Branson Itch:
Branson Critic Editor Plans First Trip of 2006
 

You can call me crazy or maybe even insane, but one thing you can’t call me is bored. The week of March 20-23, 2006 I have my first trip of the year planned for B-Town and lets just say it is packed. I have 4 days, 9 shows, 2 museums and a 3-month-old baby boy.

As February and March are upon us I find that I start to get that Branson Itch. I know that I am not the only one who contracts this very nagging condition. You start to see the TV commercials for Dixie Stamped and for Papa Grand’s Indoor Water Park at Grand Country Square. Pretty soon you start getting the urges to see the Presley’s or eat a mountain sized chocolate chip cookie from Silver Dollar City. Even the yearning to set in the crawling traffic of Hwy 76 starts. Before you know if, you have a full-blown case if the Branson Itch.

Well I have to find a cure quick, so I have planned my first trip of the year to Branson. Those of you who read me online at Branson Critic know that I am a schoolteacher by day and a Branson Critic by weekend and holiday. My school district will celebrate a long awaited spring break the week of March 20-24, so I am off to Branson.

Many of you also know that my wife and I also had our first child as a Christmas gift this past year. I just know that Jaron is sooooooo excited about his first trip to Branson. Originally my parents were planning to join us. Candi and I were so excited about having babysitters. But they had a change of plans and will not be there with us. As a result, this could be a very interesting trip. Since I am not able to be in Branson as much as I would like, I pack in the excitement on every trip. I already have 3 shows per day booked, plus museums. We will see how much gets done.

Now this column is not all about me. I also want to share my plans. As the official Branson season gets off to a start, there are lots of changes this year. There are a few shows that are receiving a lot of hype and I plan to see many of them on my first trip.

First, the new show that everyone in the “Branson Circle” is buzzing about is called the Branson Brothers. Several of the performers from the Grand Jubilee Show at the Grand Country Music Hall opened their own show this year. One of the performers happens to be Terry Wayne Sanders “aka” Homer Lee. He was the 2005 Branson Critic Award Winner for Best Comedian in Branson. I am hearing great things about this show and I am very excited to check it out.

This will be my first time ever to see Pierce Arrow, but I gather that they have made some pretty substantial changes to their show. They even tore out the old stage and remodeled the theatre. It should be nice. I have also heard that some of the performers have changed. Since this will be my first time seeing the show, I will not be able to compare it to previous shows. But I am sure I will have an opinion, and I can’t wait to report back after seeing it.

I have also been reading a lot about Kirby VanBirch’s new show and new location. It sounds like there are some new illusions in the show including one with a unicorn, believe it or not. I also heard that you can even go backstage and see the animals. Sounds exciting, and being an amateur magician myself—I love magic.

My favorite place to pig out and see a show in Branson has always been Dixie Stamped. However, people have mentioned in the past that they wish the show would change. It is always the same show. That is not necessarily my opinion. I have fun every time. But this year, they are adding a brand new scene into the show. After talking to my contact at the show, I think it will be awesome. It sounds like it is actually an aerial acrobatic scene. Kind of like Cirque with horses. We will see when I attend.

As you can see, I am very excited about curing my Branson Itch. Although I know it will only be a temporary fix. I will have to make several trips to completely get rid of it. I have listed my complete trip agenda below. It has all the shows I will be seeing at while in town, with a few opening that are still being worked out.

So if you will be in Branson at the same time and would like to stop in say hi or see Baby Jaron, I would love to meet you. Just look for me near the front. I will probably have a camera in hand and Press ID in the other.

March 20: 3 pm Bart Rockett, 8 pm Branson Brothers
March 21: 10 am Doug Gabriel, 2 pm Kirby VanBirch, 8 pm Presley’s
March 22: 10 am OPEN, 5:30 pm Dixie Stamped, 8 pm Pierce Arrow
March 23: 10 am OPEN
I also hope to take in a couple museums while in town.

Oh yea, I will have complete reviews of all the shows and museums when I get back. So while I am scratching my Branson Itch, I hope to see you in Branson.