Dalena Ditto's
Show
Kurt L Moore
Well, I was born in a town called Audubon
Southwest Iowa, right where it oughta been
Twenty-three houses, fourteen saloons,
And a feed mill in nineteen-thirty.
Had a neon sign, said "Squealer Feeds"
And the bus came through when they felt the need
And they stopped at a place there in town called The Old Home Café**
Back in ’76, a fellow named Bill Fries, going by the name of C.W.
McCall, recorded a little pop-rag song called “Audubon.” Bout
that same time, a pretty little gal by the name of Dalena was living
smack-dab in Audubon. In time, Dalena grew up, graduated,
wiggled out of Audubon, Iowa, moved to Nashville, got practiced up,
learned a few of life’s lessons and, sharp as a tack girl that she
is, came to Branson.
 The lessons she learned were many and stuck with
her like chocolate on a white suit. She took her lessons
learned and opened shop in Branson singing up a storm. Dalena
is a remarkably complex person in the fact that she looks so urbane
and sophisticated when deep in her heart; she is still the little
country girl from Iowa.
Dalena is the star of the “Dalena Show,” now
playing mornings at the Mickey Gilley Theater. Her show is a
real trip through country, bluegrass, Texas Swing, Pop, with just a
touch of Iowa culture. Dalena has a couple of people on the
show that add just the right amount of spice and garnish to an
already highly flavored revue.
Comedian Rocky Boudreaux, is a Cajun who speaks
the Acadian language, is funny as all get-out and plays a saxophone
to rival any sax player in Branson or the rest of the country as
well. Rocky plays many different roles on the show and every
one of them is unique, hilarious and sometimes right down silly.
The other person, or maybe one should say persons
on the show, is Patti Davidson who has a troupe of dummies at her
beck and call. Patti is one of the most, if not the most,
remarkable ventriloquist I personally have ever seen perform.
The admission price is well worth just seeing her and her pinewood
co-horts, Stan the Man and Lucy. Stan has an ego problem and
Lucy has a bigmouth problem. They each have problems with one
another. The way Patty deals with their obstacles in life, is
a scream. Patti hits a home run with her version of
 the Abbott
and Costello baseball routine, “Who’s on First.” She and her
suitcase companions also do the “The Auctioneer’s Song” so rapidly
that you will not believe your ears. How a person can switch
between three voices in the blink of an eye and not get mixed up, is
far beyond my meager understanding. Patti does it beautifully
and without a hitch.
Now, back to Iowa’s original and Branson’s own
Wonder Woman, Dalena.
Dalena is a dazzling figure onstage in her
sequined dresses alive with vivid colors that spark the imagination.
Yes, she does wear a Wonder Woman outfit in the show and it is
definitely cool. Matter of fact, she resembles Lynda Carter
the original Wonder Woman. Perhaps I should mention that Dalena can sing. Boy can she ever sing! Dalena sings
with emotion that can be felt all the way to the last row of seats
in the house. She sings with elation, a lilt, drama, a smirk,
a laugh, and a cry. What a smile. If every person you
ever met could be rated from one to ten on their smile, Dalena would
definitely be a 12. She has one of the brightest, widest, most
glowing smiles you have ever seen. She dazzles and bedazzles.
Dalena is intriguing, engrossing, captivating,
colorful and a heck of a lot of fun to watch perform, because she
has a heck of a lot of fun performing. She is first and
foremost a real person, down to earth with both high heels planted
firmly on the stage. She is also a trouper and an entertainer
who is dedicated to making certain her audience gets the very best
she has to put forth.
Well, I’ll never forget them days gone by
I's just a kid, 'bout four foot high
But I never forgot that lesson an' pickin' and singin', the country
way
Yeah, them walkin', talkin' truck stop blues
Came back ta life in seventy-two
As "the old home filler-up an' keep on a-truckin' cafe"**
Goodnight, 10-4 and so long good buddy. We’ll catch you on the flip
side.
Dalena is playing mornings at the Mickey Gilley Theater on the
strip.
Editor’s
Note: Just before putting this article to publication it was learned
that Rocky Boudreaux, Dalena’s long time comedian, had left the
Dalena Show to pursue different avenues in his career. An
announcement is pending as to Rocky’s replacement in the show.
**Special
thanks to Bill Fries as C. W. McCall and Chip Davis for their lyrics
to “Audubon.”
Copyright © 2004-Kurt L. Moore-All rights reserved.
klmoore@earthlink.net
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