Mark Your Calendars for This Wednesday, February 24th at 6:49PM to attend the First Annual Branson Gong Show at the Legends In Concert Theatre in the Dick Clark’s American Bandstand Complex. Then get ready to laugh your head off while raising funds to help assist our area Senior Citizens who have difficulty getting around town on their own.

There’s never been a show like this in Branson before!

Several highly respected Branson entertainers are volunteering to raise funds for the Branson Senior Center’s Meals-On-Wheels program.  Master of Ceremonies for the event is Jim Barber from the Hamner Barber Variety Show.

Celebrity Judges for the event are Jim’s co-star at the Hamner Barber Theater, the amazing Branson illlusionist Dave Hamner, one of the greatest impressionists in the world, Bob Anderson, the beautiful and multi-talented singer, Dalena Ditto, and the incredibly gifted banjo king, Buck Trent.

Under the direction of veteran TV producer Harry Waterson (“Golden Girls,” “Benson,” “Evis: Aloha From Hawaii”) the First Annual Branson Gong Show will feature a dazzling array of amazing and not-so-amazing (but great fun) family friendly acts from across the Ozarks. The performers will be competing for cash prizes and the chance to be the reigning Branson Gong Show Champion.

Tickets prices for adults: $10, kids: $5 and family: $25. There will be giveways and surprises during the show. Cash Prizes for the winning contestants are: 1st Place $500.17, 2nd Place $101 and 3rd Place: $49.99. This promises to be a terrific evening of fun and all for a great cause!

Related Websites: Harry Waterson Credits, Hamner Barber Variety Show, Bob Anderson, Dalena Ditto, Buck Trent, Branson Tri-Lakes News Article

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Founded in 1979, the Telly Awards is the premier award honoring outstanding local, regional, and cable TV commercials and programs, the finest film and video productions, and groundbreaking web commercials, videos and films. Winners represent the best work of the most respected advertising agencies, production companies, television stations, cable operators, and corporate video departments in the world. The Silver Telly Council judges and oversees the National Awards presentation and is comprised of top industry professionals that are past winners of a Silver Telly, their highest honor. The Telly Awards receives over 13,000 entries annually and it is considered a remarkable achievement to be selected for recognition.

Dave Hamner and Jim Barber are proud to accept this honor on behalf of not only their theater staff and crew, but also on behalf of the 6,821 American casualties of the World War II Battle for Iwo Jima that their magical, multimedia production pays tribute to in each and every performance of the Hamner Barber Variety Show in Branson, Missouri.

Jim Barber is especially honored, as this is his second time to receive the award, having won a prestigious Silver Telly in 2005 for a project that his Hollister, MO based multimedia business Image Works, Inc. developed for the Boys & Girls Club of the Ozarks “Capital Campaign DVD.” Todd Aeschliman, Jim’s long-time business partner at Image Works, is excited to see the Hamner Barber Show be honored with this award in 2010.

Since 1978, the mission of the Telly Awards has been to strengthen the visual arts community by inspiring, promoting, and supporting creativity. The Telly Awards received over 13,000 entries from all 50 states and 5 continents.

More information about the Hamner Barber Veterans Tribute can be found here.

Frontier Airlines

The new Branson service begins April 20th with four nonstop flights a week to/from Denver International Airport (DEN).  These low intro fares can be booked online at www.FrontierAirlines.com.

Frontier’s Branson service will be flown by the Embraer E190 aircraft. Customers on board this 99-seat aircraft enjoy comfortable leather seating in a two-by-two configuration. In addition, all of the E190 aircraft have several rows of STRETCH seating, which provides an additional five inches of comfortable legroom.

For more information and a list of introductory airfares, download the official news release from Frontier Airlines.

Related websites: FlyBranson.com

Branson, Mo. – (Tuesday, January 26, 2010) – Branson Zipline and Canopy Tour, now under construction in Branson, Missouri plans to be open this spring. Construction of the platforms for the new Eco-Adventure is ahead of schedule.  Branson’s newest attraction, conveniently located on Highway 65 only seven miles north of downtown Branson, will introduce visitors to a unique form of outdoor entertainment. “This is a completely different experience,” points out General Manager Emma Hamilton, “and there is no other attraction that comes close to combining ecology and adventure in a fun activity that is both exciting and safe for people of all ages.”

Using a system that originated in the jungles of Costa Rica, the Branson Zipline and Canopy Tour will allow guests to soar in the Ozark Mountains.  As visitors “zip” from observation platform to platform, through and over the trees, certified guides will accompany participants pointing out unique topographical and historical features of the Ozarks.  Certification for the guides will be provided by the Association for Challenge Course Technology (ACCT), as will be the accreditation for the courses themselves.

Branson visitors will be able to experience the Ozarks Xplorer Canopy Tour® a two and a half hour, interactive tour which will feature a variety of zip lines, walkways and platforms; and the Blue Streak Fast Line®, a thrilling one-stop ride from the top of the property to the base.  Hamilton adds, “Visitors will be able to experience the Ozark Outdoors through all the seasons, as we run year round…only pausing for lightning.”

The Branson Zipline & Canopy Tour is the only facility of its kind in the region. “We can take up to 12 people at a time on each tour, so there is a very limited capacity.” states Emma, “In many areas, zip line canopy tours are sold out weeks and months in advance, so we strongly advise making reservations now.”

Tours begin May 1, 2010, and can be booked now by visiting www.BransonZipline.com or by calling 417-561-2500. The course has been designed to be a low impact activity that is appropriate for all ages.

Media Contact

Emma Hamilton – General Manager, 417-616-5156, marketing@bransonzipline.com

About Branson Zipline and Canopy Tour

Branson Zipline and Canopy Tour offers visitors of all ages an exciting Eco-Adventure in the Ozark Mountains. The range of thrilling options includes the 2 ½  hour Ozarks Xplorer Canopy Tour®, which features a guided excursion across numerous zip lines, platforms and walkways; and the Blue Streak Fast Line®, a thrilling zip that stretches from the top of the mountain to the base of the property. The adventure includes information about topographical, ecological, and historical features. Branson Zipline is a unique and family friendly compliment to Branson’s existing vacation opportunities. The course and the guides will be certified by the Association for Challenge Course Technology (ACCT).

Branson, MO – (Thursday, January 18, 2010) – As the weather starts to heat up so do the stages in Branson, Missouri and at 7:00 PM on Monday, February 8, Dick Clark’s American Bandstand Theater will be sizzling with Branson’s 16^th Annual Hot Winter Fun Big Show! Branson, dubbed the “live music show capital of the world”, is the perfect place to escape the winter blues during January and February and Branson’s Hot Winter Fun Big Show is the perfect event to sample a wide variety of shows and performers jam-packed into one exciting show.

The Hot Winter Fun Big Show provides the audience an opportunity to see portions of several shows that are open during the winter months of January, February and March. The Big Show will be emceed by popular Branson entertainer, Bob Leftridge of the Baldknobbers Jamboree.  Shows on stage include Jim Stafford, Legends In Concert, Hughes Brothers Show, Pierce Arrow, Kirby Van Burch, Cassandre’- the Voice of an Angel, Circle B Supper Show, Grand Jubilee, Keith “Red” Allen, Ricky Boen & Texas Mud, Tony Roi, Smoke On The Mountain, Always & Forever Patsy Cline, Buckets N Boards, Comedy Jamboree, Red, Hot, & Blue, Rock N Roll is Here to Stay, Rock U Mentally, Top 10 Rock and Roll Revue, and more.

Tickets for Branson’s 16th Annual Hot Winter Fun Big Show are currently on sale and can be purchased by calling Dick Clark’s American Bandstand Theater directly at 417-339-3003.

“The Big Show has become a tradition for many visitors who plan their trip to Branson around the event. It’s also something local residents enjoy because they get to see some of the new shows opening for the season and some of their long time favorites debuting new songs and acts,” says Jeannie Horton, President of The League of Branson Theatre Owners & Show Producers (The Branson Show League) and General Manager for Legends In Concert.

“Marketing the months of January, February, and March as Hot Winter Fun started in 1994 as a way to let our guests know they could enjoy the Branson experience year ‘round,” says Cindy Merry, marketing chair for The Branson Show League.  “The Hot Winter Fun Big Show was created to raise funds to market Branson.  Last year the funds were used to help run a $300,000 television campaign in Dallas that featured over 50 Branson stars inviting visitors Branson. We hope to be able to recreate a similar program in 2010.”

The Branson Show League sponsors the annual Hot Winter Fun Big Show. All of the entertainers donate their performances and many volunteers and local businesses help produce and market the show.

For tickets call 417-339-3003 or 417-335-STAR today. Tickets are $30 plus tax and service charge for adults, $ 9.95 plus tax and service charge for children ages 4 through 12.

About The League of Branson Theatre Owners and Show Producers (The Branson Show League)

The Branson Show League works to increase the success and well-being of the theatrical industry in the “Live Music Show Capital of the World” — Branson, Missouri.  With over 100 live shows featuring music, comedy, magic, dancing, acrobats, theatrical plays, and more, the diversity and variety of choices of live shows make Branson a unique and fun-filled family vacation destination.  The League strives to increase interest in Branson shows and show attendance, increase profitability for the Branson show community, and to promote communications between the shows and theaters as well as throughout the Branson community.

Official Website: ShowsInBranson.com

There are many ways to assist financially so that your donation will instantly be available to those who can put it to great use… TODAY!

Here are two easy ways to donate…

If you have a text enabled cell phone, text the word Haiti to 90999 and $10.00 will be added to your phone bill to go directly to the Red Cross Haiti fund… TODAY!

Or… click on the Help Haiti Now image and contribute to The World Food Programme. They are sending food and other necessary provisions to Haiti, a country that has suffered recently from hunger, malnutrition, high food prices, hurricanes and now one of the worst earthquakes ever to strike the region.

Here are ten facts that give the measure of the hunger crisis facing Haiti, an island nation which was already stalked by hunger and malnutrition even before the earthquake struck.

1. Assessments show that 3 million people may need humanitarian relief, including food assistance, in the wake of the earthquake.
2. Even before the quake, 1.9 million people were ‘food insecure’, meaning they needed assistance to stave off hunger.
3. Only 50 percent of Haiti population has access to safe drinking water.
4. Some 55 percent of Haiti’s 9 million people live below the poverty line of US$1 a day.
5. Rural households spend almost 60 percent of their income on food; the poorest groups spend more than 70 percent.
6. Chronic malnutrition affects 24 percent of children under five, rising as high as 40 percent in the poorest zones.
7. Poor diet means many women and children suffer from micronutrient deficiencies. Anaemia affects 59 percent of children between the ages of six months and 5 years.
8. During 2008, high food and fuel prices triggered violent demonstrations and political upheaval.
9. In the same year, three hurricanes and one tropical storm struck Haiti, killing 800 people, destroying 27,000 homes and raising the general level of hunger.
10. Food prices have declined since September 2008, but remain higher than the four-year average.