Americana Theatre — Attraction in Branson

Went to see Todd Oliver & Friends here in March 2013. The show itself is worth seeing if you have kids or if you're a dog lover. If you're neither of those...well, the show might still be worth seeing, just evaluate if seeing a man pretend to make a dog talk about getting neutered and sing some dog themed rock songs is worth 90 minutes & forty bucks. It may be, I certainly don't regret going--but it's definitely not for everyone.

As for the theater itself, it's kind of the Branson Tardis of theaters, although instead of size (being larger inside than out) it's a Tardis of ugly (much nicer inside then it is outside). There's a giant wall-eyed dog statue of one of Todd's Friends & co-stars out front that somebody must love a lot, because love's the only thing keeping it in place. The rest of the outside of the theater isn't terribly memorable but you won't notice it due to the dog. Inside though? Totally different story, if I recall this was one of the theaters damaged in the Great Branson Tornado of Twenty-aught-Twelve, and on the inside they put their insurance money to good use. The lobby is spacious and tastefully decorated in a fifties Americana style (fitting, no?). The auditorium was neither too hot or too cold & the chairs had cupholders, so, bonus! The staff is incredibly friendly & helpful, and the snacks are no more overpriced than at any other theater up & down the strip. Overall, once you're in the theater this is as good as just about any other place in this town.

Just try not to get caught staring at that...

We saw Elvis: Story of a King and British Invasion this week. My father is a Branson fan and we've seen half a dozen shows so far. This theatre is by far my favorite. It's small, but has a family-business feel of you know what I mean. Some of the bigger theatres here feel so impersonal and the various performers have no chemistry, no cohesion. It's formulaic and every time a new singer takes the stage it feels like a completely different show. Our performances at the Americana weren't like that at all. The performers played off each other on stage and seemed like they were genuinely having fun, and it showed and was infectious. Since it's a small theatre, the stage lights are kind of bright and close and I wish I hadn't sat in the second row both times just because I have sensitive eyes. Also, they use theatrical haze in the air to augment the lights and even though it's non-toxic I think it made my eyes a little itchy - again, probably only an issue for allergy sufferers who have sensitive eyes in the summer during pollen season. Parking is free but the lot is kind of small and even though we had a half full performance we had to park in the back so it might get tight during...

VERY ACCESSIBLE THEATER!!!! George Dyer has an amazing voice; my parents loved his show, as did I. But what I most appreciated was the attention to accessibility throughout the theater. My father has limited mobility due to Parkinson's Disease, so we used a transport chair when going out. Driving up to the theater, it was easy to locate the accessible parking spaces. They are clearly marked, on level ground, close to the entrance, have sufficient aisle space, and include marking from the spaces to the accessible entrance. The door threshold was low and easy to get over with the smaller wheels on a transport chair. Inside, there is a "family" accessible restroom, much appreciated after having to accompany my father into men's rooms with a "look out" stationed outside the door. While there is a short section at the entrance to the theater area that was a bit steep, most of the aisle length has a modest slope that was easy to negotiate. Thank you, American Theater, was including accessibility needs when designing...