A Health and Ministry EXPO will be held at the Tri-Lakes Center, 2527 State Hwy 248 in Branson, MO on Friday, March 23, Noon to 8 pm; and, Saturday, March 24, from 10 am to 8 pm.
Scheduled to appear will be 75 area health, wellness and spiritual exhibitors with entertainment provided by SIX, Hughes Brothers, Jarrett Doughtery, Clay Cooper, Buckets N Boards, American Idols’s Jason Yeager, Voices of Glory, Allen Asbury and more!
Admission is $5.00 at the door for a one-day admission, $8.00 for both days, and children 12 and under are FREE! Please bring one non perishable food item for Christian Action Ministries’ Food Bank. FREE and low-cost health screenings, FREE raffles and door prizes, seminars and Zumba classes will also be offered. Mini Golf and Veggie Tale screenings of Robin Good will be on-going during the event. For more information call (417) 336-3636

For additional information, please contact:
John Sacoulas
149 Grand Avenue
Branson, MO 65616

[email protected]
417-336-3636; or, 417-353-7598

College of the Ozarks President Jerry C. Davis was named President of the American Association of Presidents of Independent Colleges and Universities (AAPICU) during the Association’s annual meeting held February 23-25, 2012.

Dr. Davis has served in the college presidency for over three decades, among the longest tenures in the United States, and continues to serve as President of College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Missouri.

Called “Hard Work U.” by The Wall Street Journal, College of the Ozarks is a four-year college where all students earn their education by working, rather than paying tuition. Each student works 15 hours each week and two 40-hour work weeks at an on-campus job. College of the Ozarks has become a thriving, four-year, nationally recognized institution committed to a five-fold mission of encouraging academic, Christian, cultural, vocational, and patriotic growth in its students.

Numerous national publications, including Forbes, U.S. News & World Report, Kaplan Newsweek, The Princeton Review, and the Young America’s Foundation, consistently recognize College of the Ozarks as one of the best colleges in the nation. In recent years, the College has been featured on Fox News, ABC, and CBS news segments.

Prior to College of the Ozarks, Dr. Davis was President of Alice Lloyd College in Kentucky. Among his many professional memberships are serving on the board of the Marine Military Academy and as a peer review team chair for the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association.

President Davis is the author of several books and articles and has received much recognition, including The Missourian Award–given to Missouri’s most outstanding leaders.

Dr. Davis and his wife, Shirley, have been married for 46 years. They have three grown children, eight grandchildren, and one “on the way.”

President Davis may be reached at 417-690-2470 or [email protected]. For more information on AAPICU, visit www.aapicu.org.

As parts of the Midwest continue to dig out from under the destruction caused by a succession of tornadoes, Sheaf House, a Nashville, Tenn. small press that publishes Christian titles, announced yesterday a fundraising drive to benefit a damaged Branson, MO. library. From March 5 through April 5, Oak Ridge Boys vocalist and author Joe Bonsall is donating the royalties from direct sales of his book, From My Perspective, to the Taneyhills Community Library in Branson. Sheaf House will donate an additional $3.50 to the library for each book sold, and is covering shipping and handling costs for all copies of Bonsall’s book sold directly. The press said that the library will receive $6.54 for each book sold directly. Books sold through retailers are not part of the program.

From My Persepctive is a collection of essays written by Bonsall, which was published with a 7,500-copy print run in fall 2011. Bonsall has performed with the Oak Ridge Boys, a country and gospel quartet, since 1973.

Taneyhills Community Library, built in 1933, is located in downtown Branson and holds more than 40,000 volumes, including newspapers, periodicals, video and audio tapes, and DVDs. The library, which receives no local, state, or federal funding, had to close its doors February 29, when the EF2 Tornado swept through Branson, smashing seven miles of the tourist town’s commercial strip.

For more information about Sheaf House’s fundraising for the Taneyhills Community Library, visit http://www.sheafhousedirect.com/inspirational.html.

Sean Casey, popular star of the Discovery Channel’s “Storm Chasers” and daring Tornado Alley large-format filmmaker, will make a special appearance with the TIV (Tornado Intercept Vehicle) March 16, 17 and 18 at Branson’s IMAX Entertainment Complex.

Over the course of his career, Casey has filmed volcanoes, hurricanes, and earthquakes. The depth of his experience working in severe weather, as well as the impressive library of IMAX tornado footage he has amassed leading up to Tornado Alley’s release, served the production well.

“We spent eight years shooting dozens of tornadoes, probably eighteen tornadoes for the film,” says Casey.

Casey currently stars in the Discovery Channel’s “Storm Chasers” reality series, which is the number-one rated Sunday night cable show on television. In addition, Casey is an inventor of sorts, having designed two tornado intercept vehicles, or TIVs. In 2008, Discover magazine named Casey one of the fifty best minds of the year.

The special weekend will begin a series of events scheduled during the 19th Annual IMAX FilmFest highlighting individual films from within the larger celebration.

“I’m really looking forward to coming to Branson’s IMAX Entertainment Complex with the TIV. They’ve been big supporters of the film, and I greatly appreciate the invitation,” says Casey. “It’s especially meaningful to visit after the recent tornado outbreak. Tornado Alleyis first and foremost about the study of tornado genesis in the hopes of increasing warning times, and when I meet people whose lives have been affected by severe weather, it reinforces to me just how important this research is.”

The weekend will include fundraising efforts to benefit Convoy of Hope, a faith-based organization that has served more than 50 million people throughout the world through international children’s feeding initiatives, community outreaches, and disaster response.

“We’ll have Sean here and Convoy of Hope representatives,” says Tom Forster, Marketing Director for Branson’s IMAX Entertainment Complex. “We’d like to see the community come out and have a great time, see the TIV, meet Sean, take some pictures…and become more informed about what Convoy of Hope does, what efforts they’re making in response to our recent tornadoes, and of course, donate what they can.”

With each ticket sold to Tornado Alley during the three-day event, Branson’s IMAX Entertainment Complex will be making a donation to Convoy of Hope.

Sean Casey, the TIV and Convoy of Hope will be available:

• Friday, March 16 – 1:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
• Saturday, March 17 – 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
• Sunday, March 18 – 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

The 2012 IMAX FilmFest begins on March 9 and continues through May 10, with a different film showing every hour, on the hour from 9 am to 8 pm. For showtimes or more information, call 417-335-4832 or log on to www.bransonimax.com.

Branson’s IMAX Entertainment Complex will kick-off the 2012 season of exhilarating Giant-Screen IMAX Adventures with the 19th Annual IMAX FilmFest, March 9 thru May 10, 2012, featuring five all-new films.

With breathtaking, crystal clear images projected onto an enormous 6-story tall screen, accompanied by a 22,000-watt, 44-speaker state-of–the-art digital surround sound system, IMAX FilmFest audiences feel like they’re part of the action as they travel to some of the universe’s most exotic and dynamic locations…without ever leaving their seats.

The 2012 IMAX FilmFest line-up includes:

To The Arctic
Journey deep into the Arctic! See into the lives of a mother polar bear & her cubs. Captivating and intimate footage brings you up close & personal with their struggle to survive a landscape of melting ice, immense glaciers, spectacular waterfalls and majestic snow-bound peaks. Narrated by Meryl Streep.

Rescue
Take action and save lives! Explore the difficult & inspiring work of those serving & saving others in the face of natural disasters. Follow a naval commander, two pilots and a volunteer technician as they train for action. When an earthquake strikes Haiti, the audience is swept along, joining with the worldwide effort.

Titanic – Ghosts of the Abyss
Return to the TITANIC! Joined by actor Bill Paxton and a team of historical and marine experts, legendary director James Cameron journeys back to the site of his greatest inspiration — the TITANIC. Explore inside the entire ship, room by room, encountering mysteries that have remained hidden for a century.

Tornado Alley
Make a thrilling journey…into the heart of a tornado! Join Storm Chasers star Sean Casey & the researchers of VORTEX 2, on this heart-pounding adventure. Through gale force winds, torrential rains and unrelenting hail, go on a quest to experience a tornado’s destructive power at point blank range.

The Living Sea
Celebrate the beauty and power of the ocean! Audiences will swim among thousands of golden jellyfish, come face-to-face with humpback whales, surf thundering waves in Hawaii and ride in a Coast Guard Rescue boat with cadets training to save lives. Featuring music by Sting.

IMAX utilizes the world’s largest film format – ten times larger than conventional 35mm film. The design of the Ozarks Discovery Theater, inside the IMAX Entertainment Complex, ensures every attendee has an unobstructed view and places the audience right in the on-screen action. IMAX theaters also feature a specially designed screen that has a slight curvature, which extends beyond the audiences peripheral field of view.

Last year, worldwide more than 75 million people visited an IMAX theater, and more than 800 million have passed through the doors of an IMAX theater since the first one opened 35 years ago.

The 2012 IMAX FilmFest begins on March 9 and continues through May 10, with a different film showing every hour, on the hour from 9 am to 8 pm. For showtimes or more information, call 417-335-4832 or log on to www.bransonimax.com.

Legends in Concert
Dick Clark’s American Bandstand Theater
1600 W Hwy 76 Branson, MO 65616
www.legendsinconcert.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Tiffany Powers
417-339-3003 ext.3010
[email protected]

Legends in Concert Branson Theatre Repairs Underway From Tornado Damage
Performances Suspended Through March; April Reopening Planned

BRANSON, MO – (March 6, 2012) – Celebrated tribute artist production ‘Legends in Concert’ announced today that repairs have commenced on its home in the Dick Clark’s American Bandstand Theater, following the impact of the tornado that touched down in Branson on February 29. The restoration plans have been completed, delivery of replacement building materials have begun and dozens of construction workers are in full swing making all the needed renovations, after receiving confirmation that the theater suffered no structural damage.

“The tornado’s impact and damage to our theater was serious enough to require the cancellation of our March 2012 schedule of performances,” said Jeannie Horton, General Manager for Legends in Concert. “We are working closely with Jim Morris, the theater’s owner and his team to insure that the necessary repairs are completed on a timely basis. We are confident the completion of the repairs to the theater will proceed quickly and result in the same safe and enjoyable facility millions of our fans have always depended on enjoying, upon their visits to Branson. Our hearts and prayers especially go out to those in the Branson community that were even more adversely affected by the tornado.”

Mr. Morris said he is “dedicated and diligently working with the producers of Legends in Concert to reopen the theater as rapidly as possible. Their outstanding live entertainment production is an essential part of our Highway 76 and Fall Creek complex including the Ramada Hotel, Midtown Cafe, and soon to be reopened classic automobile museum under the theater, all attractions which complement one another so well.” Morris added, “Although the damage is unfortunate, and my thoughts are with those residents who have suffered from the storm, not even a tornado can shake my long-time confidence and commitment to Branson.”

Dick Clark’s American Bandstand Theater, the ultimate Branson rock n’ roll complex, was built in 2006 and boasts 900 seats. It’s innovative design creates an intimate concert space with great sight lines to the stage, cushy comfortable seats with generous leg room, a dance floor, state of the art projection screens, a brand new million dollar spectacular stage set and fascinating memorabilia from Dick Clark’s American Bandstand archives, recalling the historic roots of rock n’ roll and country.

“Although we regret the relatively short disruption to our 2012 season, and appreciate our fans and business partners’ patience while the renovations are underway, the theater will be better than ever when the repairs are complete to this fabulous entertainment facility,” said Brian Brigner, chief operating officer for “Legends” producer On Stage Entertainment. “We’ve enjoyed 16 wonderful years’ operating our production in this community and look forward to many, many more.”

“Jeanne and I were both on site just minutes after the tornado hit. We appreciate the professionalism and efforts her team have made, as everyone deals with the impact of the tornado,” said Jerry Carroll, manager of Morris Branson Theatre LLC, and other properties of Mr. Morris. Carroll added, “We will continue to work side by side with them towards a prompt reopening of the theater.”

Legends in Concert will soon announce the resumption date for its 2012 performance schedule. Performances will resume 6 days a week through the end of December as previously scheduled. For tickets to performances beginning in April which remain on sale, information about exchanging or obtaining refunds for tickets previously purchased, for cancelled March performances or the current line-up, please call 417-339-3003 or visit legendsinconcert.com.

About Legends in Concert
Celebrating its 29th year, “Legends in Concert” is a live musical celebration featuring the world’s greatest celebrity tribute artists. The product is owned and operated by Las Vegas based On Stage Entertainment, Inc. Widely recognized in the entertainment industry as the original celebrity tribute show, “Legends in Concert” has not only performed throughout the United States, but the show has traveled to 15 countries on five continents, entertaining more than 25 million fans. It currently operates numerous fixed-based, touring, limited-term and private engagements of “Legends” throughout the world. In addition to Las Vegas, “Legends” is presented year-round in numerous cities including Myrtle Beach, S.C., Branson, Mo., Atlantic City, N.J., Foxwoods, CT, Waikiki, HI and on the high seas onboard the Norwegian EPIC. For more information: www.legendsinconcert.com

About Jim D. Morris
Morris Branson Theatre LLC is wholly owned by Jim D. Morris. He continues to own and operates Morris Oil Company in addition to the Quality Inn and Ramada Inn in Branson and other business throughout Missouri. Mr. Morris is recognized for his many community, charitable and humanitarian achievements.

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We are pleased to tell you that our opening will be right on schedule. We invite you to join us at 8 pm on Friday, March 9th or Saturday, March 10th as we kick off our 46th season in Branson’s Original Music Theater!

For best possible seating get your tickets now! Call 417-334-4874
or visit Presleys.com

Dancing with the Stars of Branson will be this Wednesday, March 7th at the Whitehouse Theatre. Show time is 7pm , vip party with the Stars & Pros will be at 5:30 pm. for tickets call the Whitehouse Theatre Box Office at 417-335-2396

This fundraiser will also benefit the Branson familie who los their homes last Wednesday.

AUDITIONS FOR 2012 SEASON
Casting for young and youthful looking SINGERS, DANCERS and ACTORS (ages 16-25) who can play teenagers with lots of personality and energy in a musical tribute to “The Brady Bunch.

Come wearing your favorite “Brady Bunch” look!

Must be able to move well!

3 female parts
3 male parts

TUESDAY, MARCH 6th 4:00PM
CALLBACKS WEDNESDAY, MARCH 7th 4:00pm

Yakov Smirnoff Theatre
470 State Hwy 248, Branson MO 65616
(800) 728-4546, www.yakov.com

SINGERS
Come prepared to sing with or without a backing track. If you choose to sing with a track you must provide your own track. Music should be young and upbeat, happy!

DANCERS
Prepare a one minute routine to an upbeat happy number a la “Brady Bunch”

ACTORS
Prepare a one minute young, comedic monologue

For more information, contact Kristin at [email protected] &/or 206-281-0885

Greg Thompson Productions, 921 Elliott Ave West, Seattle, WA 98119 (206) 281-0885 [email protected]
www.gregthompsonproductions.com

By: Austin Plummer

Senior music major Jenna Dunnam will present her senior recital in the Newman Recital Hall of the Gittinger Music Building on Sunday, March 11, at 3 p.m.

Her recital will feature a mixture of vocal talent and piano repertoire. She will perform a variety of styles and genres, including works by Schumann, Mozart, Webber and Mark Hayes.

“I’ve learned more at C of O than I ever bargained for; most of which is not what I learned in the classroom. I couldn’t ask for better, godly professors in my degree,” said Dunnam.

Dunnam will graduate in May with a degree in general music. The senior recital is a prerequisite for the completion of the music major.

Students will be allowed priority seating for the event, but any seats left open will be available to the public free of charge. For more information, please call the Music Department at (417) 690-2244.