FUN R US! ™ STUFF —— PP 1820 Season 2020 SEASON 2020 THE INSIDE SCOOP ON WITH THE SHOW! ON THAT UPSIDE DOWN — P 5 — P 4 !— P 19 HE'S BACK! — P 7 —— P P 6 9 NEW! — P 17 RHYTHM & BLUES THEATRE A N E I L D I A M O N D & TR I B U T E LOUNGE! — P 11 — P 8 YIKES! SHOW GUIDE • MAP • FOOD • SHOPPING • FUN! INSIDER excitement. The carefree fun. The inspiration. so much, why do we gotta do all that before He’ll give us a break down here? Revelations This Branson entertainment is not like entertainment elsewhere. It comes from a Well, boys and girls—these is some Richard Freihofer different place. It’s inspired by a community That’sTheo N. Cider the Spirit good questions, but you came here for that champions core values of faith, family Local expert, part-time preacher. answers so here we go. Wisdom & knowledge from His Majesty the Editor & Publisher and a love and appreciation of our country, In the beginning, The Good Lord created our freedoms and our veterans. There is this earth and gave it to us Adam types to no better way to get to the heart of what WHAT’S THE POINT? rule it and take care of it. Trouble was, The this town is all about than to experience a s we all know, this old world has gone Good Lord made us in His image, which is ou’re on vacation and you’re here to see Branson show. Or two. Or many. loco. And plenty of us know we’re why we got that lightning in a bottle called and do it all—so here goes! supposed to pray about it all. But So have fun wherever you roam, but then “Free Will.” But uh-oh, here comes that at some point we gotta ask ourselves— Step inside a Branson theater and treat bring it all home. Check out our show quide, fallen angel called satan, (who used his what’s the point? yourself to some of the world’s greatest read our stories, make your picks, then kick free will to go up against Our Creator and singers, dancers, musicians and performers back—and enjoy the show.✦ Now already I can almost hear your brain to get kicked out of the Kingdom) Now of every kind. Note the feelings these shows chirpin’ me the answer out loud. The that snake is in the garden out to get this leave you with. The lifted spirits. The joy. The /TheBransonInsider point, sez you, is that The Bible tells us to scary new Adam creation on his side of the pray. But if we think about that whole fence. You know the story. He used his prayer thing for a New York minute, it free will to woo Adam and Eve to use their really don’t even make sense. free will to follow him to the “other side.” The dark side. And Adam took the bait. “But, Oh, wait,” sez you—“If you just got faith,” sez you, stuff happens! Mountains move! So death came to Adam and to the rest COME BACK NOV-DEC FOR Broke gets fixed! Sick gets well! Empty of the world, including us, not even yet gets full! Lost gets found! Owed gets paid! born. And as The Bible tells us, satan Poor gets rich! Ornery gets civilized! Sad became the god of this world, and the ✭CHRISTMAS SHOWS gets happy! Mad gets nice! All’s what we world fell into a curse of sin, destruction gotta do is pray, have faith—and “bingo!” and death. That’s the bad news. Satan is ✭A CHRISTMAS WONDERLAND It sure has happened plenty of times to the god of this world and he wields the preachers, the folks in church and even to “powers, principalities and wickedness in ✭THE TRUE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT! you and me a time or two! But not always. high places”. Then there’s you bless-your-heart other Now for the Good News. The Son of God folks who are all lovey-dovey about Planet came into this world, paid for the sins of Earth, animals and not eating meat who tell the world with His own blood on the cross us we should all just “think good thoughts” and was condemned to death and sent to and broadcast some “positive energy” at hell. But then, the universe changed when the whole sorry mess we find ourselves in! God raised Christ from the dead to rule and reign throughout all eternity! And in So honestly, which makes less sense? His Kingdom is all those who will believe, We get told to pray so pray we do. lay their lives down, and follow Him and Sometimes it makes a body feel better, His Word. But there’s more. sometimes it makes it feel worse. All who are followers of Christ—the sons of Especially when we ain’t in the mood to God, have the authority to call on the Lord hear our own voice bouncin’ off the walls and His Heavenly Host to intervene, change and right back into our eardrums. The and overcome the events in this fallen whole thing sounds ridiculous. world! He has given us a weapon, His Word, It’s like The Good Lord is up there busy with and the authority to use it in the Name of the whole mess and here we are, a flimsy Jesus Christ, the “Name above all names!” little “voice cryin’ in the wilderness” tryin’ to His promises in His name are the weapons get His attention so He’ll maybe get around we are to take to prayer. We are to call on to pulling some strings like a puppet Him, and His Word to over-rule the god of master to make somethin’ happen for us this world, and to reverse the course of his down here. Or maybe if we fall on our face, rule of sin, ungodliness and death. Rule has cry like a baby and pound the floor as we been restored to the sons of God! beg Him till we get all the cry out of us— Therefore, Saints—let us pray! maybe, just maybe, He’ll send us a couple of angels to duke things out with the devil Not beg. But pray. Let us pray His Word ‘til the devil gets knocked down and flees! and His promises. But at some point we gotta ask Amen. Good preachin’. Especially at times ourselves—if this Good Lord loves us like this. Hope we all get the point.✦ Fine Print that Nobody Reads: The Branson Insider™ Fall 2020 Vol 11 Issue No.4 Copyright © 2020 by Performance Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Published bi-monthly by Performance Media, Inc. P.O. Box 580 Ozark, MO 65721. Phone: (417) 827- 4025. e-mail: [email protected] Facebook.com/TheBransonInsider /Branson_Insider Boring Lawyer Stuff: Information published herein is subject to change without notice. Reproduction in whole or in part is strictly prohibited. The Branson Insider™ makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of published information, however the publisher cannot be held responsible for any consequences arising from errors or omissions. Distribution: For distribution issues, (heh-heh, did you catch that pun?), call our office. Editor & Publisher: Richard B. Freihofer Advertising: Whoever answers the phone. Publicity: Linda Rushing-Ashley Graphic Design: Stan Griffin, Lindzey Griffin Business Manager: Theresa K. Freihofer THE BRANSON INSIDER INSIDER BUZZ 3 copies. He has performed to sellout crowds in over 50 countries. He has appeared on ENTERTAINMENT WORLD RAVING OVER virtually every magic show on American TV. NO WORDS How do we describe this show? We have no words. But you came here for words, so MANSION OF DREAMS! here goes—! The curtain opens. Immediately, things Stunning magic, extreme comedy, happen. Jaws drop. Reality is suspended. We are stupefied, as one unbelievable exquisite dancers and an inspiring story event transforms into another at almost breakneck speed. Special effects are are woven into one of the most amazing astounding. The music, the dancing and the theatrics are spectacular. Rick is a world productions ever! champion ballroom dancer, and it shows. His performance is mesmerizing—as is that of his wife and dancing partner, Tara, a ballet star from Zimbawe. Then comes the unexpected… THE SHOCK Suddenly, the music stops. Rick breaks character. He grins. Turns around and looks at the elaborate stage set. “Wow,” he says. Then he shrugs, looking almost bewildered. “That was pretty cool!” We laugh. Then we see the other side of Rick. He’s a fun guy. He makes us laugh. He plays with our heads. He invites kids up on and whose accolades goer who has “seen it all”. You haven’t. Not stage and has fun with them. Somehow, THE BUZZ! included the high honor of unless you’ve seen Mansion of Dreams, a he gets on their level—never talking receiving the Key to the City. true theatrical masterpiece. down to them, never acting like them, just While on tour throughout seamlessly connecting with them. They get North America last Champion “I knew then, that Branson his jokes, most which he makes up on the winter, Branson’s ballroom dancer was the place to unveil THE DREAM spot. He does the same thing with Moms multi award-winning Rick and ballet the production I had been The Mansion of Dreams production has and Dads, Grandmas and Grandpas. Before master illusionist star Tara, Rick’s dreaming of and laboring been over twenty-five years in the making.