Hughes Brothers Theatre — Attraction in Branson

It might be more appropriate to rename the "Hughes Brothers" show to the "Hughes Children" show. During the course of the evening, the announcer revealed that between the four brothers, they have over 35 children and it appeared all of them may have been on stage, with the children carrying many of the numbers and the adult brothers either absent or serving only a supporting role.

At first, it seemed cute to involve the children in the show, but as the evening wore on, I became increasingly uncomfortable with the thought that the tickets were being earned by primary performers who appeared to be as young as about 8 years old.

This is not to say that the children were not talented. Many of them were very talented for their age, but with nearly the entire staff being the extended Hughes family and knowing that the children are all home-schooled (as revealed by the announcer), left me wondering the degree to which the children are exercising free will and performing out of an innate desire to be an entertainer, vs. an obligation to perform according to the expectations of the extended family. With some of the children on stage appearing to be as young as 3, it seems unlikely to me that it is universally the former.

Immediately prior to the intermission, the announcer spent nearly as much time as some of the numbers took, extolling the virtues of the fudge and other items for sale, presenting an extended sales pitch for the audience to spend more money. A few quick sentences would have been acceptable and perhaps expected, but as the pitch wore on, I was reminded of a time share presentation, wondering when it would finally end and I would receive my reward (in this case, a trip to the men's room).

Overall, I thought the show would not have been out of place at a national youth talent contest and would probably have scored quite well. However, after having viewed probably a dozen shows in Branson over the years, I found this performance to be below the professional bar set by others.

There is a line somewhere between children helping with the family business and children being the family business and 24 hours later, I find myself troubled by not knowing where this...

My wife and I attended the Hughes Brothers Christmas Show on Christmas day (2024) and were impressed by the overall performance and talent displayed by the cast. However, we were deeply disturbed by the emcee’s mocking jokes about the various states represented in the audience, and especially by the ridicule directed at our current U.S. President. All of this left us feeling disheartened and disappointed, and took away from our full enjoyment of the show.

We chose this show for its reputation as a family-friendly and uplifting experience, especially the emphasis on Christ during the second half of the show. This kind of political humor felt out of place and not what would honor Jesus. We hope the theater will consider avoiding such content in the future to maintain the uplifting and welcoming environment that so many guests appreciate.

Regarding the “Response from the owner” below: While I appreciate the acknowledgment, it’s clear from reading other reviews that this concern has been raised multiple times over the years. Unfortunately, the responses from the owner have been consistently similar, yet no meaningful action has been taken to address the issue. This pattern of repeated dismissals suggests an intentional disregard for guest feedback, which reflects poorly on the integrity of the theater’s leadership. I hope the management will finally take these concerns seriously and demonstrate genuine respect for their audience by making...

I really don’t understand the 4.7 star rating bc it is not a 4.7 star performance. I don’t like leaving these types of reviews but I cannot let the public be fooled by the positive reviews. We saw the Hughes Brothers Music Show, well half of it anyways bc we left at intermission it was so bad. The tickets are $50 for adults and buyers beware! The show from the very start had audio and technical issues. The “acting” was terrible and the jokes were so outdated you’ve heard them a million times and are not funny. The whole show needs an update and overhaul. The brothers didn’t even look excited to be there, except for the oldest one. They have these super corny home videos they play on the side screens that look like were filmed from a 90s VHS camcorder and the skits were cringe worthy. We went on a Thursday night and the theatre was maybe 1/4 full. The show is failing and it’s obvious why. There are definitely some talented kids on the stage and maybe they need to let the kids take over this show before it gets shut down. Most staff in the theater were nice and helpful and the seats were comfy and the bathrooms were clean, decent amount of concessions to buy as well. But unfortunately that’s all the positives I found. I’m sorry but it’s true. We were on family vacation with 11 of us, ages 9-75, and we ALL agreed it was so terrible we had to leave at intermission. There are much better shows in town to...