SDCFans - The Unofficial Fan Site For Silver Dollar City
Silver Dollar City & Celebration City Discussion => SDC Memories/ Park History => Topic started by: Old Guy on March 17, 2008, 04:53:13 PM
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I've seen a lot of shows mentioned on other threads so how bout one for the shows themselves. Street shows, music acts, theater shows, night shows, visiting acts, etc Any memories? Tales? Questions? Deep knawing moral issues? Oh.. hold it ...that's another thread....
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I'll get this started with a mention of SDC's funnyest show ever, The Boxing Show which was a summer show in the craft barn (then known as the wagonworks barn) in Deepwoods in 1978.
Bleachers were set up around a boxing ring and a British boxing champ would challange all comers to last three rounds with him for a prize of $100.00. Of course this was all a setup. There would be popcorn and soda venders walking around the bleachers and when the champ came out he would grab a popcorn and dump it over the venders head. We'd all boo. The chalange would come and who should answer the call than a couple of hillbilly brothers, the smart one who wants the money and the dumb one who is going to fight without a clue. This was played by one of Bransons funnyest men, Wayne Milnus, longtime star of the Toby Show, SDC's undertaker, later to be Judge at the SDC courthouse (more on that show another time), and many more. The ring was rigged with a mini tramp so he could do huge leaps over Percy (the champ) and at one point he would grab a rope hanging from a beam and do wild swings out over the audiance! He would end by accedentaly knocking out the champ and winning the purse.
The show only ran there one summer becouse entertainment lost the use of the barn but it beacame a regular show ar SDC TN the next few seasons, using shots from the MO version in there brochures.
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I am going off of memories when I was very young:\
I remember about three different shows in the Saloon when I was a kid. One of the shows had Mean Murphy; he had the silver cup over his bit off nose. The second was the Carry Nation’s show where she would hack the saloon up with her ax. The third one I remember vaguely. I think that everyone was nervous because the owner was coming, something like that, and she would sit in the box seat above the bar. If you remember any of these Old Guy, please expound on them!
I would have loved to have seen the Medicine Wagon Show!
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The Saloon show was terrific in the late 80s. I am too young to remember the Carrie Nation show, but would have loved it (along with a little introduction to history). The show I remember most featured an actress, playing Tillie, who really stole the show. There were ad libs all over the place, and we couldn't stop laughing. It was corny and fun. That was before Mean Murphy came onto the scene. As I mentioned in another thread, the bartender was always afraid that his brand new St. Louis mirror would be broken in a scuffle, and sure enough, the strobe lights flashed as a panel on the mirror slid to reveal a broken version of the mirror.
They also made a point of saying this was a "family show" and something was said of the painting of a scantily-clad women above and to the right of the mirror. Before our eyes, the woman's arm pivoted to cover herself more appropriately. As a kid, I thought this was rich.
I don't remember a medicine show, but I do remember the Toby Show. I'd like to more about the Rainmaker and the Undertaker, as they are some of my favorite characters. It makes me sick every time I see the Rainmaker's wagon not being utilized these days. People walk by and can't appreciate what it really is. I remember the Rainmaker would bring a kid up onto the contraption, and he would ask, "How long ya been on the wagon?" One of the jokes that only the adults laughed at.
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I don’t remember the original Carry Nation’s Saloon show; I only saw the anniversary show a few years ago. I do remember the broken mirror scene in the Saloon.
I have been promised that the Rainmaker will return this season and the role of the rainmaker will be played by one zany man. I am looking forward to this, as a kid I loved it.
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That, my friend, will be something to look forward to!
I would like it even more if they didn't tell the public when it will happen - just let it happen seemingly at random.
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Miss Tillie is the character I miss the most from the Saloon. I definitely remember Mean Murphy; it was back when they used guns with blanks instead of a recorded sound. I remember it clearly, because I have always been afraid of loud noises and I still have to plug my ears during the train robbery, and it was noticeable to me a couple years ago when they had someone shoot a gun in the Saloon, but it only had a recorded sound instead of real blanks.
I think my perfect mix of characters for the Saloon would include Miss Tillie, Dusty Chaps, Choctaw Charlie, and Mean Murphy. Those are the characters I remember and miss the most.
~ "Becky" Joy ~
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Dusty Chaps! I couldn't remember his name. There was such a chemistry between him and Tillie - almost like they were smitten with each other outside the saloon show. There's no way they could have had such a chemistry unless they enjoyed each other and their jobs.
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I love this forum! I spend a lot of time lurking. I guess I'll post now.
I remember several of the saloon shows. I remember the prohibition one vaguely. I remember a Buffalo Bill show where all of the girls wore pink saloon dresses. I also like the Mean Murphy one.
My favorite show of all time was in the Riverfront Playhouse (I think it's called now), or Gaslight as I remember it. It was a musical show about a time machine. A magician picked up someone from the audience (an actor) and travelled with him to the past. I also remember a show there about pretending a house was haunted. Volunteers from the audience helped with the haunting. I also liked the show that Cajun Connection had in there with the set being a riverboat that was travelling down the river.
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Ah yes, I miss Cajun Connection's indoor set. It really helped set the mood by feeling like you were really in the Bayou.
I remember the first time I saw the Hughes Brothers was when they were the opening act for Cajun Connection. Our family enjoyed them so much, we made sure to check out their own show at the Gazebo later that day. 13 years later, we're still huge fans.
~ "Becky" Joy ~
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Yes, the Gaslight Theatre/ River Front Playhouse was one of my favorite venues as a kid. Timothy Turnbuckle’s Traveling Time Machine, was hilarious. The also had a show called Hoedown which stared Terry Sanders and Dan Embree, two Silver Dollar City greats. I miss these types of shows; SDC doesn’t offer them any longer. Would have loved to see the Haunted show and the Chicken Thief!
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Hatfield's Haint was the haunted house show. It had a great set and special effects, and it was funny in all its quirkiness. Do you remember the guy going upstairs with his candle. The candle was accentuated by lighting effects and when he extended his arm - with the candle - into the upstairs bedroom, the lighting was supposed to go with it. It never did, and the audience thought this "mistake" was hilarious. The guy then would "ad lib" putting the candle in and out of the room repeatedly to see if the effects person could keep up. It may have been a real mistake at one time, but they clearly put it in as a part of the show later on. Of course, a visitor only knew this upon repeat visits, the same way we know the "lost lines" and "breakups" on the train robbery are actually planned. It just makes it all seem more impromptu.
Timothy Turnbuckle was its replacement, before Cajun Connection and the Haygoods (I don't remember ever seeing the Hughes Brothers.) took over the theater. Turnbuckle had a nerdy guy in the audience who started the show before the show ever started. He would take endless flash pictures of the stage and the theater, and as soon as the lights went down for the show to start, he took one last shot - flash - in the dark. The audience would be laughing at him before it ever knew he was a part of the show. As I wrote in another thread, though, this show always disturbed me: how was it that they came to present day to get this guy out of the audience if we were already supposed to be in the 1880s upon entering the park? This was SDC admitting that we really weren't in the 1880s, and it took away part of the magic.
Again, there are lots of music shows, but if you want to see a comedy, you can't.
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There was also a show named Shenanigans. Bucky Heard, Terry Sanders and Redneckers were in it. It was fun and filled with music. The year was 94, the same year the Opera House opened with Listen to the River, another great show. The Opera House has had quite a few shows: American Spirit, Heartland Jubilee and For the Glory. These were all great SDC original shows that I liked.
Does anyone remember when Thunderation first opened (93) they had Hard Luck Hank, a puppet show at the Valley Theatre? He and his donkey were trying to blast the silver out of the mine, except his donkey kept blasting him.
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'Fraid out of all the years I've been visiting, I don't remember any of the puppet shows. Weird!
Anyway, as for the newest show in the Opera House - Headin' West - does anybody else get that the order of the scenes is wrong? Why do they go to the Rocky Mts., and then to the Great Plains on their way to the West Coast?
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I am going off of memories when I was very young:\
I remember about three different shows in the Saloon when I was a kid. One of the shows had Mean Murphy; he had the silver cup over his bit off nose. The second was the Carry Nation’s show where she would hack the saloon up with her ax. The third one I remember vaguely. I think that everyone was nervous because the owner was coming, something like that, and she would sit in the box seat above the bar. If you remember any of these Old Guy, please expound on them!
I would have loved to have seen the Medicine Wagon Show!
Wow, a lot to cover here... The first saloon show was the Carry Nation one. For the press preview, thay sold nickle beers, the only time alcohol was ever served at SDC along with bags of peanuts The saloon girls and guys sang "Why do they call them Wild Women" an actual turn of the century song (I used to have the origanal sheet music). Midway through the show there was a lound banging on the door and Cary came marching in with her girls singing
"Away away with Rum by gum
with Rum by gum
with Rum by gum
Away away with Rum by gum
is the song of the temporance union"
She would pull a tourist from the audiance and admonish him for being a drunk.
"Tell all these good people how long it's been sense you woke without your mouth tasting like the bottem of a parrots cage cage"
"...but Jim has seen the light (Cue pinspot on guest) "There it is Jim. That one"
She and her girls would then start smashing the place up
The saloon owner pops up from behind the bar with a spitoon stuck on his head Carry would rench it off
"Thank you my good man. This is just what I need"
"No Carry! Not my new St. Louie mirror!"
She winds up "Stand aside you felonious purvayer of pestulance!"
Crash! Mirror smashed and Carry and her girls lead the audiance back into the sunlight "This joint is Closed"
Mean Murphy (played by Ed Marshal, former rainmaker) came next and lasted several seasons, then the Buffalo Fred and the Buffilo Gals show with his pink and white suit and guns,the knife throwing, rope twirling, song and dance stuff. It was in my opinion the funnyest of all the saloon shows.
Last I heard the man who played Fred was in Oklahoma working with at risk kids I believe.
Dusty Chaps! I couldn't remember his name. There was such a chemistry between him and Tillie - almost like they were smitten with each other outside the saloon show. There's no way they could have had such a chemistry unless they enjoyed each other and their jobs.
Oh, and I must mention, Tilly and Dusty are friends of my wife and myself, and did wed a number of year ago and have a whole passel of happy children. A happy ending that explains the chemistry.
More latter!
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Part II
The Theater of Many Names
This beast was built as the Courthouse Theater with a single show in mind with such groundbreaking features as no fly loft, a solid cement stage, and large pipes at 7' on eather side of the stage. I built a set for this one time that had to fit in front of the hatfield haint set no piece could be larger than 7'x4' to get it onstage!
Show 1 Elvira v. Melvin ie: The Courthouse Show
Staring Dan Embry as Melvin the accused chicken thief
Janna Henlabin as Elvira Manshy happles in love and tact
Wayne Milnus as the Judge who just wants to try out his new "Lightnin' Chair
as well as the bailif, and the colonal (defence attorney) and a lucky audiance member who got to through the swich!
Poor melvin never stood a chance. they throw the back wall open to reveal a Frankinstine wall of dials, jacobs ladders, flash pots etc. His attorney worked out a deal by where he would be spared if he married Elvira, but Melvin decided he'd rather fry. He changes his mind at the last minute, but too late, the swich is thrown. He survives with frized out hair, a fried chicken leg in his pocket which prompts the Colonal to change carers, and is led away by his new wife.
Next the theater changed its name to the Gaslight Theater for a show no one remembers because it never happened, and to this day I don't know why. It was to be called Gaslights and Gingham, a variety show. Instead a show premiered called:
Show II: The Musical Feud
The Hatfield and McCoys battle it out in a tallent contest for a big cash prize! A live band onstage, A singing contest
"Singing, you call that singing'
I've heard a pine knot in a sawmill sound like that
To be fair, I can compare
Its like fingernails on blackboards
or pulling tales on cats"
etc.
Love story subplot between the kids....you know the rest
Next another name change to the Riverfront Playhouse with
Show III: The Hatfield Haint
Jeff Kimes as the Hatfield Kid
Janna Henlabin as MA
A realter tries sells the Hatfields a house right next door to the McCoys! McCoy decides to Haunt the house to scare them of using the previous owners (moomshiners) pre-rigged home.
Durring the fall of this shows second year the Dillards held a test show here each weekend for their Evening show in Echo Hollow the next season. That is the picture in the old brochure on this site.
Show IV :Timothy Turnbuckle came next with an inventer (Dan Embry again) from the 1880's who builds a time mashine, comes to the 1980's, brings back a tourist who falls in love with an 1880's ozark girl and is torn between staying or going.
This is the first more "Broadway" script for SDC.
From there The Howdown with Terry Sanders (a true comic genius, ask him about "the patty films" but don't ever let on how you heard. It'll drive him nuts. ::) )After that my memory gets fuzzy with a yearly change of musical shows.
An interesting note however; Every show in fine acting tradition signed the walls backstage. And in equily fine tradition M&C painted over all of it!!!!!
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I must have had amnesia! Old guy just sparked the memory of the courthouse show! I remember the guy was hooked up to the electric chair, and as the juice sparked into him, he pined for his love, Elvira.
"Elvira!" he yelled. "Elvira!!!" There was a pause for effect, 'cause you just knew what was coming, and then in his best Oak Ridge Boys impression, he sang the last line: "My heart's on fire for Elvira!"
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I just have to say thanks Old Guy, your stories and memories are awesome!
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Your quite welcome. SDC has always been lousy at keeping it's own history. Some of these storys were told to me by the first generation of employees and will be lost if it wasn't for places like this to pass it on.
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When I made my purchase at the cave desk, Friday, my wife and I spoke to the older gentleman at the counter. He's a long time icon in the City. He kept saying he'd worked there for 28 years and never had to run a cash register, but had a bout with heat exhaustion last year and they moved him indoors. Old Guy, you've got to know him. He's got the Shad-style Ozark beard and said he worked as a blacksmith for years, before moving to log cabin building, the duplicating lathe, and other things. He's also seen in the Marvel Cave DVD coming out of the old cabin and looking surprised that the balkdknobbers had been there.
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Gene Bortner? Looks like Santa?
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That's him, but he's too skinny to be Santa.
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Gene is on the SDC BBQ sauce bottle if that helps identify him
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Uncle Gene is an amazing guy. He has so many stories and he quite good with the ladies. He is always speaking “Flowerdy” words, as he put it.
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Oh, and I must mention, Tilly and Dusty are friends of my wife and myself, and did wed a number of year ago and have a whole passel of happy children. A happy ending that explains the chemistry.
Tell them I said Hi. I'm sure they'll remember me from the audience. I was the one who sat on ground level in the back, on the ledge by the rail. ;)
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Uncle Gene is an amazing guy. He has so many stories and he quite good with the ladies. He is always speaking “Flowerdy” words, as he put it.
I do remember when he flirted with my great grandma when we took her to the park!
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Part three: Down by the riverside.
It seems each time they redo the dockside theater, it rotates a quarter turn. Hmmm.....
Oh well, I muse.. The first theater at this site was the medicine wagon, moved from elsewhere, which had it's back to the stream. The theme song was "Take a pill" written by D.A.Calaway and sung by Prof. Camodius,the medicine man.
It was replaced by the Deepwoods theater with the puppet show "Rufus the Llittlest Mule. This structure backed to what was then called the Wagonworks Barn.
One year animal acts were deemed to be THE thing, so was born Old Blue the dancing pig show, and one that never saw the light of day that involved Wayne Milnes launching a chicken with a giant slingshot. It was axed by managment a few days before the season even opened. Probably for the best. Other acts here were music shows, Larry Suseski(sp?) who did a real knife throwing act, and a second rainmaker location at the entrance. The oddest show ever here was the B.V.D. show or the Berdett and Valldick Delight. a song and dance show with two partners who hated each other and proceded to rip each others cloths off tell they were left with nothing but a barrel and a box for modisty. It was a small shack like stage with a canvas cover over the audiance which collected the rain in giant pools, a problem that was fixed in the next incarnation:
The Dockside theater. Built on a riverboat theme open on all sides with lattes trim, smoke stacks on top, and sail like sunscreens over the audiance. It's back was to the lake. Home to the Volunteer firehouse band, which became the River Rats, and many other music acts. As far as I know the variaty acts had all gone away by this point, as I can not recall anything but music there.It went away then the present theater was built facing of course, the only remaining compass direction.
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The Schoolmarm and the Bear Show was a storytelling show that brought children and adults together onstage dressed in silly hats at the Valley Theater in the early 80's. It was a huge hit with packed shows 5 times a day under the watchfull direction of Schoolmarn Sally Beal (named after long time SDCite Clayton Beal) played by Judy Dockery Young. http://www.yawp.com/stories/judy.html
More photos were taken here than any show I can think of due to the audiance cast of 7 or 8. Any floating around out there now?
Judy stopped doing the shows after a few years to do more storytelling.
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Yes, I remember Judy, but must say I never attended an actual show.
Who is the current marm?
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I just saw a picture of Bonnie Jean as school marm. For more years than she will admit she was Ma Hatfield in the street shows.
Adendium: Just saw a picture from this season with Cindy as the schoolmarm. She has been with the city for a long time, and at one point was my postwoman.
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OLD GUY, I have a question!
I was looking through some old pictures of SDC and I saw an outdoor stage that was elevated. It was almost like a teahouse stage. I had never heard of it before. I was wondering if you knew what it was.
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A bright idea from someone in 1977 was to put all the stages above the head level of the audiance. It was a bad idea that only lasted one season. The photo you saw was the entrance to the lumbercamp. The tower is still there, but the platform is gone. Another was located at what is now the woodcarvers door facing Thunderation. The audiance sat across the street and the flow of traffic walked between them! The next year the door was cut in the building and the Valley Theater was built. 77 was also the first year to have sound on the stages but to hide the mike stands they made burlap sleaves the entertainers called condoms to cover them. They fooled no one.
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^The burlap sleeves sound funny! :D
The tower at the Lumbercamp looks cool (it's my favorite eatery), but it always struck me that it looks like it used to be part of something else. You have now confirmed my long term suspicion, Old Guy. Thanks, as always! :)
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Old Guy (or other members): Do you remember a show inside the Spring House Restaurant which is located next to the General Store. I recall that it some type of puppet show and could be watched as you dined inside of the Spring House.
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This is from another post, but I copied it here to ansure your question. It wasn't the springhouse. SDC's first puppet show was in the early 70's in what was then the Vineyard Restrant on the corner of Main and Hill street. A corprate sponsership was forged with Welch's Grape Juice to launch there new white and red grape juices. They wanted entertainment with a plug for them, so was born the "Wally Welch Revew", featuring an all grape cast of singing and talking grape puppets. The show went away with the sponsership around 1978 or so the story says.....but after all the years the gristly truth can be told. One day while dining there I accidentally sat on Wally Welch and mashed him flat. He said nothing from that day forward...but he did let out a little wine. (Pause 2,3......)
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Ha!!!! That is great Old Guy! You are exactly right, it wasn't the Spring House, it was indeed the Vineyard (or Smokehouse) Restaurant. I don't remember them being grapes, although I am sure they were, I just remember trying to convince my parents to get me out of there and onto the Float Trip. Thanks for the clarification.
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A bit off subject, but in the Entertainers have lives outside the city Dept:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1T8Joo33N0
Here is a vid from Sammy B. Good, aka Wayne Milnes, the old SDC undertaker, Judge in the Courthouse show, Zenus in the Toby show, and so much more. He did a kids show in Springfield at one time and here is a skit filmed at SDC with a lot of the late 80's to mid 90's street show and saloon cast. Mean Murf is Ed Marshal, one time rain maker, His dumb sidekick is Jay Mcfairen, who not only played in numerous SDC shows (main street, saloon, etc.), but was Toby in the Toby show, and a writer for many of the classic SDC theater shows as well.
Another is this one with cameos by Wayne, and Terry Sanders, and their kids.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-9178500217813224846
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Old Guy, do you have any information about Mercy Purvis the Third-and-a-Half? I believe he might have been the best comedian who ever graced a Branson stage. And when he took to the zip line from the waterwheel in Echo Hollow...totally unexpected. This was during the Dillards and the Branson Brothers era) still the best evening shows they've ever offered.
I guess I'm becoming and old guy, too.
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I'm old right along with you History Buff!
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that was Jack McDowell. The funnyest man I ever knew. Used to be the SDC deputy, moved to Echo Hollow with the Dillards, Comedian for the short lived Calton Family theater at Notch MO, parked cars at the Very short lived Blue Eye Ren fair Camalot, and last time I saw him was at the mall in Springfield. At that time he was an Agent for a troup of Chinese acrobats. Id love to know where he is now.
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Here are some cast tintypes from some of the shows to which you all are referring.
(http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll238/Zephon907/SDC%20Stuff/100_3153.jpg)
The original cast of the Choctaw Charlie & Tillie Show in the Saloon, sometime around '82 or '83 I think.
(http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll238/Zephon907/SDC%20Stuff/100_3159.jpg)
The original cast of the Timothy Turnbuckle Show in the Playhouse, in the late 80's.
(http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll238/Zephon907/SDC%20Stuff/100_3164.jpg)
The original cast of the Hoedown Show in the Playhouse, late 80's-early 90's.
(http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll238/Zephon907/SDC%20Stuff/100_3161.jpg)
The original cast of the Musical Feud Show in the Playhouse, early 80's.
(http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll238/Zephon907/SDC%20Stuff/100_3156.jpg)
The cast from a Carry Nation Show in the Saloon, late 70's.
(http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll238/Zephon907/SDC%20Stuff/100_3150.jpg)
Another Carry Nation Saloon Show cast from the late 70's or early 80's.
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Those look like fun casts. They are a throwback to the days when an actor could toss out a fake like just to see if the rest of the performers could squirm through it in response (like when Tim Conway would ad lib and break Harvey Korman up on the Carol Burnett show). I can imagine what rehearsals were like.
The groups in these two venues were also much larger in number than they are today. When I saw the saloon show last year there were just two saloon girls and two men in the show. And it's been soooo long since we had a comedy in the playhouse.
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^^Those are great tintypes! It's too bad the shows are so much smaller now.
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Wow! those really bring back memories! Good to see some friendly faces from the past.
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Yes....things change, sometimes not for the better. Smaller casts now, less shows per day now, although each show is a little longer. I remember the days when we did 12 shows a day in the Saloon. Basically there were two casts, an early and a late, each performer had two shows off a day, the breaks coming during the period of cast overlap.
There are several of us "oldies" that wish comedy shows would be brought back to the Playhouse. It's a great venue for them. Not too large, but large enough to hold a good crowd.
Generally, rehearsals were pretty straight-forward, as we had to learn the blocking and songs, etc. It was during the first few weeks of the public run of a show when things would start to get crazy. Things in the script that didn't work would be tossed in favor of adlibs that did. Mistakes that yielded laughs would get permanently added.
That's how the famous "candle bit" in the Hatfield Haint show and the "kick the bucket bit" in the Hoedown show entered the shows. Now, if an actor "strays" from the script, and the "higher ups" find out about it, he is severely chastised. But maybe that's for the better; there's only one or two actors there now that have the wit and timing to be able to pull off a good adlib.
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A quick Shad Heller Story. There used to be a lot of unschedualed bits around town we all just called atmosphering. When not on stage we were the townsfolk and were expected to entertain as such. He set me up for this gag when he would pass by my show.
Shad: I don't want to interupt, but I could use your help.
Me: Ladys and gentelmen Shad Heller our Mayor. Certenly Mr. Mayor what can I do for you?
Shad: My mule fell down the well and I can't get her out alone.
Me: Oh my Gosh! I'll be right there!
Shad: Take your time. Shes been down there for three days now.
ME: Three Days?
Shad: Yah. She's just swoll up so bad now I can't get the bucket around her.
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This is the "atmosphere" the park had in the days of my youth. I remember those little conversations that would occur. They added to the experience of being in the 19th Century Ozarks. Those hill people of SDC really romanticized the history.
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Those spontaneous street scenes were a lot of fun. It made it feel like the staff really were "citizens", not just employees in costumes.
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Old Guy, do you have any information about Mercy Purvis the Third-and-a-Half? I believe he might have been the best comedian who ever graced a Branson stage. And when he took to the zip line from the waterwheel in Echo Hollow...totally unexpected. This was during the Dillards and the Branson Brothers era) still the best evening shows they've ever offered.
I guess I'm becoming and old guy, too.
that was Jack McDowell. The funnyest man I ever knew. Used to be the SDC deputy, moved to Echo Hollow with the Dillards, Comedian for the short lived Calton Family theater at Notch MO, parked cars at the Very short lived Blue Eye Ren fair Camalot, and last time I saw him was at the mall in Springfield. At that time he was an Agent for a troup of Chinese acrobats. Id love to know where he is now.
That brings back the memories. That was the only Echo Hollow show that I watched more than once, and it was because of Mercy Purvis. He was hilarious. I can still see my mom and dad laughing their tales off when he rode down that cable!
How in the world did someone as funny as him end up parking cars later? He is probably much older now, but Silver Dollar City should track him down.
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Some kind of a reunion with a show for fans really needs to be in the works for the 50th - even if you guys just just sit on the stage at Echo Hollow and reminisce.
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Here are some cast tintypes from some of the shows to which you all are referring.
(http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll238/Zephon907/SDC%20Stuff/100_3153.jpg)
The original cast of the Choctaw Charlie & Tillie Show in the Saloon, sometime around '82 or '83 I think.
(http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll238/Zephon907/SDC%20Stuff/100_3159.jpg)
The original cast of the Timothy Turnbuckle Show in the Playhouse, in the late 80's.
(http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll238/Zephon907/SDC%20Stuff/100_3164.jpg)
The original cast of the Hoedown Show in the Playhouse, late 80's-early 90's.
(http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll238/Zephon907/SDC%20Stuff/100_3161.jpg)
The original cast of the Musical Feud Show in the Playhouse, early 80's.
(http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll238/Zephon907/SDC%20Stuff/100_3156.jpg)
The cast from a Carry Nation Show in the Saloon, late 70's.
(http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll238/Zephon907/SDC%20Stuff/100_3150.jpg)
Another Carry Nation Saloon Show cast from the late 70's or early 80's.
I vividly remember the blond hair guy that is in the top photo and also in the bottom 2. There are a few others I remember from when I visited (as I used to go all the time back then) but he just really stood out as, if I remember correctly, at the Saloon show, he would be selling the garters to the ladies. He really seemed to be a ladies man.
I don't know if they still do this or not, but I also remember buying the garters off of the saloon girls back then and actually sliding it off of their legs. VaVaVaVoom!!!!
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The person you are referring to is Tony McCarty, and he was indeed a "fixture" outside the saloon for many years and one of my best friends. We used go fishing together quite a bit, or water skiing, and once we took a seven day trip up to Wyoming and Colorado for some fishing and sightseeing. Tragically, he was killed in a car accident a number of years ago. We were at the Saloon, preparing for the day's work when someone from management came down and delivered the news to us. Probably my worst day ever at Silver Dollar City. We canceled the first couple of shows and then, as he would have wanted us to, continued on with the day. I still miss him.
The Saloon girls are no longer in the practice of selling garters off of their legs, although garters are still available. It just got to be too dangerous for them, if you know what I mean.
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That is so sad to hear Zephon. I remember Tony as well. He did a great job getting everyone in the mood for the show.
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During the late 70'S there was a year of animal act at the park (the log rolling dog, Old blue the pig, the never seen "flying chickens" ). There was even a bear cub on a leash and muzzle tat was led about so guests could interact with it. This was only for one season tell it grew to big. One day it took a playfull nip at it's handler Milo, and while only a minor bite, first aid made him go to the clinic which was at that time in Kimberling City. No big deal until the rumor got out that someone was bitten by a bear at SDC!
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^Those animal shows sound entertaining! Too bad I never got to see them. The news of someone being bitten by a bear at SDC couldn't have been good for PR at the time. People are looking for excitement when they visit a theme park, but probably not that much excitement! :D
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Some kind of a reunion with a show for fans really needs to be in the works for the 50th - even if you guys just just sit on the stage at Echo Hollow and reminisce.
I talked with DA Calloway the other day and asked him if there was any kind of 50th anniversary show in the works, and he said no, not to his knowledge. And that's really a shame, IMO. It seems like Entertainment management either has no concept of the history of the park, or else they just don't care.
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One of my favorite times at the saloon was when Miss Tilley let out one of her giggles, a baby in the floor seats did a perfect imitations of her, this broke everyone up.
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Some kind of a reunion with a show for fans really needs to be in the works for the 50th - even if you guys just just sit on the stage at Echo Hollow and reminisce.
I talked with DA Calloway the other day and asked him if there was any kind of 50th anniversary show in the works, and he said no, not to his knowledge. And that's really a shame, IMO. It seems like Entertainment management either has no concept of the history of the park, or else they just don't care.
It's still early though. The 50th anniversary isn't until the season after next. They might be in the early, early planning stages right now if there is a show. I'm keeping my hopes up! ;D
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Doing some rearranging in the house. I found old video tapes of the Timothy Turnbuckle show, an old Saloon show, and the Hoedown at the Gaslight Theater. WOW....memories.
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^Wow...you unearthed some treasures. :)
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Ah, the lost episodes!
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Doing some rearranging in the house. I found old video tapes of the Timothy Turnbuckle show, an old Saloon show, and the Hoedown at the Gaslight Theater. WOW....memories.
Well don't just sit there, get busy converting them to digital and post 'em on youtube!
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I would love to see the Timothy Turnbuckle show.
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Ditto Zephon. That show was my all time favorite!
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I'll see what I can do about getting the VHS transferred to DVD or some digital format. I'm not experienced in doing such things.