George's Mustache

Meet George, one of my many nephews out here in Branson. He is 3 years old and so adorable. This was filmed after our night show tonight. He was telling us about his mustache and shaving. When he refers to James...that is our new brother-in-law. Ya gotta love kids. =)

Oh...I had about 5 little kids behind me making comments throughout the entire thing. His Mom, Mara, is the other voice you hear. She's the one that asks him to show us his push-ups.

The Amazing Dudu Fisher

We got a great surprise tonight at our show.....Dudu Fisher was in our audience! For those of you who aren't familiar with his name, he is an AMAZING singer and performer. He is most known for playing Jean Valjean ( Les Miserables) on Broadway. You can read about him on Wikipedia or visit his website to learn more about him. He also has albums on iTunes...I love the Broadway one.

I didn't know that he was in our audience until intermission, when Sarah came back to our dressing room and told us. As soon as I heard the news I have to admit that I was thrilled and then immediately nervous and suddenly dreading our Broadway section of our show. I have a short solo in one of the Broadway Medleys. The song that I sing? On My Own. ACK! Of course it has to be a song that he has heard a gazillion times while on stage in Israel, New York and London...sung by amazingly talented women. I'm using the word "amazing" a lot aren't I?
Thankfully I didn't mess up on the lyrics or trip on the stage. Yay!

After the show I was coming off the stage and walking towards where he was sitting so that I could meet him. Some of the brothers had already met him during intermission. Before I reached him he smiled and asked,"Why didn't you sing more of the song?" To which I answered,"Yeah right! I was nervous enough as it was!" I told him how I was kinda going,"No....no no no no no no" when I realized I was going to be singing that song in front of him. In case you haven't picked up on it yet...I still get nervous on stage at times.

He was fun to talk with. He commented on the show, the kids' talents, and asked about the sound and monitors because he noticed we didn't have in-ear monitors. Man, would we love to have those! We told him about the rehearsals and yes, the kids are all homeschooled. Yep, we have incredibly talented kids in our family. =)

Then he told us about how he started as a cantor in Israel, singing liturgical songs and went from there to doing Les Miserables. He said that the performance was in Hebrew. How cool is that? I would love to hear a recording of that. A producer ( I think it was a producer) from New York caught one of his shows and asked him to perform on Broadway and the rest is history. I believe he said he was in London in 1996. I missed it by 5 years. I saw it there in 1991 when I was on a trip with my mom.

If you haven't heard him sing, I encourage you to listen to some of his music. I love how expressive he is when singing the part of Jean Valjean.

The Legend of Kung Fu Show

I blogged about wanting to see The Legend of Kung Fu show January this year and finally got a chance this month. In November I kept running into the cast at Tanger Mall or at the Wal-Mart Supercenter.....it's pretty easy to spot them....that whole shaved head thing.

My first run-in was at Tanger. I was getting my coupon book and a few of them were in line waiting to purchase them too. I get mine for free and wanted to give them one but...being the pathetic Chinese person that I am, I can't speak very much. I understand Chinese but can't actually speak it that well. What I CAN speak has an embarrassingly bad American accent. UGH. It took me a couple of minutes but I finally conveyed to them that I wanted to give them one of the books for free.

After that I kept seeing them on Tuesdays. Apparently that is their day off and they go to the Supercenter around noon. I usually went after our morning show, hence the bumping into them. We didn't start doing morning shows until November so that's why I never saw them before. I just figured that out as I was typing the previous sentence. LOL

Forty of the cast members came to see our show and we loved it. I loved it. I love seeing "my people" in the audience, especially a HUGE group of them. They were the perfect audience! I saw them before the show and talked with a few of them, mainly the five that spoke English. I also went out at intermission to meet a few more of them and our family and their cast all took pictures after the show. There are a few boys in their cast and the oldest member is 30. A couple of their boys did a few tricks and our little guys tried to do those tricks after they left. TeeHee.


Our family finally got a chance to see their show a couple of weeks ago. AMAZING!!! I love martial arts so I was loving every minute of it. If you haven't seen their show....GO! Well, you'll have to wait until the Spring because they all went home a couple of days ago, but go next year!
I plan on seeing their show again and can't wait to see them running around town again.

“Love Remains” as Hughes Brothers provide a unique uplifting Branson entertainment experience

February 24th, 2010 by Gary J. Groman

Hughes Brothers on stage.

The term “Keep it in the family” takes on new meaning at the “Hughes Brothers” show in Branson, Missouri. It means you will see Branson’s largest performing family with, depending on factors such as health, etc., 30 plus members performing during each performance. Just as important however, from an entertainment perspective, is it means laughter, great harmonies, excellent music, dancing, variety and just plain fun as, for a brief moment in time, your family becomes part of their family.

From the shows warm up and humor by Jason Hughes to the shows finale “Love Remains,” the Hughes Brothers show is an amazing quality entertainment experience that is unique in Branson. The way the show is produced, choreographed, presented and particularly the way the talents of the various family members are integrated into the show results in a performance that is a true joy to experience with something for everyone and “then some.”

Want humor, well you get it from the “get-go” with this show. Jason Hughes provides the comedy lead from his warm up performance as he interacts with the audience and provides constant comedy interaction with his brothers throughout the show. It’s a warm subtle comedy that warms one’s heart while at the same time tickles the funny bone.

How about amazing vocals? Although, in the truest sense of the words, this is a family show that shares the amazing talents of the whole Hughes family, the main thread throughout, is the five Hughes Brothers Marty, Jason, Adam, Ryan and Andy and their dynamic harmonies and vocals. The music they sing covers a wide range of styles from their opening number “Brand New Day,” through a “Doo-Wop Medley” to “Danny Boy” and “How Great Thou Art” with lots more in between. These guys together, and individually, do a wonderful job not only singing, but adding their own unique style of presentation to each number.

Jason and Mara dancing to her original compositon "The First Dance."

A few personal favorites were “Goodnight Sweetheart” with solos by Ryan and Jason, “Chain Gang,” with a solo by Marty, and “Danny Boy,” with solos by Andy and Ryan. To say the least, it is also doubtful that anyone will every hear a rendition of “Old McDonald” and “The Saints Come Marching In” that’s any more memorable or funny than the performance they will witness and hear at this show.

One of the highlights of the show for this writer was the way the rest of the Hughes family was worked into the show. It starts early on as the wives of the brothers, Cindy, Mara, Vikki, Carina, and Becky are introduced and perform during the second number of the show “Hey Good Looking,” a wonderfully choreographed and performed number. As important however, to the overall entertainment experience for the audience, is the fact that it establishes the entertainment and professional standards which the audience can expect from the rest of the family outside of the brothers.

As illustrated by the beautifully choreographed performance of Jason and Mara to “The First Dance,” an original waltz Mara wrote; the violin or drum performances described later in this review; “I Want to Be A Cowboy Sweetheart” performed by Jessie or the performance of “Mama’s Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys” by Joseph, Jacob and William, the performances by other members of this talented family fit in wonderfully with the overall entertainment experience of the show. Just to see this family performing together the way they do is a joy and an uplifting experience that all members of your family will not only relate to, but enjoy. The presentation of “Little Hands,” an original song written by Marty and all the “little hands” that help perform it is another example of just how special this show is.

This show has a great live band consisting of Ray Harris, Music Director, Keyboards, & Trumpet; Randy Luna, Music Arranger & Keyboards; Don Shelton, Guitar; Stanislav Chesnokov, Bass Guitar and RJ Jacob, Drums. In addition the Hughes family has some pretty accomplished musicians.

The perfect illustration of "Love Remains." The Hughes family together at the show's finale.

Adam does a great job playing a medley featuring “Maleguena” on the classic Spanish acoustical guitar. Sixteen year old, Kristina Hughes, did a simply beautiful performance of “Meditation,” on the violin. The violin and fiddle playing of Kristina, Aaron, Dallin, Derek, Jacob, William and Hannah, ages 16 down to 8, as well as the drum solo by Branson’s youngest professional drummer, 12 year old Jacob Hughes, were not only exceptionally done and entertaining, but is another example of the amazing talent this family has been blessed with.

This is a special show that has variety, music and humor presented in a unique and extremely entertaining manner by a wonderful cast. Yet, it is so much more, it is a living breathing testimony to a family spirit where “Love Remains” that is as uplifting to the audience as the entertainment of the show itself. It is a wonderful unique Branson entertainment experience.

For additional information or tickets on the “Hughes Brothers Show” or any another Branson show, attraction or lodging please contact the Branson Tourism Center (BTC). It is one of Branson’s largest and most respected vacation planning services and sellers of Branson show tickets, attraction tickets and lodging and can be reached by either calling their toll free number 1-800-785-1550 or through their website www.BransonTourismCenter.com.

Costume Malfunction

Tonight was an interesting show for me. There is a number that we do called "Showtune"...the picture is from that number. We open the second half of our show with this number so I have about 30 or so minutes to kill between my last number and this one. During that time I like to sit in my car and listen to music, read, or check my twitter or email on my phone. The skirt is pretty fitted on the waist and has no give at all so sometimes I will undo the top hook so I can be more comfortable while relaxing in my car. Apparently I forgot to re-hook it. DOH!

The beginning of the number starts with Mara singing and then I join her up front for a few lines (See the picture above). During those lines I must have made a sudden enough movement that made the skirt unzip. I had no idea until Adam told me. We are constantly moving and changing formations throughout the number and there is one point where he is right next to me. He was closer than normal tonight and was trying to tell me something. I didn't understand him at first and was thinking, "What? I'm doing the right steps, right?" Then he leans over and tells me that my skirt is falling off! AHHHH. Needless to say, I was freaking out inside trying to figure out how to make it through the rest of the number. SO, I got to take smaller than normal steps while hitching up my skirt every once in a while. It's always interesting what goes through your mind at that point...."OK, I can grab it on this next move and then I'll be behind Jason for a second and I can grab it then. At the end while you are spinning forward to the middle...grab your skirt while you turn!OK...final pose...you're in the middle..ummm, hand on hip..." For those of you that perform, you so know what I mean, right?

My first Mini Tweet-up

(Left to Right: Adam, Tessa, Anthony, Emeline, Me)

Tonight was my first mini Tweet-up. Yay!

What is a tweet-up you maybe asking yourself? Tweet-up is a coined word combining meet-up and Twitter. Basically, it's meeting up with people you have met on Twitter.

Now, in theory, I met Anthony through a great podcast called Nobody's Listening. It's a clean and funny podcast that I love listening to when I get a chance. You can also follow Nobody's Listening on Twitter. There are a bunch of us who follow the podcast on Twitter, hence meeting Anthony.

Anthony and his now fiance', Tess, came out to Branson this week. He proposed to her at the Branson Landing and they have been spending the week out here on vacation. Tonight they came to our show and we finally got to meet.

There is a point in our show where the Brothers sing a love song, It's Something That We Do. Before the song begins Jason likes to find out which couple in the audience has been married the longest. Tonight is was 67 years! After he talked to that couple he congratulated Anthony and Tess on their engagement and then dedicated the song to those two couples. Awwwwww

SO glad that we got to meet. They are wonderful people and an adorable couple.

Online Article about the Hughes Brothers Show

I thought I would post the article that was written about our family this past week. A few of the names aren't spelled correctly but hey...there are a lot of names to keep track of. Also, Jessie's song is called "Cowboy Sweetheart", not "I Want to be a Cowboy's Girlfriend".

Here's the link to the article

I'll also copy and paste it for those of you that are too lazy to click on a link. My copy and and paste version doesn't show the pictures because I am too lazy to save and insert them. =)~

Families that sing together...go to Branson

Randall Murphree - Guest Columnist - 6/18/2009 10:15:00 AM
The Hughes family epitomizes a Branson, Missouri, tradition of families entertaining families. Entertain is one key word, and family is the other for this small Ozark Mountain city that bills itself as America’s live music capitol. (Some say world capitol.) Branson boasts more than 100 shows performing in 53 theaters with 60,000 seats -- more seats than Broadway has.

One remarkable aspect of this family-friendly town is that it seems most of the head-liners are families performing together. The five Hughes Brothers have been singing together for 30 years, half of them in Branson. When they began, Andy, the youngest, was two years old.

They’ve got a lot to show for three decades, not the least of which is five talented wives who join them dancing and singing onstage. And no small assortment of their 27 children, from teens down to toddlers, steal the show from time to time at the Hughes American Family Theatre on the 76 Strip, heart of Branson’s music mecca. They lay claim to the title “World’s Largest Performing Family.” Anybody want to argue?

Before the show one Saturday morning this spring, Lena Hughes, known affectionately as M&M (mom and manager), took time to give me a little family background before I talked with Jason (a brother) and his wife Mara.

One little aside: Dad Gary Hughes’ name tag says “Chief Indian” and he does his fair share of the grunt work around the place, manning a product booth, training grandkids to run light and sound, making sure everything runs smoothly. From my perspective, however, Gary’s most important role is to oversee Papa Hughes’ Fudge Shop. Don’t skip the fudge! Now, back to the music.

“We started off at Silver Dollar City,” Mom recalls. “I thought we’d be there for five years, but we were only there for four months before we were given an opportunity down here on the strip. We came to this theater in 2000.” Silver Dollar City is a family theme park a few miles outside Branson, and it’s not uncommon to hear Branson’s top entertainers say they got their start there.

Not just a bunch of brothers

In the Hughes Brothers show, you’ll enjoy the tight harmonies that are often the trademark of siblings, especially those who’ve sung together for 30 years. And you’ll like the show’s mix of music. “Danny Boy” and their medley of “The Sound of a Man Workin’ on a Chain Gang/Sixteen Tons” were among the old favorites I enjoyed.

M&M likes to brag on her boys, but she is also quick to point out that they married extremely talented girls, and the Hughes wives -- and children -- add the perfect complement to the show.

Ah, yes, the children -- the piece de resistance. Who cannot be charmed by talented kids onstage? From Aaron and Christina, teens with an admirable level of mastery of the violin (or fiddle, as the tune dictates) to Jessie’s cover of “I Want to be A Cowboy’s Girlfriend,” to a whole passel of the next generation singing show tunes such as “No Business Like Show Business” and “Do Re Mi,” you’ll enjoy the family balance they bring to the show.

The Hughes tribute to veterans and to America sparkles with a moving, colorful delivery of “America the Beautiful,” well said and well sung.

With transparent humility, Jason and Mara reflect on the journey from their native Utah to a Branson stage by remembering those who helped them along the way.

“There was one person after another,” Jason says. For example, Merrill Osmond saw them performing their last show at Silver Dollar City and invited them to open for the Osmonds. Then a theater owner saw them there, and invited them to audition for another show.

They say it’s been like that through 15 years now, even including the purchase of their theater. They had all their ducks in a row when the bank deal fell through at the last minute, and an impossible deadline loomed just ahead. Then a small locally-owned bank came into the picture.

“This little bank called their committee together,” Mara says, “they worked all night, they put the whole thing together and covered the whole loan for us in one day -- what other banks said they couldn’t do in three months.”

Not just any theater

The Hughes Family Theatre is not just any theater on the Branson scene. It boasts the ambience and style of older theaters -- wider aisles, roomier seats, more leg room. It’s also a Branson landmark, the first fine theater built on the 76 Strip 20 years ago. The original owner brought in Roy Clark, and the theater became known as the Roy Clark Celebrity Theatre.

“That’s what started the big names coming to town,” Mom says. “There’s a plaque in the lobby that has all the big names that originally performed in this theater.”

The Branson music industry celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, having its roots in the Baldknobbers’ downtown show and the Presleys’ first metal-building theater on the strip. Still, the Hughes American Family Theatre owns a legitimate slice of Branson music history.

Branson has something to entertain you day and night -- magic and museums. Breakfast shows, dinner shows, showboat cruise shows. Fishing, hiking and camping. Roller coasters and water parks. Comedy, variety and cowboy shows. Ozark mountain train tours, Ride-the-Ducks land-and-lake tours. Upscale shopping and discount malls, quaint crafts and historic downtown shops.

But when it comes to the music, the Hughes Brothers represent the best of the town -- family, God and country.

“This is a dream come true for us, “Jason concludes. “Not only to entertain -- that’s kind of the cherry on the top. The great underlying thing is that we get to work together as a family. Not only does that bring us close as a family. Sometimes, when we portray the family on the stage the way we do, it inspires families. Being a family, being together, is not only healthy and a good thing, but it’s cool. It’s something our society really needs.”

(interview that was included on the next page)

ONN writer Randall Murphree interviewed Lena Hughes (mom and manager) and Jason (one of the Hughes brothers) and Jason’s wife Mara before a recent show at the Hughes American Family Theatre, a Branson landmark first known as the Roy Clark Celebrity Theatre.

ONN: What brought the Hughes family to Branson?

Lena: The boys were getting a little older and were refining their talents, and all of a sudden for about two years we were constantly getting bombarded with the idea of going to Branson. We’d never heard of it, but everybody would say, “You guys belong in Branson” or “Have you ever thought about going to Branson?”

After that, they won first place in a national contest in Las Vegas, and that gave them a recording package in Nashville. I realized that maybe we could hit Branson on the way back home from Nashville to Utah. As we learned more about Branson, we realized that the shows here are about family and God and country, all those values that we believe in.

ONN: What ages were the boys when they won the Nashville deal?

Lena: About 16 through 26. We thought just for the fun of it, we would see what Branson was all about. I was hoping to get an audition or something, but I couldn’t even get past the front desk, let alone talk to a manager.

I had a promotional DVD, so I asked a friend who was in entertainment, “Would you review this DVD and see if it’s any good?” He said, “I’ve got someone even better that can do that.” His friend was director of the Children’s Miracle Network Telethon, and he reviewed the DVD and said, “Before I talk to you about your DVD, I want to know why you guys aren’t in Branson.”

I told him my experience, that I didn’t know how to talk to anybody there. He said, “No problem. I know everybody.” He kind of opened the doors for us to get started.

We started off at Silver Dollar City in 1994. I thought we’d be there for five years, but we were only there for four months before we were given an opportunity down here on the strip. We came to this theater in 2000; we were just leasing a spot until 2000.

ONN: What is the history of this theater?

Lena: Jim Thomas, the man who built this theater was one of the first entrepreneurs who saw the vision of the town. This is called Branson’s landmark theater because it was the first theater built on the strip.

The Baldknobbers were performing in a barn and the Presleys at the cave, but they didn’t have the nice theaters they both have now.

This theater is about 20 years old. It’s a great theater and a great location. Thomas brought Roy Clark here. They called it the Roy Clark Celebrity Theatre and that’s what started the big names coming to town. There’s a plaque in the lobby that has all the big names who performed here.

The names of these entertainers are written on the walls backstage -- everybody signed their signatures back in the dressing rooms. The walls were kind of a putrid green color. When we took over the theater, the boys said we ought to paint backstage and clean it up.

I said, “Well, wait a minute. Those names are the history of the theater. We can’t just paint over them.” So they ended up painting around the names. So now we have a green and white cow-print wall. Everywhere there’s a name, there’s a green area around it.

They did paint over one name they didn’t recognize, so they didn’t think it was anybody. The name was Richard Clark -- Dick Clark.

ONN: How has the Hughes family changed since coming to Branson?

Lena: When the boys first came, the show was just the five brothers, and two of them were married. The oldest had a little toddler and a newborn. Now we’re expecting grandchild number 27. We’re celebrating our fifteenth year in Branson this year.

ONN: Jason, were any of you on a different career path before coming to Branson?

Jason: Sort of -- but related. I was studying music, dance and theater. Marty was a performance media-music major, and Adam was studying film.

ONN: What kind of challenge was it, the transition from home to Branson?

Jason: I think it was different for each of us. For me it was an easy transition. We were newlyweds, and I had just finished school.

Mara: I was expecting our first when we moved here. I was about seven months pregnant. It was fun though; it was an adventure.

Jason: There was nothing to lose, really, in coming out here. Our youngest brother, Andy, left just before his senior year in high school. All five brothers had gone to the same high school and it was kind of his year to be the big guy at the high school. I don’t think he cared for that.

ONN: Who helped you most in Branson in making a transition?

Jason: I don’t know if there’s one individual necessarily -- there was one person after another; each one was one little part.

Mara: Somebody was always there. We had this three-month job at Silver Dollar City and, when that contract was up, we were thinking, “What are we gonna do? Where are we gonna go?” That time, it was Merrill Osmond who saw them perform the last time at Silver Dollar City and invited them to come and open for the Osmonds. They did that for a couple of weeks and somebody happened to see them there -- a theater owner who said, “Hey, can I see you to audition for our show?”

ONN: How did you wind up buying this theater?

Jason: The previous owner kept driving by our [previous] parking lot and realized we had a lot of coaches, and just kind of checking us out. He was the first theater owner here in town to build a theater just to do shows. He was bringing in big name acts. But after a while, he realized there was not enough profit to have a middle man involved. So he decided it would be better to lease the theater, and in order to entice us, he gave us an option to buy.

After the five-year lease, we exercised that option. We ended up having to scramble to get financing. Normally on a commercial building like this, it’s a year to six months to get financing. We ended up starting on it with three months. Three banks approved us, but two told us there was just no way they could do it in that time frame.

The last bank also fell through at the last minute, but one miracle after another occurred, as things that normally take months to do, we were able to do in a week.

Mara: We asked for an extra 24 hours, and the previous owner would not give it to us.

Jason: He had a couple of other buyers interested. So Mom got on the phone and started calling anyone in town she thought might have enough money to lend us for a week.

Mara: And this little local bank called their committee together and worked all night. They put the whole thing together and covered the whole loan for us in one day -- what the other banks said they couldn’t do in three months.

Jason: That kind of goes to show what the problem is with our nation -- with nationalized banks and internationalized -- too much power and too much influence [too far away].

ONN: What is the biggest challenge for a family doing what you’re doing here?

Jason: Getting up early enough to bring the whole family in for an interview. Sometimes I say the greatest miracle of the show is when all the kids make it out onstage on time...

Mara: ...fully clothed! It’s great that we have such a good team. We have to help each other out.

Jason: Our wives work together probably better than we brothers do. Like yesterday, we have this new costume we wanted to put in the show by today. So all the little girls have to have shoes. Mara was about ready to drop everything she had to do and go to every store to find the shoes. But then, Vicki said, “Hey, I don’t have that much to do. Why don’t I go do that?”

Mara: We get it done.

Jason: A rehearsal is called at the last minute, or occasionally extra things, like interviews or an extra appearance here or there. Communication might not happen from upstairs [offices] to down here.

We had plenty of notice [for this interview] this morning!

Mara: He had plenty of notice! The biggest communication problem is that somebody talks to one brother and he says, “Sure, we can do that.”

Jason: That’s probably one of the hardest things -- communicating to everybody. There are the five brothers and Mom and Dad and we’re all the boss. People will tell one of us something and think they’ve told all of us.

ONN: What’s the best thing about performing in Branson?

Jason: This is a dream come true for us. Not only to do entertainment -- that’s kind of the cherry on the top. The great underlying thing is that we get to work together as a family. Not only does that bring us close as a family. Sometimes, when we portray the family on the stage the way we do, it inspires families. Being a family, being together, is not only healthy and a good thing, but it’s cool. It’s something that our society really needs.

Cookie Time!!!

The kids in the family got yummy cookies again. There is a family that brings them cookies every once in a while and they are always adorable. This time they got Mickey Mouse Ears in fun summer colors. At Christmas they got rice krispy treats that were in the shapes of trains and bears and decorated with frosting.

Here is what the card said:

Hughes Children-
Thank you for the wonderful job you do of entertaining all the people that visit your show. You are truly "professionals" in every sense of the word. Your Christian goals and attitude make a difference in so many lives that you touch. Keep up the good work!
We love you all! See you soon.

The Whitts
Don, Nancy and Chris

USA Today - Branson Airport Article

I thought I would post this link to the USA Today article on the Branson Airport. We also have a small mention in the article.

Branson Airport Opening

Yay! Branson finally has it's own airport. The closest airport has been an hour away and the rates have been awful! The Branson Airport is privately owned and the rates rock!

Our family was invited to take the first flight out of Branson. Wahooo! The Brothers got to sing a few songs and we even made the evening news on a few stations out here. This is a clip from KY3, the local NBC Syndicate. I'm the dork taking a picture, wearing my Livestrong band, of course. I am also in the background pulling my red shirt down. LOL

Rolling Advertising Anyone?

This is what it looks like when I pull up to the back of our theatre. You can see our Hughes Brothers tour bus, as well as five Hughes Brothers cars. =)

2008 Christmas and New Year's Eve Show

Here are a few pictures from this year's Christmas show.

For our New Year's Eve show we did the Christmas show plus a few more numbers. The Grinch even joined in! There are also a few pictures from after the show.

Enjoy

Brilliant Tourists

During the Christmas Season of our shows, November 1st - January 1, I sell blinking LED lights. Believe me, this is not a job I love. Before I begin, here is a link to the lights. I use the display board at the bottom of that link to display 12 different designs. They are mainly Christmas themed to go along with the season. The lights are all magnetic instead of having a pin. Very cool because they do not damage your clothing. I usually wear two of them on my dress and one on each ear, like earrings. I have a little sign that says " 1 for $3 or 2 for $5". The price is posted, they are told that they are held on by a magnet and there are 12 designs. Simple right? Easy to understand?

I am basically a very friendly person and very easy to get along with. The main thing that will lessen the "friendly" demeanor is......stupidity. Sorry, it's true. I cannot always keep the cheery smile when I am asked stupid questions. It doesn't help that I am normally swamped with people and selling them like peanuts at a ballgame. Frequently I am helping up to 4 people at a time, making $500 in 15 minutes. Here are some of the brilliant questions that I have been asked. Oh, and yes, that was meant to be read with a great deal of sarcasm. By the way, I write these down as I am selling them, so as not to forget the exact wording.

Did you make them? (no, but my people did. Actually, I have my own little factory at my house)

They are 1 for $3 or 2 for $5? So, you can't get just one?

Do they stick to your skin?

Me: You need 2 of them for earrings
Them: Why?
Me: You have 2 ears

So...are these the cookies? ( we also sell cookies at the booths, however, I am on the stage and ummm DUH, do these look like cookies?)

Them:No, I want the other Santa Claus
Me: There isn't another one
Them: That one
Me: The snowman?
Them: Yes, that santa

Blinky lights, is that what you're wearing?

Me: They are all different
Them: How are they different?
Me: There are 11 different designs

So, are you Oriental? (Grrr, no I'm Asian! I am not a rug!!)

Is the battery the magnet?

The best 2 questions of all time....

Which one's the tree? The star?

So, they blink?

Yes, these are actual questions. *sigh*

Backstage

Thought I would post a pic of us getting ready to go on stage for the
opener. From left to right: Carina, Mara, Cindy, me, and Becky.

...and they keep on falling

So...it's less than 24 hours later and there are now 3 kids with the stomach flu in the family. I wonder what tomorrow will bring. AHHHHHHH

"It's the time of year"

"It's the time of year..when the puking begins." Ugh. Every year, about this time, the stomach flu tends to circulate through our family. Once again, it has happened around Thanksgiving. Tonight, as we were leaving the theatre, Jonathan threw up on Dallin's head. Ewwwww. Dallin was trying to be nice and carry him out to the car and was lifting him over his head...and ...bleeeeccchhh.Poor guy.

For those of you that don't know me, I am a COMPLETE GERMAPHOBE when it comes to the stomach flu. Vomiting and nausea are my kryptonite. I can deal with physical pain (dancing on a swollen knee, broken leg and surgery without pain killers afterwards)but not nausea. So....I am thrilled at this point. (major sarcasm BTW)

When the flu kits our family, it's not just a small thing. Don't forget that we see each other on a daily basis and there are 25 kids backstage....that play together. Yep, you see the dilemma. Here's hoping Thanksgiving will go well with year and no one else will get sick. Wish us luck!

Our Christmas Show

Here are a few pictures that I found from our show last year. I am trying to get a few from this year still. Hopefully I will be able to have someone take a few in the next week or two. Enjoy!




The older kids play "Jingle Bells" on their violins while the little ones shake bells.

Change in the weather

Winter weather is finally here in Branson. Two days ago it was almost 80 degrees and this morning it was in the 40s with a nice little wind chill. Now, normally this is fine. I just put on jeans and a few layers and all is well in the world. When there is a morning show with a lot of coaches coming, that all changes. When we have coaches ( buses full of tourist/customers), I have the lovely privilege of helping to greet and seat them in our theatre. U huh, PRI-VI-LEGE...no sarcasm. Because I am out there until the show starts, I need to dress in my opener costume...dress, puffy slip, knee brace and fishnet tights ( remember the weird bruise?)...not very warm. Here is a picture from this morning. I was trying to hide behind a car to help buffer the wind. This works much better when there is a van in the near vicinity. Did I mention the coach driver that was laughing at me?

quick update

I'm sorry that I haven't been posting as often. Things have been rather hectic with our rehearsals and last minute costume buying. Each year, because of the number of children in our show....that grow....costumes need to be replaced. Because I am the only wife without children, I am the Merry Shopper. I think it is also because I happen to know where to buy things and find random things around town.

Today we had our one and only full run through of the show and it was a bit...umm, stressful? There are still costumes that need to be made and purchased and we open in less than 24 hours. Hmmmm should be interesting. To top things off, I have been struck down with some sort of cold. Oh yay. Gotta love it!

I will try and post pictures from the show as soon as I can. We had some Trick or Treaters in our family tonight but I didn't have my camera on me. I'll see if someone else in the family did. I hope everyone had a safe and fun Halloween!

Stress !!!

I am starting to stress out a tad. Out here in Branson, Christmas starts November 1st. This means that our theatre and our show completely change. Normally I am fine with the show. Perhaps a little bit of nervousness for the first few shows...but other than that, no big deal. This year is going to be a little different though.

Due to my motorcycle accident, I am the "gimp" out of the wives. I normally will dance the opening number and nothing else. I used to do the other dance numbers but my knee swelled up after dancing the first year so I decided to cut back a little. Cortisone shots were not something I wanted to rely on. This year I am adding in a few more dances. Two of them are ones that I have done before...but it has been 5 years since I last did them. The memory isn't quite what it used to be. Actually, forget memory, the muscles aren't what they used to be.

There is also a song that I normally do with Adam, Cindy and Marty. Just singing and then minimal dancing. Well, this year things are changing. It's a brand new song with all of the couples that sounds great vocally. It's the dancing that is stressing me out. We just had our first rehearsal yesterday and we aren't even done with the choreography. The show opens in literally ONE week! AHHHHH. Aside from the very short time...I have never danced a Viennese Waltz before. Hello??? Not the easiest thing for me to pick up. We probably only have another day or two of rehearsals to learn it. Yep! Color me stressed!