Presleys' Country Jubilee, Branson's first show on the now famous "Branson Strip."
“This is a great story about Branson,” said Tammy Johnson, the Director of Operations for the Branson Tourism Center, one of Branson’s largest and most respected vacation planning services. Initially, as I read the title of the story and the first few paragraphs of “Confessions From Branson,” written by Errol Laborde,* I was wondering if Johnson had gone nuts. However, as I read the whole story I saw a master writer artfully “confess” the reality of what millions of visitors to Branson have discovered.
Laborde’s confessions were the result of visiting Branson while attending “a magazine publishing conference at a resort near Branson.” While describing some of the image problems he says some have with Branson, Laborde’s very entertaining and informative piece said, “In fairness though, image aside, it is also a place that offers excellent entertainment.” His description of the entertainment experience that he and his colleagues had indicates their image of Branson upon their departure might have been much different than it was upon their arrival.
Laborde said he went to “Presleys’ Country Jubilee” and confessed, “Usually in a theater, I get restless rather quickly. Here I was totally entertained for two hours.” He went on to point out that most of his colleagues, “many of whom were cynical journalists, went to a Beatles revival show [Liverpool Legends] produced by the late Beatle George Harrison’s sister…” He continued, ” They expected the worst but came back with reviews as glowing as when the Fab Four first stood before the cameras at the Ed Sullivan Show.”
Branson's Titanic Museum "...could have made it on Broadway."
He said his visit to Silver Dollar City, Branson’s international award winning 1880’s theme park, “was as good as any theme park” even though while there he received a text message about a kick shanked to the left and how it affected the outcome of the Saints game against Atlanta. In describing his experience at Branson’s Titanic Museum Attraction Laborde said, “Nothing had more potential for tastelessness and tackiness than a ship-shaped museum about the Titanic. Yet it was just the opposite; it featured artifacts, re-creations of the ship’s rooms and backgrounds of the passengers and crew. This museum could have made it on Broadway.”
Entertainment aside, in describing his Branson experience Laborde hit the nubbin of what makes Branson the successful tourist destination it is. He said, “Branson is what it is partially because of what it is not. There are no casinos there, no strip joints, no saloons. It is a wilderness beacon for Middle Americans –– perhaps, if you will, the Bible Belt’s Las Vegas, though without the preaching.”
Most telling and neatest of all is his last confession, “If given the chance, I would go back to Branson.” Branson Tourism Center’s Johnson said, “That’s the very heart beat of Branson. We must constantly strive to make sure that every Branson visitor has a great experience exceeding their expectations and making them want to come back again.”
* Errol Laborde is the Editor/Associate Publisher of New Orleans Magazine and Editor/ Publisher of Louisiana Life Magazine. Click here to read Mr. Laborde’s entire article.