Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Baldknobbers Branson’s Famous
Brandon Mabe is the third generation of the family to perform as one of Branson’s Famous Baldknobbers. The show started in 1959, long before 76 Country Boulevard became the music and comedy capital of the Midwest. In fact, Mabe says theirs was the first live music show in Branson, and the theater that opened in 1969 was the second on “The Strip.” Sixty-two years later, reviews praise the music, the comedy and the tribute to veterans and call it “excellent family fun.”
Mabe took a few minutes before the Christmas rush to answer five questions for What’s Up!
Q. What was it like growing up with your family’s musical legacy? A.
I truly loved every minute of growing up as a Baldknobber. I idolized so many of the great entertainers before me. I loved going to the show with my parents or grandparents and just watching as they brought so much happiness to the audiences each night. This was a magnet to me. I wanted to be the one making people smile. Through my college years, my appetite for the stage only grew stronger. Towards the end of my senior year in college, I decided to audition for the show with some of my cousins. Thankfully, I was chosen to join the cast. Currently, my wife and I are the only family members performing on stage regularly. That being said, we have a total of 12 talented cast members that make up our show and our Baldknobbers’ family.
Q. How has the show changed over the years? Do audiences change or are people really pretty much the same? A.
We have worked hard to stay up with certain trends and remain relevant in this ever-changing world. At the end of the day, people want to be entertained. [Audiences’] interests may be slightly different, but they still crave entertainment. We just have to find different ways to attract them, pique their interest and keep their attention. That being said, through this evolution we are very careful to not lose who we are. Sure, we are definitely a modernized Baldknobbers Show, but we hold tight to the values of those before us. They laid the foundation. We are just remodeling the house.
Q. How did you cope with the challenges of the pandemic? A.
Through FAITH. The challenges were real. Our entire industry was shut down for months. We had to trust that God would lead us down the correct path for success. As always, He delivered. Our entire town was extremely blessed. The way our entire community came together was absolutely amazing. Everyone carefully adapted their business models to accommodate the new and changing regulations and standards. Because of that, we were able to open back up much earlier than other tourist destinations, and we were able to remain open for business.
Q. What are you planning for the Christmas show? A.
We love the Christmas season in Branson. For our show, we perform the “best of” our regular show in the first half. We then dedicate the entire second half to the Christmas season. We have so much fun this time of year!
Q. What keeps audiences coming back to see your show? And what keeps you coming back to perform? A.
I believe it is the quality and the variety of entertainment that we offer.
We have always been a family-friendly country music and comedy variety show. We believe we have some of the best talent that Branson has to offer on our stage. Although we are primarily a country music concert, we also perform some classic rock, pop and gospel music. If you like music and if you like comedy or if you just crave some live entertainment, we will have something for you to enjoy.
I absolutely love creating memories and watching people smile. I love bringing joy to people’s lives. I also love singing and entertaining alongside my wife. Together, we get to perform with some of the most talented people anywhere on a nightly basis.