Our Flagship “Broadway style” production ‘DREAMS ~ A Classic Rock Fantasy’ reaches a milestone. We’ve been doing this show in several iterations for 2 whole years now. It’s been a really great run… and I’m not done with it just yet. We’ve had changes in musicians and performers in that time but each version has been a Rock Solid hit with everyone that’s had a chance to see it.
We’ve now been in Branson MO doing a residency at a Theatre of our Own there for just over a year… and while our stay has been marked with a few tragedies, some heartaches, and some difficulties, we’ve done okay from a public perceptions point of view. We call it The Branson Dream Theatre.
One of the most difficult things about Branson is the “old boys club” of ticket brokers and marketing agencies…. who’s business plan include intercepting every visitor to Branson and steering them to the venues and shows THEY choose to promote… largely based on how much money they can make off them. This is HEARTBREAKING at times…because it’s not just about money. The Timeshare sales companies are in bed with all these agencies and commandeer the sales to theatres that they’ve bribed and cajoled into doing deals with them for virtually free tickets in return for having their patrons sit through Timeshare Sales Pitches. It’s been a slow uphill battle. I’m proud to say, however, that we feel like we are winning this battle. We’ve been doing some “intercept” marketing of our own with Billboards, TV, and Radio and sell more than half our tickets at our very own ticket counter by now… AND we haven’t had to stoop to bribery or dealmaking with the Timeshare folks. These companies are parasites….and create a rash of political firestorms wherever they go. It’s so crazy an upsetting some days I feel like writing a BOOK about it… but I actually have a better idea of what to do with this information yet. I’ll keep you posted.
When we got started last year we register with ‘Trip Advisor’ …and naturally started at the bottom of the some 170 shows and attractions including everything from water parks to Country Dinner theatres… and ended last year with a climb to about #65. Of that 170 attractions, there’s about 100 live shows in Branson…and since spring we’ve been on a steady climb to #19 this weekend… and THAT, my friends, feels like an accomplishment. We’ve done it with almost every entry giving us a 5 Star rating and a great review. We’ve now been nominated for two local Entertainment Awards of “Best Live Classic Rock Show” and “Best Big Show in a Small Theatre”…and that’s up agains shows such as “Million Dollar Quartet”, “SIX”, “The Haygoods”, and “Legends in Concert”. We feel pretty pumped about that right now. October 8th we get to see just how we fare on that front.
If I decide to take it back on the road or do some other thing with it, I do know for certain that it’s a hit show that deserves to be seen by still more people. I’d love to hook up with an actual Broadway Promotions and Productions company. We WERE in the early stages of planning a Winter Break tour… since our theatre is likely closed from December 10th to about the end of February in any case. The tour would have included Florida and the Southern States…but with the Hurricanes messing up Florida, we’re not sure they’ll have the appetite for Entertainment there…or what the condition the venues will be in by then. It’s all up in the air as it often is for an entertainer… but such is life. I do hope my friends, fans, and followers will all get to see this version of our show SOMETIME before I move on to something else. Be well out there!! ~ Julie C Myers