Grand Jubilee’s New South Quartet; Jim Dandy with straight-man, MC, and producer Mike Patrick; and the lovely Jackie Brown.
Branson’s exciting 2017 show season starts with the Grand Jubilee show, premiering its 2017 production during their New Year’s Eve celebration on December 31, 2016. Continuing a long-standing tradition, the next year’s show is produced and rehearsed simultaneously with the performance of their Christmas show and premiered as part of their New Year’s Eve celebration.
“This will be the 15th year of the show and I’m just as excited as the first year we started,” said Mike Patrick, the show’s producer and MC. “It continues to be extremely fast moving, showcasing great music, performed by a talented cast that has never been better, and I’m taking full advantage of it.
In developing the 2017 show, Patrick says that the challenge is to keep the things that their audiences like and expect as they work new elements and numbers into the show to keep it fresh. He said that two, of many, show stopping moments will be the quartet “New South” singing the late Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” a song most people wouldn’t expect them to perform, and Jackie Brown singing, “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry.” He said, “We combined several popular recordings of ‘Hallelujah’, taking the best parts of each, to create our own version which I know audiences will absolutely love and, Jackie Brown is guaranteed to bring the house down with her powerful rendition of this historical Hank Williams country classic.”
The considerable vocal talents of New South and Jackie Brown are enhanced and supported by one of the best bands in Branson, “The Grand Band,” or as its fans refer to it “The Rhinestone Mafia.” This includes some of the most talented musicians in Branson: Michael W. Davis, Piano/Keyboard & Vocals; Wayne Massengale, Fiddle and Acoustic Guitar; Larry Allred, Bass Guitar; Rob Blackburn, Drums; Chad Cathell, Lead Guitar, Acoustic Guitar and Gene Mulvaney, Steel Guitar, Electric Guitar, Banjo and Band Director.
Add the comedic talents of the multi-talented Jamie Haage, as “Jim Dandy”, and you have a total entertainment experience that is hard to beat. Patrick says that he keeps the audience in stitches with his comedy and funny characters during the course of the show, and then surprises the audience with his wide range of musical abilities at the end of the show, demonstrating why he’s the current “Entertainer of the Year” for Branson.
Based on my experience I can say that Patrick is a master at taking all these talented elements and producing a show that seamlessly mixes them together, at just the right time to keep things exciting, people laughing, and everyone enjoying a wonderful entertainment experience that passes all too quickly. From the intimacy of the Grand Country Music Hall, the entire cast coming out during intermission to meet the audience, talk, and sign autographs, and the way the cast relates to the audience during the show, this is a “close up” entertainment experience where it is obvious that both the audience and the entertainers are having fun!
For more information on the Grand Jubilee or other great Branson shows or lodging please contact the Branson Tourism Center, one of Branson’s largest and most respected vacation planning services, and sellers of almost 5 million Branson show and attraction tickets by calling 1-800-785-1550 or through their website www.BransonTourismCenter.com.