Congratulations to the winners of the 2004 Branson Critic Award.  Over 2000 people participated in Show Awards.

Here are the 2004 Branson Critic Award winners for Best Show, Best Performer, Best Band, and Best ensemble.

2004 Best Performer - Tony Roi

Tony Roi IS The King Of Rock-n-Roll!  Incredible Performance!!!   

Branson, Missouri is fortunate, indeed.  Elvis's doppelganger is performing here in Branson, not in Las Vegas.  I'm used to average Elvises.  There is nothing average about Tony Roi.  He IS Elvis.

In the opening Tony Roi comes out, already warmed up, in an army uniform for his tribute to Elvis' 2-year stint in the U. S. Army and his film G. I. Blues. About ten minutes into the show, Elvis is going to ask you what the 'puppet show' means.  Pay attention, as I'm not giving it away.

The most astonishing thing about Tony is that he really sounds like Elvis without working hard at imitating it and he was born with the look.  He has two back-up singers Paula Wilhite and Amy Cofer.  They did a nice job keeping up with the harmony and melody without running over Tony.  While Elvis, oops I mean Tony leaves the stage (presumably for a wardrobe change), Greg Gray (piano) takes the lead and gets his band jammin'.  As the tempo builds with the band, out struts Elvis in a black leather jacket (wide open - the ladies appreciated him shirtless) and performs his trademark hip shake.  The ladies in the audience were screaming and catcalling.  They were so excited that I thought some of them had to hold on to their dentures.  Some of these ladies' husbands are probably going to bring their wives back to this show for that reason alone.  Just when I thought the oohing and ahhing was slowing down, Tony and the band tease them with "A Little Less Conversation" as he shakes his hips.  The women went nuts.  This wasn't the real Elvis, but they were acting like it was.  I couldn't help but notice that many of the women in the audience were old enough to remember and salivate over the real deal 40 years ago.  I have never seen any fans act this way as with other performers in this town.  Tony truly transported them back in time.  For those not old enough to remember Elvis, Tony introduces us to the icon in the flesh.  Real and live, no lip synching.  How real does he get? I knew it was real when I saw Elvis stand on the front edge of the stage, dripping sweat, as he paused - he curls his upper lip, thrust his hand out, does a karate kick and the band slams out "Jailhouse Rock".  At that moment, the entire audience knew this was Elvis.  He has it down to perfection. 

Lead guitarist Gene Puckett and bass guitarist Brian Lawson come out and begin to jam side-by-side with Elvis the old rock-n-roll way.  Tony has no problem with dancing and kicking, he's very athletic (attributed to his martial arts background).  After that jam session, the men in the audience are equally enthused, if not more.  Then the lights go black and you hear Elvis ask, "What's your philosophy?" and then he comes out and asks again, "What's your philosophy?"  But I'm not about to share the answers.  You have to go and find out. 

In 1968, who wrote the song "Memories"?  Here is when he slows down the audience to a very relaxed and mellow state.  I observed husbands and wives hook arms, hold hands and draw close together.  The mood became intimate.  Now that Tony has got them where he wants them, he leans over and asks, "Are you Lonesome Tonight?"  and I noticed the women turn to Jello.  A nice way to end the first half.  Is this Tony's way of softening the men up to buy their wives merchandise from the gift shop?  Smart.  Very smart. 

Intermission is about 15 minutes.   During the intermission, I had the opportunity to speak with Kathy Stegeman, a Branson resident, and I asked her if she enjoyed the show so far.  She gave me an answer that surprised me. " I've seen Tony Roi's performance 40 times." (It occurs to me that I must not be a fanatic about anything). "40 times?!" I squeaked.  I'm a big man.  I don't ever squeak. "Yes!  He's the best Elvis I've ever seen in the 25 impersonators I've seen in my lifetime.  The only Elvis that was better than Tony Roi is the one I saw in 1972 and 1973 in the International Hilton in Las Vegas.  That was Elvis himself."  She quickly related she was an Elvis fanatic and has collected art and memorabilia of Elvis for over 30 years.  She bought her first album, Blue Hawaii when she was 12 years old for $2.25.  Her dad hated Elvis, so she had to listen very discreetly when her father wasn't around.  "Throughout my life, I've had many trials and tribulations, but for whatever reason, Elvis' Gospel music got me through all my tough times in my life."

"Why is Tony Roi the best?" I asked.
She answered, "Tony gives me the real soulful voice that brings me comfort like no other impersonator in existence today."

Lina, from Cape Coral, FL said, "Listening to Tony Roi is like listening to Elvis. He really does sound and look like Elvis...After the show, I stayed around to get autographs and was in 7th heaven when Tony Roi kissed me on the cheek. I felt like a teenager and I'm 59 years old."  Is that giddy or what? 

Then it was time to sit back down for the second half of the show:  He started slowly with "Believe Me" and believe me, he sounds just like Elvis (Are you tired of hearing that yet?)  He quickly started these lyrics "One for the money, two for the show....."  See if you can finish the song.

The highlight of the show, to me, was his "Kentucky Rain" and "In The Ghetto."  He matches his (Elvis') range in a way that sends shockwaves through you.  My only caution is to parents with small children.  If you know your children startle easily, have them sit on your lap, possibly with hands over their ears.  The show has some energetic stops and starts.  With the thunderous burst of "In the Ghetto" comes "Burning Love" and now it's party time.  Tony is kicking, punching, sweating and belting out the music.  As he shakes his chest at the ladies, he comes to the edge of the stage and the female persuasion once again comes unglued.

Tony excels at making a woman feel like she's the only one in the room when he gives gifts of scarves (anointed with his sweat) to some of the women in the audience.  They loved it!  One sat down a little too soon and he said, "I give you permission.  You may be seated."  The audience laughed; he's quick on his feet.

The finale:  A powerful gospel song that needs to be experienced for yourself.  One thing I must comment on is Tony's genuine appre ciation for his fans.  I watched them stand patiently in line for almost a half hour and yet, he gave each person full attention.  He never once rushed any of them.  He also generously allows free photography with him.  He posed for endless pictures with his show-goers and that type of kindness is rarely seen nowadays in the times in which we live.  According to Tony's biography, he's been in the business about twenty years.  You'd think he'd have a bigger ego than that.  How refreshing. I highly recommend The Elvis Experience with Tony Roi in Branson, Missouri.   We hope that more stars from Vegas follow this star's lead and bring their talent to this family town to keep up the level of entertainment.  Don't leave Branson without seeing this show. 

P. S.  Tony, what's with the sincere "Thank you so much," to the audience at the end of the show?  Don't you mean, "Thankyaverymuuuuuch!"  Hmmm.  I guess that's been done to death.
Never mind.
-Doug Holland, Editor.

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2004 Best Show - Darren Romeo

Darren Romeo: Magical, Musical Multi-Tasker And Cute, To Boot?!  

I went to see Darren Romeo: The Voice of Magic with high expectations. When I say ‘high’ I mean that I was mentally prepared for larger-than-life illusions, explosions, a large cast, etc. Brett Daniels makes what…an airplane disappear? Kirby and Bambi do a helicopter. I figured maybe Darren could splinter off from making large, flying objects appear or vanish…maybe a tank, yeah…oh I know…how ‘bout a yacht?

Frankly, when I went, I didn’t pay attention to any brochures or commercials. I noticed Siegfried and Roy’s images on the billboards and made mental assumptions based on that. In doing so, I did exactly what I tell people not to do on my submission form, which is not to compare a local magic show to Siegfried and Roy. Of course any knowledge I have of the world-renown magicians is from pop culture: magazines, the Internet, television (even old episodes of CSI), not from first-hand experience. So I don’t forget, I find it very necessary to mention here that Darren Romeo is extremely attractive.

But, I digress… I’ll go ahead and mention that there are no larger-than-life illusions (maybe a half-life), only one small explosion and a small cast. So was I disappointed? While I had to make adjustments of my expectations, I was far from disappointed. Exactly the opposite; I enjoyed it tremendously. In fact, it was better than eating chocolate (and I’m a woman, for pete’s sake!)

Before I get into the aspects of the show I enjoyed, I’d like to mention that this was my first time at the Welk Resort Theatre (I’d also like to take this opportunity to include that Darren Romeo is very handsome). Now, as far as the theater is concerned, it was nice. It’s very large and can seat 2,300 people. Apparently there is also a restaurant and a hotel, of which I know nothing about. There is a nice little gift shop and a clean concession area with reasonably priced snacks. The theater was clean and well maintained; with the exception of a ladies room that was completely closed off when we went 7/10/04. Although I didn’t see it, there was another ladies room that was easily accessible to the auditorium, according to my husband (and the men’s facilities were clean, according to him).

For me, the seats were comfortable (they couldn’t be too bad, because if they were, my husband would’ve been belly-aching about it). There were no drink holders, though. This is a real sticking point with me. Between zealously guarding my purse, dispensing money for snacks or cheap doo-dads my kids might want and reaching over and tapping said kids if they were misbehaving – I’d hate to spill my café latte.

At any rate, it’s a beautiful theater. I was neither hot, nor cold and all of the theater staff was both polite and friendly. The theater’s location is fortunate as it’s still in the heart of Branson, but not located on the ‘76 parking lot’. From where we live in North Branson, we took 65 South to Hwy 76 to Fall Creek Rd. to 165 to the Welk Resort and on a Saturday night, got there in 10 minutes.

Now if you haven’t already noticed from pictures, billboards or websites – Darren Romeo is really good-looking. And you really should focus on that. My attention wasn’t really hooked until Act II (although my husband swears I have adult Attention Deficit Disorder). Several times during Act I, Darren warns us that Act II is when it was going to be time ‘to party’. During this more sedate half of the show, I took note of the fact that the self-deprecating entertainer (who pokes fun at his own diminutive stature) has the talent of four people: Illusionist, Musician, Comedian and Entertainer. Everyone laughed when Darren pointed some good-natured teasing at some straggling latecomers who made the mistake of sitting in the front row. Whoever she was, “Hotdog-Lady”, had a good sense of humor about it. The funny thing was he did that WHILE he was singing and he was singing WHILE he was performing an illusion. His timing was excellent. To me that is more amazing than making a tank disappear.

Something else I was impressed with (besides Darren’s looks) was that he brought magic acts right down to the audience. I was sitting nowhere near the front and yet he performed some pretty spectacular feats not six feet away from me. The show seemed to flow with nary a hitch until my husband whispered to me that there was a glitch with his ‘magic piano’. Hubby knew that because he had seen the show the night before. Darren never broke his stride, though. Something else that stuck in my mind is when Darren performed his Rose illusion. He makes a rose out of paper and in a poof of flame, turns it into a real rose. He does this while serenading a lady chosen from the audience; in this case it was Betty. He made a gift of the rose to her and then (this is what struck me) he walked her back to her seat into the care of her husband. Maybe this will seem like a small thing to others, but it struck me as gentlemanly as opposed to just ushering her off stage and having her find her own way back to her seat in the dark.

I probably should, at some point, mention his singing ability. All I can tell you is that it was enjoyable. He seems to be a talented singer and songwriter. I, myself, don’t have much of an ear for music (or a voice for it for that matter). I just know that I like what I like and I enjoyed what I heard. In fact, my most favoritest part of the whole show was his impressions. This was stage magic at its’ finest as his impersonations were dead-on and hilarious. I laughed myself sick. Louis Armstrong, Stevie Wonder, James Brown, Alanis, Celine, Prince and the Backstreet Boys, just to name a few. I also like how he channeled Linda Richmond from Coffee Talk (a la Saturday Night Live) while joking with audience members.

By the way, Darren Romeo is, like, soooooooo cute. I may have mentioned something to this effect already but I’m too lazy to go back and check. My feeling is, if I become overly concerned with what I’ve written in the preceding paragraphs, I’ll never get this review finished.

Anyhoo, no self-respecting reviewer could finish their work without mentioning his fellow illusionist / muse Kristy Michaelson. They also had two young women assisting them. I’ll go ahead and tell you that some here in Branson might feel that the two women assisting were somewhat scantily clad; although they could be considered downright conservative by Vegas standards. Now I know what you’re probably thinking. ‘Oh, this writer is just jealous.’ Puh-leeeeze. Jealous! Pshaw! As if! I mean, what would I have to be jealous of? Sure – Kristy and her two assistants are beautiful…and talented…and are accomplished entertainers…and they get to work with Darren…(sigh)…where was I?

Oh yeah. I get to do exciting stuff…like... write about them. So back to the show – Kristy doesn’t get to say much but her dancing and facial expressions are very interpretive, easily conveying her part in a scene, whether she’s supposed to be funny, sexy, bewitching or a touch melancholy.

Harry Blackstone’s Floating Light bulb Illusion – simply amazing. My kids loved this show; they’re still talking about it. The show held their attention better than any other show they’ve ever seen. My kids are still making paper roses at restaurants and here at home. Although a warning to parents: I overheard my 6-year-old ask her 8-year-old brother how he was going to set his paper rose on fire, so hide your lighters and matchbooks from any budding pyromaniacs / magicians.

All in all, Darren is one multi-talented multi-tasker surrounded by a smooth, talented little cast that adds up to a show I can easily recommend to anybody.

   - Lori Holland

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2004 Best Band - The Duttons

The Dutton's...A Musical Mosaic! What A Show!

It was such a pleasure to meet, watch, and enjoy the Dutton Family Show.  It was difficult to absorb that much talent in one family.  The Dutton Family perform a wide variety of different styles of music including bluegrass, jazz, classical, gospel and rock 'n roll among others.

How in the world can they do that?  Just think about it.  The range went from an orchestrated sound of a large ensemble with B-Minor, Johann Pachelbel's Canon to La Bamba, Wipeout and Johnny B. Goode.  Are you kidding me?!

Being raised myself in a musical family, I truly appreciate this feat.  My father could play the drums, the guitar, and the piano.  People were amazed at his talent.  And it was easy for him to book weddings of 300-500 people.  I never thought much of it.  However, as I grew older and tried dabbling in music myself, I thought, "How did he do it?"  Well, for him it was rock and roll.  Sometimes he would practice 12 hours a day for months on end.  And even with all that practice he felt he really mastered none of it.   No way was he capable of classical, nor bluegrass.  With that said, The Duttons truly staggered me with their polished, musical wizardry.  The diversity of music is almost as spell-binding as their ability to switch back and forth and play an expertly executed musical mosaic.   Try saying that three times fast

I couldn't be frank enough to explain how difficult it is to perform the way they do.  Add to it that Benjamin, who plays nearly every instrument, can tap-dance like Gregory Hines.  Oh, did I mention that if Benjamin is not tap-dancing or playing an instrument - he is ripping up the crowd with laughter during his comedy skits.  Give me a break!  The whole family not only is freakishly, instrumentally talented; they can really sing.  There’s also Timothy and Judith, Abigail, Joshua, Amy, Jonathan, and of course mom and pop who started it all:  Sheila and Dean.

A clever part was when Tom from Detroit Lakes was picked from the audience to participate in a skit.  His job was to woo his future bride, "Abigail."  However, the catch was that he could only read from cue cards held up by Rufus the dog.  You will have a hard time hearing through all the laughter.

A great highlight of the show was when the six Dutton babies came rolling out in a bathtub to the tunes of "Splash, Splash I Was Takin' a Bath."  This was a favorite for all the grandmas out there.  By the way, Grandma Sheila mentioned that all the babies were born within six months of each other.  What are those Duttons drinking, I wonder?
The Dutton's, by far, have the best half-time intermission.  Even though they pitch their food and videos, it is filled with comedy.  One aspect of every theater that is important to me is the comfort of the seats and the seats at the Dutton Family Theatre are very comfortable.  By the way, the concession area has fresh fudge (I didn't sample some, so try it and let me know if it's any good.)

When the Dutton's came back from half time, it was again, audience participation time.  Timothy, Jonathan and Benjamin lead the way with "Say You Love Me" as they serenaded 6-year-old Paige. 

As far as children are concerned, they will love a particular segment that goes to black light.  Cartoon-like characters (glowing in the dark) come out strumming their guitars and play to music.  My kids were riveted on this part.  Yours will be,  too.
Jonathan can play the heck out of the guitar, base and banjoes.  Amy and Abigail seemed to be born with the fiddle.  Joshua screamed through the harmonica.  Mom and Dad not only played well, they kept that family tempo going.  I wonder whose boss in that family? 

Timothy had a nice solo, that you would expect from big brother; and Judith, Abigail and Amy had beautiful harmony.  From singing to dancing, this felt like being around a campfire with a love-filled family.  Only an extremely talented one.  If you love music, I recommend this show highly! 

Not many know that Dean was a professor of economics for 26 years; and that he and his wife had sacrificed his career to spread the family talent over 2,000,000 miles in several countries to give his kids a chance at fame.  Dean touched my heart when he sat down with his family and sang “I'm a Little White Duck”.  This song (music being one of the catalysts of memory) was my Grandma Chalfant's favorite song to sing to me as a child.  She would get on that old organ and play for me and my sister almost every day.  I'd say, "Grandma, play it again!"  And, although never in the best of health, she'd tirelessly play for us.  During that short part, I missed her something terrible and wished she was still alive to sing it to my kids.

Thanks to you, Duttons, again for allowing us at BransonCritic.org to be a part of your family for a night.

Editor,  Doug Holland

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2004 Best Ensemble - The Haygoods

Every good tale has a beginning and a ìlived happily-ever-afterî ending, with an epic journey from one point to the other. The story of the Haygoods is such a tale. It has a beginning in the tiny town of Boerne, Texas, five years after Jim and Marie Haygood had their first little Haygood, Timothy. Timothy liked to watch TV while mom Marie, scurried around their small home doing the necessary chores that ordinary folks did to live from one day to the next. One evening Timothy was watching Sesame Street and yelled to his mom to come and, ìsee this.î When Marie went into the room and looked, Itzhak Perlman, the great Israeli violin virtuoso was performing and Timothy said that was what he wanted to do. He wanted to play the violin just like Itzhak was doing.

In a few months Timothy, the first and oldest of the extremely talented and musical Haygoods, was taking violin lessons. No one knew at that time what the future held in store for the Haygood family, except God. He knew and he had an unbelievable plan for this particular family. If Jim and Marie Haygood had known what was in store for their future and the futures of their children, they not only would have found it hard to believe, but quite possibly, would have been too afraid to go on.

Jim and Marie Haygood, in time, would have seven more children, all talented, all musically inclined and all of whom would wind up eventually in Branson, with a hit show of their own, at the new Music City Center. That did not happen without yet another fairy tale story in the middle of the original tale. The story that Marie told me, when I asked her how they decided to come to Missouri, is a story of, what some would consider, amazing circumstances. I personally do not believe in circumstances. I believe that everything that happens to us has been planned, laid out on a master drawing board and then put into motion by the Master planner Himself. The story of the Haygoodís move to Branson has all the earmarks of one of the most cleverly designed plans ever drawn up by the Master. After hearing the story, I decided that it was much too long to put into this article; I am totally in awe of everything that transpired to get them to Branson and keep them here.

The Haygood performing troupe, consisting of seven brothers and one sister, came by their love of music honestly. James Dunn Haygood, their dad, had a background in acting and actually did what every boy in his generation wanted to do. He ran away from home, joined a circus and become a clown. When Jim and Marie married, she literally married a clown. Itís what every father of every bride thinks of his future son-in-law, and this one was true. Jim retired from clowning around the circus a couple of years after he was married and settled into raising their family.

Dolores Marie Haygood, their mother, took lessons in piano, dancing and later took singing lessons. She was active in college, singing and performing in musicals. Marie had planned to continue her performing career, but put everything on hold when she and Jim started a family. It is still on hold.

It is interesting that Marie had not studied the violin, but learned nearly by osmosis, as she went with each of her eight children when they took their lessons. When the last of the children came along, Marie had amassed enough knowledge of the violin, simply by watching and listening to the older childrenís lessons, that she was able to teach basic violin to the younger ones. Then she sent them off for professional lessons.

There are many families that have a genetic makeup that allows all of them to perform as a group. Several such families are here in Branson, but I do not believe any of the others have the unique quality that the Haygoods have. The Haygoods cannot only sing up a storm, but each can play several musical instruments. They can dance, play, sing and all have the ability to have a good time when onstage.

The Haygoods have arrived in Branson. Actually, they arrived in 1993 and started performing at Silver Dollar City, on June 1st of that same year, then moved to the Branson strip in the spring of 2002. The new Music City Center suits them well, very well. The theater has the best in lighting and the best in sound, plus special effects, including pyro-effects, that can be seen a couple of times in each show. I was fortunate enough to catch the firestorms on film. They are spectacular.

The Haygoods have fans all across the country. When you go to their show, you will notice that a goodly number of fans scream when the Haygoods are performing. Sort of puts one in mind of the old Elvis concerts. Believe me when I say they have avid fans. They also have a web site, www.thehaygoods.com that tells you who they are and what they do. It is a well-planned site, done very professionally.

Aaron, 11, and Catherine, 13, the two youngest Haygoods, are already multi-talented and can perform with the best of them. Of course, they have six older brothers who take a very personal interest in them. Catherine, being the only girl in the group, is truly a standout. Already turning into a real heart breaker, she is a twinkling star when onstage.

The Haygoods are a phenomenon of sight, sound and motion. They not only sound great, but they are in constant, high energy, motion. ìThe Haygoodsî is a show that cries out with excitement. It is excitement times eight. Eight Haygoods, with two talented and loving parents added in, is a mixture for a show that has nearly everything from Chuck Berry and the guys downtown, to the Beach Boys. ìThe Haygoodsî is truly a feel good show. You will feel much better after seeing them. I did.

The ìlived-happily-ever-afterî ending to the Haygood story is not here yet. Actually, we hope the ending is a long time into the future. In the meantime, enjoy the journey along the way. Thatís the very best part.

Copyright © 2004-Kurt L. Moore-All rights reserved. klmoore@earthlink.net

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