The good old days, just down the road

November 28, 2007

By John W. Kennedy

The Bible tells us to turn our eyes away from worthless things (Psalm 119:37), and that’s fairly easy to do in Branson, Mo.

When I first moved to Springfield eight years ago, my perception of nearby Branson was one of old people puttering around to see hillbilly hullabaloos.

There still is a bit of that, but Branson has diversified to keep pace with the times, all while improving its image. The tourist town has '50s music groups, Broadway-style shows, comedians, illusionists, impersonators, golf courses, water parks, a convention center, and a lake-hugging mall.

I like Branson, and I'm not even 50 yet.

I'm glad to be only 35 miles away from a place where nearly 8 million people will trek this year. In the summer, only one in five is older than 65 and families comprise nearly half of Branson's visitors.

It's not hard to see why. In an age where there is little for parents and children to safely watch together on network TV, Branson provides a plethora of family-friendly entertainment.

Branson has more than 100 live shows, with more theater seats than Broadway. Yet there is no sexually suggestive dancing, no vulgar language, no hard liquor served at intermission, no slot machines beckoning in the lobby. It's a town where there's no apology for patriotism.

Wholesome shows such as the Duttons and the Haygoods have attracted enthusiastic followers. A number of venues are explicitly Christian, including The Promise, Shepherd of the Hills, and the Sight & Sound Theater's Noah – the Musical, which will open next year.

Perhaps no place is as enjoyable as Silver Dollar City, the 1880s theme park founded by brothers Jack and Peter Herschend. My wife and I ate breakfast at a restaurant there recently and a gospel group serenaded us with hymns, which wasn't surprising given that a core principle of the business is that everything is done "in a manner with Christian values and ethics."

A Broadway-style show called Headin' West at the park this fall had elaborate sets, period costumes, and an original music score. The park's annual production of A Christmas Carol is a special treat.

The quality acts available in theaters that have the beautiful Ozark Mountains as backdrops are amazing. The Liverpool Legends, four uncanny-sounding Beatles impersonators — not to mention an Ed Sullivan mimic to introduce them — has the audience convinced they are lip-synching because they are so talented.

Although much older now, 1970s TV staples Andy Williams and Charo sure seem to be having a lot of fun interacting with the audience as they sing and play the classical guitar.

A weekend getaway less than an hour's drive from my house is just the nostalgic Americana ticket I need every once in a while.

John W. Kennedy is news editor of Today's Pentecostal Evangel.