother, but it made me cry.

I loved watching each segment of history come to life. The only things that bothered me were the girl's 80's-ish outfit, and how Grandpa seemed to stumble through his many lines. After reading other reviews of this show, I agree that perhaps more could be done with it. But it is very good to begin with, definitely a must-see, with no other show like it. I recommend seeing it before going to Silver Dollar City or Celebration City, or any other show for that matter. It really brings people of the past to life, and honors Americans and veterans in a whole new light.

Thank you, Branson, for another great show.

L.B.
Branson, Mo
Branson Show: Celebrate America
Recommendation: No
Ratings: 3 of 5
Date: May 13, 2004
Time: 6:36 PM

As a resident of Branson, I was excited at the notion of a new show coming to town. However, I was somewhat disappointed at what I saw. With the sensitive and timeless subject matter, and the incredible talent that was available, the show had much more potential than was realized. There were a lot of bells and whistles that made it appear to be a really "big" show, but the script would be hard-pressed to stand on its own, as it was slow-moving, and a bit corny at times. The big screen that utilized projected images and videos as a backdrop to the set offered a somewhat unique interest, but may have been overused a bit. The show seemed a bit cluttered overall, and about 30 minutes longer than it needed to be. I found myself having trouble staying with it.

I was very impressed with the costumes, and the choreography, and the music was enjoyable and well performed. The sets were clever and effective. Most of the acting was quite good. However, I had difficulty finding the narrator to be believable in his character. The young girl who plays the granddaughter was incredibly talented and likeable, a real natural. I am taking into account the fact that I saw the show on opening night, and will reserve final judgment and likelihood of recommending it until I have had a chance to see it again later in the season, when there has been some time to work out a few of the bugs. I believe this is the type of show that could truly be an asset in Branson, and I am hopeful that it can be refined to become the attraction that it has the potential to be.

C. R.
Hollister/Missouri
Branson Show: Celebrate America
Recommendation: Yes
Ratings: 2 of 5
Date: May 08, 2004
Time: 10:39 PM

America: The land of the brave and the home of the free. A country rich in heritage and history. As Americans we have a lot to be proud of. This show isn't one of those proud moments.  I'm not going to say that I didn't like it but I will say that all I could think of while watching the performance was how much better it could be.  Let's start off by saying that the production as a whole was pleasing to the eye and ear. But that's where it stopped. The cast was superb vocally.  The rich harmonies and strength in which the cast sang caused a few goose bumps to appear. Although some of the acting seemed a little overdone, especially during the Vietnam portion of the show, the rest of the cast did a good job.

The dance numbers were well choreographed.  The 42nd Street number was the best of the show.  It had me taping my feet several times.  The music was another weak part of the show. It sounded like it didn't have any meat it in. All milk.

The production also had a huge 100' screen on stage that was used for transitions from one period of American history to the next. It was very impressive but sometimes could be distracting.  But if I had to pick one main thing that I didn't like about the show it would have to be the script.  Nothing flowed.  At times I was lost and confused. T he narration was sometimes slow and awkward.  I really wanted to like this production because anything new in Branson is a plus and we need new shows.  But this show on a scale of 1 to 10 only rates a 3 or 4 from me.