On Saturday, March 23, 2013, a television crew will be taping “70s Music Celebration! Starring Barry Williams” at 2 pm at RFD-TV, The Theatre for inclusion in the popular OWN series “Oprah: Where Are They Now?”

“Oprah: Where Are They Now?,” features updates on some of the biggest newsmakers and most memorable “Oprah” show guests of all time, and is returning with all-new episodes starting Tuesday at 10/9pm c. The series will feature Barry later this year.

“70s Music Celebration! Starring Barry Williams” explodes with a wide variety of the music from the decade. Barry ties the show together with his personal experiences and the events of the times, taking you on an exciting trip through this groovy and colorful decade. You will catch yourself singing along with movie soundtracks, television themes and songs from the greatest artists of the era, including the Eagles, Bee Gees and John Denver to name a few. With surprises and comedy around every corner, it’s a guaranteed far out time. This high-energy, full production, multimedia extravaganza showcases Branson’s best live band and a cast of singers and dancers.

Williams has had an extensive career starring in hundreds of television shows and over 85 productions of Broadway Musicals. He made appearances on several television shows including Dragnet, Adam-12, The Invaders, That Girl, Mission: Impossible, The Mod Squad and Here Comes the Brides before landing his role as Greg Brady on the Brady Bunch, in which he won the Young Artist Foundation Former Child Star “Lifetime Achievement Award” in 1989. He embraced his role and has appeared in various Brady Bunch TV movie reunions including A Very Brady Christmas, The Brady Brides, and The Brady Bunch Variety Hour. He became involved in musical theater, touring with Pippin, Music Man, City of Angels, The Sound of Music and West Side Story. In 1988, he appeared on Broadway in Romance/Romance.

In 1992, he wrote his autobiography, Growing Up Brady: I Was a Teenage Greg which stayed on the New York Times bestseller list for three months. In 2001, he executive produced the book into an NBC TV movie. He was a DJ on satellites’ Sirius Radio, has recorded several live CD’s and recently, starred in a 2013 Sci-Fi made for television movie Bigfoot with Danny Bonaduce and Sheryln Fenn.

For more information on being a part of the audience, contact the RFD Box office at 417-339-4663.

For more information about “Oprah: Where Are They Now?,” please contact Leah Sparkes at 312-633-5270 or [email protected]

Dr. Scot McKnight, renowned Christian author, will speak at College of the Ozarks on Monday, April, and Tuesday, April 2, at 7 p.m., in Jones Auditorium.

Dr. McKnight, Professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary in Lombard, Ill., has authored more than 30 books. He wrote the award-winning The Jesus Creed: Loving God, Loving Others (Paraclete, 2004), which won the Christianity Today Book Award in 2005.

Students are allowed priority seating for the event; remaining seats are available to the public free of charge. For more information, please contact the Christian Ministries Office at (417) 690-3446.

Buckets N Boards Opening Night March 15th at 8 pm at the Clay Cooper Theatre!

Buckets N Boards, awarded BEST COMEDY SHOW by BransonCritic.com, is wacky, crazy, fun, and just plain ZANY! This percussion duo does it all, singing, tap dancing, hysterical comedy and making precise percussion using buckets, ladders, and even creating instruments you have never seen before. These guys are great for kids and adults alike!

Red Hot…& Blue will be opening on March 19th @ 10am. New segments, new songs, new costumes, come on out and see this very talented, energetic cast that will leave you wanting more. It’s a musical journey starting from the 1940’s and traveling thru tunes from the 1990’s, with music from the Big Band Era to the Beatles, Bee Gees, the Monkees and N’sync and so much more! You’ll be singing along, tappin’ your toes and reminiscing about songs you grew up listening to.

Don’t miss it!!

BRANSON, MISSOURI – March 11, 2013 – The Andy Williams Moon River
Theatre announced today another one of the stars to headline this Fall’s “Moon River Weekends” with national entertainers each weekend in September and October.  Country Superstar and Grammy winner, Clint Black returns to Branson and will perform this October on Friday the 4^th and Saturday the 5^th. Both shows begin at 8pm and tickets are on sale now.

“Clint Black is a talented, outstanding performer and we’re excited to have him back at Andy Williams Theatre. The positive reaction from our audiences last year and Clint’s appreciation for our theatre made it an easy decision to have him back”, stated Lynn Meredith, General Manager of the Andy Williams Moon River Theatre. “The Moon River Theatre will continue to be a legacy for our founder, Andy Williams and be the home of world class singers and entertainers.
Additional performers will be announced in the coming days.

About Clint Black
Prolific singer-songwriter Clint Black has long been heralded as one of Country music’s brightest stars. His many talents have taken him even further, as Black has transcended genres to become one of the most successful artists in all the music industry. To date, Black has written, recorded and released more than 100 songs, a benchmark in any artist’s career. An astounding one-third of these songs eligible for major single release also achieved hit song status at Country radio, while more than 20 million of his albums have been sold worldwide. While it’s well-known that Black is an accomplished singer and guitarist, people may be surprised to learn that he is also proficient on drums and harmonica.

Black’s continued success can be attributed in part to his deep sense of Country music history, and his humble gratitude in being an important part of it. The 1989 debut of his critically acclaimed fan favorite, the Triple Platinum Killin’ Time, marked a shift in the industry, with a return to the more traditional sounds of the genre. CMT lists this album as one of the 100 Greatest Albums in Country Music.
Released while Black was still an unknown Texas-based artist and writer, Killin’ Time boasted five #1 hits – unprecedented from a debut album in any genre – and won Black a collection of awards that included: Country Music Association Horizon Award, Country Music Association Male Vocalist of the Year, American Music Awards Favorite New Male Country Artist, Academy of Country Music Best New Male Vocalist, Academy of Country Music Best Male Vocalist, Academy of Country Music Album of the Year (Killin’ Time), and Academy of Country Music Single of the Year (“A Better Man”).

For Black, Killin’ Time was only the beginning. Put Yourself in My Shoes followed in 1990, and quickly went Triple Platinum. Since then, Black has had nearly two dozen #1 hit singles, and almost as many Top 5 and Top 10 hits – all of them his original compositions, which is itself a notable rarity in popular music. The overall number of his awards, including a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, surpasses the number of his hit records, while he has performed for a staggering number of dedicated music fans in concerts through the years.

With such a long and productive career, Black still keeps his output as fresh now as when he was a hungry, up-and-coming artist. When he felt that his music was in danger of becoming a bit repetitive in the late ‘90s, Black took a brave risk and shook things up by leaving his label of more than a decade, and took a much-needed break to reevaluate where he wanted to take his career next. At that time, he and wife Lisa Hartman Black decided to start a family, and the birth of daughter Lily Pearl subsequently gave Black a new perspective and vigor that affected not only his personal life, but his professional and creative sides as well.

Clearly, Black’s devotion to family was the best thing for his career. In 2003, he boldly founded Equity Music Group, an especially artist-friendly record company that became home to his own recordings, as well as those of other like-minded artists. It was his company that launched Little Big Town’s career with their Platinum-selling album, The Road to Here. Black’s highly anticipated debut album for the label, Spend My Time, received great critical acclaim, and the label went on to earn Billboard’s #2 Independent Imprint of the Year and #4 Independent Label of the Year across all genres in 2006.

In addition to his established business ventures and various charity foundation efforts, Black branched out even further with an appearance on Donald Trump’s hit reality series Celebrity Apprentice. As a result of the friendship on the

show between Black and fellow contestant and Olympic Gold Medalist Scott Hamilton, the teammates are working to secure a total of one million dollars in matching fund donations for the International Rett Syndrome Foundation (IRSF). Black currently serves as Honorary Chair for the IRSF’s “Research to Reality: Funding Progress” campaign, which helps to accelerate treatments and research to find a cure for the developmental disorder.

For Tickets to Clint Black and all the “Moon River Weekends” Shows at the Andy Williams Moon River Theatre in 2013, call 800-MOON-094 or visit Andy Williams.com

For years, College of the Ozarks has openly discouraged student debt by allowing students the opportunity to work a campus job to pay for their college education and, in the summer, for the upcoming year’s room and board.  The College also discourages debt by not participating in any state or federal loan programs.  While these efforts have curbed student debt, the College, in response to the stagnant economy, will add even more cost-saving opportunities for students.

“The College views discouraging debt as a priority and will continue to seek ways to help students avoid it,” said College of the Ozarks President Jerry C. Davis.

As such, the College will no longer participate in private student bank loans.

Also, in the upcoming 2013-14 year, the College will not increase the current room and board fee of $5900, which is the lowest room and board fee of any private, four-year Missouri college.

During the summer months, the College offers financially-deserving students the opportunity to participate in the Summer Work Program, consisting of 12, 40-hour work weeks at a campus job, to work off the upcoming year’s room and board.  In previous years, the College has capped the number of students admitted into the Summer Work Program at approximately 490.  This summer, that number will be increased to 550.

In past years, vacant rooms in residence halls have been available for students to rent in the summer.  This summer, the College will waive the fee for renting a residence hall room so that students may save all earnings from their off-campus summer jobs.

“It is not enough to stand idly by and allow America’s future to become ensnared in the debt trap,” President Davis said.  “We hope that others will follow our lead in discouraging debt.”

College of the Ozarks is consistently commended by U. S. News & World Report and Forbes for graduating students with the least debt in the nation, as well as being one of the best college buys.

Nationally, outstanding student loan debt totals $956 billion, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s Quarterly Report on Household Debt and Credit release November 26, 2012.

The Andy Williams Moon River Theatre announced today another one of the stars to headline this Fall’s “Moon River Weekends” with national entertainers each weekend in September and October. World renowned impressionist and comedian, Rich Little will perform this September on Friday the 20^th and Saturday the 21^st. Both shows begin at 8pm and tickets are on sale now.

Rich Little will bring his one man show “Jimmy Stewart and Friends” to the Moon River stage on Friday and Saturday, September 20-21. The stage show is centered around Rich Little impersonating Jimmy Stewart as he reminisces and tells stories of all the stars and politicians from the past to the present. It’s a hilarious show that allows Rich Little to present all his fabulous impressions to the audience.

“We’re excited to have Rich Little coming to Moon River Theatre as the first guest in our Moon River Weekends Series. He is a tremendous addition to our 2013 line-up”, stated Lynn Meredith, General Manager of Moon River. “The Moon River Theatre will continue to be a legacy for our founder, Andy Williams and be the home of great singers and entertainers.”

Additional performers will be announced in the coming days.

About Rich Little

U.S. Presidents: John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, both George Bushes…Rich Little has an impression of each of them.
Infamous for his skewing of political figures, Little has charmed, amused, annoyed and lampooned politicians from here to his native Canada. He entertained at both of Reagan’s presidential inaugurations and spent much of 2003 touring the United States with his show “The Presidents.”
A master mimic of more than 200 voices, Little continues to impress throughout the world, with regular stops in Atlantic City, Las Vegas, Reno, Hawaii, Chicago, New York, Canada and London.
A professed classic movie buff, he’s particularly fond of doing Alan Ladd (his childhood hero) and others who are no longer generally remembered, but Little has also latched on to Baby Boomer-friendly characters, such as Edith Bunker, Kermit the Frog, Robin Leach and Dr. Ruth Westheimer, to name a few.
Some of his favorite current impressions are of stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Jack Nicholson and Clint Eastwood. “They’re easy to do,” he says. “They are larger than life.”
Little says, “an impression is what you think a person sounds like. It could be an exaggeration or a cartoon. It’s your impression. I think of an impersonation as more of an exact copy. Knowing the person personally is not important; it’s knowing the speech patterns and mannerisms [in order] to imitate the person the way the public sees him.”
The son of a doctor in Ottawa, Little started his “career” at the age of 12 when he answered back to his teachers in their own voices. Impressions came in handy to Little, while working as a disc jockey and talk show host. During one April Fool’s Day marathon, he had “Jimmy Durante” emcee the morning show, “James Mason” was a rock ‘n’ roll deejay and “Elvis Presley” hosted an afternoon program. Like the infamous 1939 broadcast of “War of the Worlds,” 500 autograph-hungry Elvis-believing fans besieged the station, thinking the King was really there.
Appearances on TV variety shows starring Ed Sullivan, Jackie Gleason, Glen Campbell and Dean Martin followed, as well as on series such as Laugh-In, The John Davidson Summer Show and The Julie Andrews Show. Little also had his own variety show in the 70s and was the star of the TV show KopyKats. Little was a guest host early on for The Tonight Show, hosting 12 times. He quickly became a household name sitting in one of the Hollywood Squares and has also appeared on the Oak Ridge Boys Variety Special.
Named “Comedy Star of the Year” by the American Guild of Variety Artists. The perpetrator of nine comedy albums and three HBO comedy specials, as well as Emmy-award winning special “Rich Little’s Christmas Carol” with “W.C. Fields” as Scrooge, “Humphrey Bogart” as one of the ghosts and “Paul Lynde” as Bob Cratchit.
His latest appearance on HBO was as Johnny Carson in the movie The Late Shift, which dealt with the race to succeed Carson on The Tonight Show. Little has appeared on the daytime soaps The Young and the Restless and Santa Barbara. He has made dramatic guest shots on Fantasy Island, Chips, Murder She Wrote, Hawaii Five-O, MacGyver, Police Woman and Mannix.
In a GQ magazine fashion spread, Little was pictured as Richard Nixon, Jack Nicholson, Cary Grant, George Burns, Ronald Reagan and Humphrey Bogart. In an Oscar pre-cast of ABC’s Primetime (with Diane Sawyer and Sam Donaldson) he spoofed classic movies, proposing how they would end with different casts, starring Little as “Bette Midler” for Scarlett O’Hara and “Arnold Schwarzenegger” for Hamlet.
Over the years Little has been active with children’s charities and he was co-host of the Canadian division of the Children’s Miracle Network. He was inducted into the Miami Children’s Hospital International Pediatrics Hall of Fame for his tireless efforts in fundraising on behalf of children. In June 1998, Little’s star was added to the Canadian Walk of Fame to go along with his current star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

For Tickets to Rich Little and all the “Moon River Weekends” Shows at the Andy Williams Moon River Theatre in 2013, call 800-MOON-094 or visit AndyWilliams.com

Branson, MO (3/4/13) – Dottie Coleman, night auditor and guest service agent of the Best Western Center Pointe Inn in Branson was recently honored with the Heroic Hospitality Stars Award for the front desk. Mrs. Coleman was presented with the award at Best Western International’s Convention and Global Conference held recently in Las Vegas, Nev., in front of more than 3,000 industry peers.

The select honor recognizes and celebrates individuals who have demonstrated superior customer care and professionalism by consistently delivering a high level of service to guests. Winners must also be associated with a hotel that meets design and customer care standards, as well as other membership requirements.

Dottie played an instrumental role in keeping all guests safe during the Branson Leap Day tornado that caused damage to the Best Western Center Pointe Inn. Dottie simply did not just show up for work that night. She watched the weather report the entire day knowing that severe weather was possible. When she got to work, she ran all of her emergency reports early to be prepared. Dottie took a room map and marked where each guest was staying to cut down on her response time. When the sirens went off, Dottie did not hesitate but leapt into action knocking on doors and encouraging everyone to get into the hallway. Each guest that stayed that night called Dottie a hero the next morning. Her quick action and proactive approach kept everyone safe.

Dottie Coleman was one of only seven hotel employees to receive this award, out of all staff at the brand’s more than 2,100 properties in the U.S. and Canada.

“The Heroic Hospitality Stars Award recognizes and celebrates Best Westerners who go above and beyond for our guests and treat them like family” said David Kong, CEO of Best Western International. “We are very pleased with Dottie Coleman’s commitment to guests and to our brand’s mission of providing superior customer care.”
The Best Western Center Pointe Inn has been completely renovated since the tornado and long been a favorite of Branson visitors due to its outstanding location right in the heart of Branson’s entertainment and excellent service. The hotel features 164 rooms, indoor pool, outdoor pool, two hot tubs, and many other amenities. It is a Director’s Award-Winner from Best Western. The hotel is owned by Myer Hotels, a locally owned hotel company.
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Hooray for Hollywood!

Opens TONIGHT! Fri. March 1, 2013 at 8pm

It’s the all singing, all dancing Movie Musical Hooray for Hollywood!

Featuring the most famous song and dance moments of the last 50 years of movie history- recreated live on stage at the King’s Castle Theatre.

Join us as we take you on a nostalgic journey through the most popular movie musicals of the last 50 years. You will see film clips of your favorite movies, and then watch the action unfold, live on stage, as our wonderful cast of singers and dancers perform the greatest song and dance from the greatest movies- live in concert.

With the magic of today’s’ technology, King’s Castle Theatre will make you feel as if you are a part of that magical movie scene.

Produced by the award winning production team that brought

Spirit of the Dance and Broadway! The Star-Spangled Celebration to Branson-

Hooray for Hollywood! Is the number one must see show.

Featuring highlights from famous movies, from Singin’ in the Rain, Grease, Titanic to Disney’s “The Lion King”, this all new, all singing and dancing production will thrill and excite you as your favorite movie moments actually come to life before your eyes!

Hooray for Hollywood!

Now that’s Entertainment!

King’s Castle Theatre is also home of the amazing harmonies of The Twelve Irish Tenors,

New Jersey Nights, the music of Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons, New for 2013

Dancing Queen, the music of ABBA as well as many other 70’s hits and the most festive musical holiday production of Christmas In Hollywood!

King’s Castle Theatre

2701 W 76 Country Blvd

Branson, MO 65616

www.kingscastletheatre.com

King’s Castle Theatre has an exciting anouncement regarding our Tribute to the Four Seasons & Beach Boys Show.      

Owner Producer Mr. David King once again wows audiences with his latest production New Jersey Nights! Jetting around the globe and selling out theaters from Reno to 14 select venues in England, Monaco, Myrtle Beach, Niagara Falls just to name a few!

New Jersey Nights, takes a nostalgic trip down memory lane to celebrate the hit songs of Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons, whose fascinating story unfolds in our production style journey through history.

The hit songs of this amazing group are the stars of the show.  Audiences everywhere simply love the music and sing along to the hits they know so well! This show delivers first class musical arrangements, perfect harmonies, authentic costumes and custom sets.  Combine that with all the Four Seasons greatest hits, including: Sherry, Rag Doll, My Eyes Adored You, Can’t Take My Eyes Off You, Big Girls Don’t Cry, Walk Like A Man, Oh What a Night and you are guaranteed a show you will never forget!

It is with all this we say goodbye to America’s first, best Rock Band – our tribute to The Beach Boys. We enjoyed and were honored to share their music with our customers in 2012 yet know this modification will be appreciated for many years to come.

King’s Castle Theatre is also home of the amazing harmonies of The Twelve Irish Tenors, and Hooray for Hollywood!  New in 2013-ABBA’s Greatest Hits Dancing Queen and the most festive musical holiday production of Christmas in Hollywood!

King’s Castle Theatre

www.Kingscastletheatre.com