Legends in Concert: Fall tributes offer a high energy show with a personal touch – Branson Tri-Lakes news
The fall tribute artist line-up at Legends in Concert are bringing high energy with a personal touch to the Branson stage at Dick Clark’s American Bandstand Theater.
Legends in Concert audiences in Branson are invited to witness the performances of Tina Turner, Willie Nelson, Freddie Mercury, The Blues Brothers and Elvis Presley now through the end of the month. The October line-up features the talents of Lori Mitchell-Gay as Tina Turner, Terry Johnson as Willie Nelson, Fernando Castro as Freddie Mercury, Justin Sassenella and Clint Nievar as The Blues Brothers and Ryan Pelton as Elvis Presley.
Over the next four weeks, Pelton shared what they have in store in audiences coming to take-in the show.
“Right now it’s a pretty high energy show. Opening with Tina Turner, that girl has so much energy. She was on Clash of the Cover Bands and she got second place in the finals. She’s just amazing. I’ve known her for years and she’s a second to none entertainer and a sweetheart of a human being. That’s high energy. Obviously, Willie Nelson isn’t necessarily high energy, but he is so dead on, the vocals are so dead on…Willie Nelson has a big fanbase. Bigger than I would have ever suspected. Obviously The Blues Brothers. You can’t go wrong with The Blue Brothers. Every night they just get the biggest cheers and they’re just awesome. Freddie Mercury is a very different kind of thing. You haven’t seen that too many times at Legends, but he is awesome. Vocally, just the look and everything. It’s a fun production set too, with the dancers.”
Joining the Legends tribute artists on stage are the Legends Singers: Kelly Church and Jessica Barker; the Legends Dancers Cindy Dardas, Trista Horner, Dasha Ruden and Jasmine Hanson; and the Legends Band: Music Director Kevin Allen, Brian Zerbe on bass, Todd Walker on keys, and Joshua Breedlove on drums.
For his Elvis portion of the show, Pelton has introduced a new segment where he is joined by the Legends Singers and the Legends Band to sit at the edge of the stage where they perform song requests before returning to his normal high energy songs.
“There’s a different energy. A lot of time when you’re doing a normal Legends show there’s more of a high energy that’s coming back to you and you can feel it as that. This is a different thing. It’s very intimate and I enjoy that,” Pelton said. “It’s kind of a fun thing and by the time we’re done with that set and I talk about doing ‘Teddy Bear,’ you almost feel like you’re in the living room with all these people just hanging out and having fun. It’s a really cool, different vibe and I enjoy it.”
During intermission, audiences are invited to scan a QR code displayed on the Legends screens with their smartphones, which will take them to juke.band where they can cast their vote on what songs they’d like Pelton to sing during his sit-down segment.
“Teaming up with Juke has been amazing. They have been excellent…For what you’re getting in real time and being able to vote like that so simply. I think it’s important. We’re the only people in this town doing anything like that,” Pelton said. “You look across any audience at any given time before the show starts, everybody and their mother is on their phone, always on their phone. They know how to use it. Now they’re getting a chance to use it and literally have a real time impact on the shows.”
Out of the songs audiences have to choose from, Pelton said he sees a lot of repeats in the top three, but sometimes he’s also surprised.
“It’s interesting, because you might go a couple nights in a row, there are some more popular. ‘How Great Thou Art,’ ‘Suspicious Minds,’ ‘In the Ghetto,’ ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love’ one of those tend to be in there. Then a night will come by and none of those will be in there,” Pelton said. “It’s just sort of hit or miss, you know. I love it. I purposely will not look until real time in the moment when I say throw it up on the screen, that’s whenever I learn. It’s kind of fun. I love it.”
As he hosts the sit-down session, Pelton explained how it provides Elvis fans with an even deeper way to connect with the King of Rock ’n’ Roll.
“I get the house lights up. Talk to them and get reactions. I love that because Elvis was a great singer and he looked good and he moved good and all that, but he was a great entertainer. He did that by engaging and literally talking with the audience in multiple ways,” Pelton said. “Whether or not the guest realizes it or not, it makes them think they’re experiencing Elvis more, because that’s an element of Elvis that was there all the time. He had broken that wall between him and the stage and the audience. The sit-down session really opens that up and allows me to do that.”
Earlier this summer, Legends in Concert began offering a unique experience for show attendees by hosting a behind the scenes backstage tour during intermission. The tour, which also includes a Legendary Tour t-shirt and a collectible backstage pass lanyard, is traditionally led by Pelton.
“I really enjoy it. I enjoy when the people who are on the tour are there and they really want to be there to learn. There’s people who come because they are star struck maybe and they’re hoping to see Freddie Mercury backstage. And that’s fine. That’s awesome,” Pelton said. “But I really like people who are like, ‘I love this show, it’s Dick Clark’s American Bandstand Theater. I just want to see what goes on behind the scenes.’ Those people are awesome. I’ll spend as much time as I can with them.”
Brand new in 2022, Legends will also be debuting a new show for Christmas, which will run from Nov. 1 to Jan. 1, 2023. A Merry Country Christmas will feature an all-star country cast performing tributes to Carrie Underwood, Alan Jackson, Garth Brooks, The Blues Brothers and the gospel music of Elvis Presley.
Showtimes from Legends in Concert performances are at 3 or 8 p.m. Dick Clark’s American Bandstand Theater is located at 1600 West 76 Country Blvd in Branson.
For additional information or to make ticket reservations visit legendsinconcert.com/branson.