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| The Divas Showcase their Talents |
When you hear the term “diva” do you think of Celine Dion or Dianna Ross? If you are a regular visitor to the “Live Entertainment Capital of the World” you already know that Branson has a few “divas” of it’s own. A handful of Branson’s divas decided step out on their own this season and create a brand NEW show that will showcase their individual talents.
Viva La Diva is the vision of Branson’s undisputed Diva. Janice Copeland made her first appearance in Branson with Roy Clark in 1989. She has performed with some of the biggest names in town including Mickey Gilley, Andy Williams, Jim Stafford, and Pierce Arrow. But most will remember her from time with the hilarious Ray Stevens. At least that is where I remember her. When she would step out on the stage, you knew something special was about to happen. She has one of those voices that commands your full attention.
The other performers in the show include Cindi Barr, Michele Sevryn, Dee Dee Hamilton and the ever-funny Harley Worthit. All are worthy Divas with impressive performance histories.
Cindi has performed with Buck Trent and with the 70 Music Show, Arron Patrick Elvis Show, also at Thunderbird Theater, now the Moe Bandy Theater, and was part of the late 1980’s TV show You Can Be A Star. Besides Viva La Divas, she is also currently performing in Elvis and the Superstars at the Owens Theatre in Downtown Branson.
Michele Sevryn has been in Branson form many years. One of the first big shows was a USO type show called The Golden Girls. She has also preformed with Magic of The Top Dogs, Peter Lemonjello and Larry Musgrave: The Great Pretender.
Dee Dee Hamilton was a member of the World Famous Platters for many years. This year she finds herself a very busy woman. She lends her vocal talents to three different Branson shows. Two of those shows, Viva La Divas and a vaudeville style variety show called Blast, are part of the Showcase Theatre lineup. At noon, she is a headliner in The Ladies of Motown at the Owens Theatre.
Finally, Harley Worthit (Perry Edenburg), the diva wanta be has been in Branson for as long as I can remember. He got started in Branson with the Plummer Show. He also pent 20 years with Presley’s. His other credits include a run with Pierce Arrow, the Splinter Middleton Show, Delene Show, and Pam Tillis. Currently, he is also doing the Keeping it Country Show at the Imax and occasionally filling in for Homer Lee at the Branson Brothers.
You will feel like you really get to know the stars. Each presents a musical scrapbook. As the pictures of their life and family appear on the screen, they share from their heart where they are coming from. I have not seen this type of montage in a Branson show before, but it just seemed right for this production.
In this show five Branson Divas get to showcase the talent that they have not been able to share in other venues around town. Though the show title might suggest that these ladies think themselves something special, this is not really the case. All of them seem completely grounded. They are all grateful for the opportunity to share their amazing talents with the audience.
I do not want to mislead anyone to thinking that this is a huge multimillion-dollar production. You will not find high-tech special effects and frills. Not only did the ladies write the show, but they are also producing it using their own money. There is not a huge production company with tons of money making the endeavor. The budget is tight for this brand new show and the ladies never take things too serious. They even make reference to the low budget sets and props throughout the evening. The focus is always the talented performers.
%%%%Viva La Divas: About The Show%%
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| Which of these Divas doesn’t belong? |
In the first half of the show each performer gets an opportunity to prove themselves “diva” worthy. They all have at least one featured solo. I was amazed at the level of talent on the stage.
My favorite segment in the first half included one of those inexpensive props. We learned the story of the most versatile cape in the costume shop. Without giving away too much, know that everyone gets a go at the cape as they sing. It is a great chance for them to show that these divas just want to have fun.
The opening half of the show is filled with great music like: At Last, Respect, Tears of a Clown, as well as a Diva Salute to women in the armed forces including Janice singing God Bless America.
When I was at the show (May 2006), there was a short intermission, but since then they have made some changes and there is no longer an intermission. It did give me a chance to talk with a couple of the ladies. They are all available to meet the fans and sign autographs. They said that there were several group sections in the next half. I could not wait to hear these amazing vocals combine their talents.
As the second half got started the stage was set for the OK Corral as the ladies wrangle in a very fun country music set. Dee Dee was a little reluctant to come out in a cowboy hat and boots. Though there were no guns, there was a classic western duel between Janice and Dee Dee. You will have to decide for yourself who the winner was. You also get to hear Harley Worthit sing Feels Like a Woman, and that is worth the full admission price.
The second half also included an inspirational gospel section with songs like Jesus Loves Me, Why Do You Sing, and Eye on the Sparrow. It ended with a spiritual called Stomp On The Enemy. I had never heard that song before, but loved their rendition.
As the show drew to a close we began to see what the show was truly about. It is as much about friendship as anything. These ladies are not just costars, they are also true friends. As they perform, what I believe is an original song written for the show, they share their heart with the audience. This song is called I’m Beautiful, and though very funny, the message of the song is to let your inner beauty radiate until it shows on the outside.
I had never attended a show at this theatre. I found it to be comfortable. The seats could have been a little bigger, but they were not bad. The theatre itself is very intimate, so I cannot imagine there being a bad seat in the house.
Though the seats were okay, I was not impressed with the tech side of things. There were technical problems a couple times during the show. Tracks were used and at one point Dee Dee was not able to finish a song because of problems. Also, lights, tangled wires and equipment seemed to be visible everywhere. I know there are lots of different shows with different needs in this same space, but I was just not impressed by the way the techy things were displayed. I have a background in live theatre, my wife’s degree is in theatre. I think the sign of a good theatre is one where the show is the only focus, everything else just fades away.
Viva La Divas is one of the many new show on the strip this season. With so many shows in town, some new and some that have been around forever, it is very difficult to decide which shows to see. I consider myself to be a cheerleader for the small shows. Yes, I love the huge productions like Kirby and Jim Stafford. But I especially like to the smaller shows in town. This is one of those smaller shows. The focus is the music and those talented performers. I know that this show will continue to get better as the season progresses and the ladies polish their act. I hope to be able to return and see the show again at the end of the season. I am willing to bet it will almost look like a different production.
My wife and I had a great time. The audience was not very big on the day we were there, but the girls performed like it was a full house. I agreed with my wife when she said that these had to be some of the most talented ladies in Branson. What a privilege to get to see them all together in one show.
If you can only see one show while in Branson, then I suggest that you see one of the big production shows like the Priestley’s, Kirby or Dixie Stampede. However, if you have the chance to see more than one, consider seeing the only women’s quartet in Branson – Viva La Divas.
Viva La Divas is performed at the Showcase Theatre. The theatre is very easy to find. It is located on Hwy 76 in the Branson Mall between Wal-Mart and Jubilee Foods. The theatre is near the back of the mall, past the open-air stage. Viva La Divas is performed in the 5:30 p.m. time slot throughout the season. For more information, reserve tickets or check the show schedule call the theatre at (417) 339-1960. Tell them that Heath from the 1Branson sent you.