Boomtown Opry makes return with Hometown Show
The Boomtown Opry is back with a show scheuled for July 11 at the El Dorado Municipal Auditorum at 7 p.m.
Tickets will be available at the door at $15, and children six to 12 years old will be admitted for $5. Children five and under will be admitted free of charge. Advance tickets are available for $10 at itickets.com.
The Boomtown Opry, usually a monthly event, has been canceled since March due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Public health officials urge those gathering in large groups with non-household members to wear face masks and socially distance with at least six feet between themselves and others.
The Boomtown Opry is a family friendly event with no alcohol sold during the show. The show is on the second Saturday of each month. The show features a house band called The Roughnecks led by BJ Kyle, who has toured professionally with Colt Ford, Craig Morgan, Tracy Lawrence, Kellie Pickler, Carrie Underwood, and others. Local country duo Southern Koast, made up of Keith Owens and Susan Tolin, provide background vocals.
Featured performers for the July show are Steve Harrell, Brandon Gabbert, Rick Jones, Zach Abbott, Leslie Word, Mason Halstead and Southern Koast. The Hometown Show is held each July and features entertainers either currently living in or formerly from the El Dorado area.
Steve Harrell is the former emcee of the KTVE Boomtown Opry and will resume those duties for this show. Steve, who recently moved to New Orleans with his wife, Cathy, has been a regular on different stages around south Arkansas. He has performed on the Columbia County Hayride, Oaklawn Opry, Delta Music Opry and, of course, the Boomtown Opry. Steve was also a regular performer in different productions at the South Arkansas Arts Center and on the Showdown at Sunset.
Brandon Gabbert, a native Texan and a graduate of Southern Arkansas University made South Arkansas his home for 25 years and now lives in Frisco, Tex. He first took the stage at six years old and has been singing ever since. He has performed at the Gladewater Opry in Gladewater, Tex., the Columbia County Hayride in Magnolia, Ark., the Oaklawn Opry in Texarkana, Tex. and made his debut on the Boomtown Opry stage in August 2018 on a show featuring Buddy Jewell.
Rick Jones is a retired educator originally from Haughton, La. He has sung in church for over 30 years and recently started performing classic country music. Currently living in Northwest Arkansas, Rick called El Dorado home for the last 10 years and has performed at local restaurants, coffee shops and both private and public events for the past three years.
Singer/songwriter Zach Abbott was born and raised in El Dorado. His style is a home-grown take on Americana, blending traditional country vocals over folk/Americana phrasing. Zach delivers a wide range of musical experiences from intimate solo acoustic performances to bold and powerful arrangements.
Leslie Word works for one of our sponsors, El Dorado Homes, and is a great country singer. This will be his third appearance on the show.
Mason Halstead is a student at El Dorado High School. She has been performing since she was a toddler. She played Belle in “Beauty and the Beast” and Fiona in “Shrek” at Barton Junior High. She also performs with the praise band at First United Methodist Church. When Mason is not serenading her friends and family or quizzing them about Broadway musicals, she likes to play soccer with El Dorado Extreme and drive her brother crazy. This is Mason’s second appearance on the show.
Southern Koast is the singing duo of Keith Owens and Susan Tolin. They both live and work in El Dorado. Both are happily married - just not to each other! They met about 13 years ago as both were cast in the SAAC production “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” and have remained friends since. They were both members of the band Cousin Earl; Keith was the lead singer and Susan sang backup and the occasional solo.
They decided to do some duets and some material that was not really suited for the band and left the group. The name comes from the first letters of their names, Keith and Susan, and the fact that both live in south Arkansas.
Aspiring singers may audition for future shows before rehearsals on show day around 2 p.m.
A portion of the proceeds from each KTVE Boomtown Opry show go to benefit the Union County Animal Protection Society. In return, UCAPS provides volunteers to staff each show.
For more information, visit facebook.com/boomtownopry.
Due to the cancellation of four shows this year, season pass holders will be granted access to all extra shows produced by Boomtown Opry this year. So far two extra shows are on the calendar: The Martins on August 16 and The Blackwood Quartet on October 24.