REVIEW: Broadway! The Star-Spangled Celebration

Written by bransoncutie

Oh wow!! Where to start with this review? First you have the revamped show with Merrill Osmond as their Special Guest Star. Merrill does a fabulous job on Broadway favorites such as "Some Enchanted Evening", "Impossible Dream", "Oh What A Beautiful Morning", "Music of The Night", "Mame", "Razzle Dazzle", and "Cobacabana"! He also does a super job on Osmond hits "We're Having a Party", "Love Me For A Reason" and "Crazy Horses". Merrill is obviously enjoying himself here, and the crowd reaction has been more than enthusiastic!! I've been listening to comments around me each time I go to the show, and have not heard a negative comment at all. The show also features the incredible vocals of Gene Yaws and his beautiful wife, Tina Cool. Gene opens the show with "Lullaby of Broadway", as well as performing "Oklahoma!", a couple of numbers from Cabaret, "76 Trombones" and "Till There Was You", "This Is The Moment" and a medley of selections from "Grease". One of my very favorite numbers in the show is when Gene steps on stage to do "This Is The Moment" from Jekyll & Hyde. Man, this one gives me chills every time!! Tina Cool does a tremendous job with "Hello Dolly", "Wouldn't It Be Loverly", "Till There Was You" (a duet with Gene), "Cabaret", "All That Jazz", and a very touching job with a number from "Sunset Boulevard". (I need to find out the name of that song!!) The Broadway dancers round out the show with stunning dance work. All in all, I can't recommend this show enough. It is an all-around hit and well worth a look!

A New York Teaser!

Written by Jerm

I've been meaning to post a review of this show for the last couple of weeks but I had to many other irons in the fire. A fellow teacher friend went out for a fun evening for dinner and then to see this show. This was the first time my friend, who is also a music lover, has seen the show. She thought it was fantastic and really enjoyed. I went to see this show just this past spring and I had mixed feelings about it. This makes the third time I've seen this show. The first time was unbelievable, the second time was ok, and this time was very good. The show has undergone some changes since I saw it in the spring both in selections performed, and also in cast members. In the spring, I saw such numbers performed from such shows as "Grease", "Mama Mia", "Chicago", etc. I read a review from someone over the summer that said they saw numbers performed from "Mary Poppins". I knew that was not what I saw in the spring and was anxious to get back and see this for myself. Some new numbers this time around included, "Supercalafragalisticexpialadocious"(don't check my spelling on this, LOL!) from "Mary Poppins" (this was the only song they performed from this show, so I knew the show had even changed since the review I read in the summer). Selections from "Phantom of the Opera" were performed which was just spellbinding. Even more music from the musical, "Chicago" was added including, "Cell Block Tango" (which was very creative by the way). As far as cast was concerned they had a new singer that performed on the hurricane concert recently, Joseph Poroski. He has a well trained operatic voice that was amazing on many of the ballads in the show. I could even hear an added "twang" when he did numbers from "Oklahoma". He even performed a selection from an Italian opera sung all in Italian which was something new and beautiful to hear. He said that he came from New York and that all of the numbers he performed in the show, he was a part of during one time or another. I also noticed some new faces in the dance ensemble which was interesting. I really enjoyed this show and would tell anyone who wanted a taste of New York to go and see it.

:):)

I have a review of "Classic Country Nights" from SDC coming soon.

Broadway Review

Written by duhutch74

Sunday night we went to see Broadway. We were disappointed that Dana Currier wasn’t there because we really wanted to see her after seeing her in Lost in the 50’s. All 3 of the female singers were very good. The man that was the emcee was very good as well but the man that sang on the “Grease” section was not as good. When he sang a song from “Jekyll & Hyde” he sounded better than when he sang on “Grease”. There were many good dancers in the show especially one male with a moustache (they didn’t introduce him) and a very short male named Chris. There was also a couple who danced on “Memories” from Cats that did very well. It was disappointing that they didn’t introduce any of the cast members except for 2 dancers with first names only. There were many sections from the show that we enjoyed including “Mary Poppins”. One girl sang “Let’s Go Fly a Kite” and they brought on dancers who “flew” the kites while audience members “held on” to the string. It was very entertaining as was the part with “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocius”. There was also a very good dance number from “Mary Poppins” that ended the first half. The ABBA section was very funny with the 70’s hair wigs. Overall it was a very enjoyable show.

Broadway! The Star-Spangled Celebration Show Reveiw

Written by Jerm

I took my grandmother out for a "date night" last night to Branson to see Broadway. The show was almost completely full and the theater is pretty large. I've seen the show a couple of years ago and absolutely fell in love with it. The show contains singers and dancers performing your favorite Broadway songs. This is also one of those shows that if you've seen it before you can see it again because it has changed. There are some new numbers from some different Broadway shows and they've also kept your favorite Broadway shows in, but changed them up with new songs from the show. If you are looking for some country and gospel music then this show isn't for you because it is all 100% Broadway show tunes. The show contained 5 main singers ( 3 women and 2 men) and a cast of dancers. I felt this show had outstanding dancers. I particulary liked the Bob Fosse numbers which included "Cabaret" and "Chicago". The style of dance in these two shows is completely different than the style of dance you might see in lets say "Oklahoma", LOL! The lights and sets are also very nicely done. The one aspect of last nights show that left me kind of cold had to do with the 5 main singers. Out of the 5 I would say only 2 did a really nice job. This statement is also just my opinion. Others may see it and feel completely different than I did about it and that is ok. I LOVE Broadway music and going to see Broadway shows. I am actually getting ready to go and see "42nd Street" later this month. I felt that 3 of the main singers was very sloppy in how they performed their songs. One gentleman in particular did some songs from "Grease" toward the end of the show, even though "Grease" is a fun loving, energetic type of show filled with some very entertaining songs you can still sing the songs in a way that lets your audience know that "Hey I can sing the pants off a serious song!". I didn't get that from his performance. In another instance one of the ladies in the show sings "All that Jazz" from "Chicago". "Chicago" is a kind of jazz, sultry, gritty kind of a show and you need that type of voice that can carry off those numbers. I wasn't convinced that she pulled it off. From seeing so many shows in Branson and elsewhere I still have the same opinnion that it doesn't matter how many special effects you have and neat production elements you have in your show, if you don't have the talent to back it up people will recognize that. However, there was one gentleman that has an AMAZING voice and he did primarly the ballads and he was well suited for this. He was amazing! He gave me goosebumps! He didn't have all the dancers and sets around him when he was peforming these numbers, it was just him and some amazing lights. Even the people seated behind me commented on his great talent so it wasn't just me. I also remembered him from the last time I saw the show. Another one of the female leads, I am sure most of you will recognize from being with "Lost in the 50's" for so many years. I don't know her name but she has blonde hair. She peformed "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" from the "Wizard of Oz" and "Memory" from "Cats" among others. Those two song in particular was done very nicely. I also think I enjoyed listening to her perform this style of music much more than when she was doing the "50's" songs. I also enjoyed the songs from a musical that I am not really familiar with and that musical is "Chess". I think it is a show written by the group "Abba". Also in this show you will not find one person as a comedian but rather the comedy for the audience came from the cast peforming songs from "Mama Mia". The cast came out in all 70's clothes and had wigs on. Even though the cast was serious about what they were doing the audience still laughed about the clothes and the hairstyles from that period. The neat thing about Branson shows is that you can see two different people sing the exact same song and have different oppinnions on how they presented them. This is true reguarding the two times I have seen this show. When I saw the show for the first time a couple of years ago I was completely blown away, this time I still really enjoyed it and would recommend it but felt that I've seen better performances before.

:):)

Written by Suselit

Every good thing everyone has said about this show at the Branson Variety Theatre is true.
The choreography, the costumes, the choice of Broadway songs, the dancers...everything works together to make this a top-notch show.

There are some truly talented performers in Spirit of Broadway. And!!!! My husband really liked it!!!!

The Branson Variety Theatre has a steep incline, so visibility is good. I like to be able to really see the faces of the performers, so we sat on the 4th row. If you like to see the group on stage as a whole you might sit back in the 6th or 7th row.

As we entered the theatre, it dawned on me why it was re-named
Branson Variety Theatre after Bobby Vinton. The BV s are everywhere, including the carpet.