Dino’s Christmas Extravaganza

December 21, 2005

 
I was in town for the busy week on Thanksgiving to give out the 2005 Branson Critic Awards. I arrived Tuesday evening to give out the first award and continued on strong until Friday night. With a busy week and seven presentations to make, I was not sure if I would have time to see anything just for enjoyment. As it turned out, I did not have any presentations on Thanksgiving day, so Candi and I wanted to take in at least one Christmas show that we had never seen before.

An older couple in our church was going to be in town at the same time and they mentioned that they loved to see Dino’s Christmas Extravaganza. They thought it was one of the best Christmas shows in town.

I have to admit that I did have some reservations about seeing the show. I knew who Dino was. He is America’s Piano Showman. I had seen him several times on the TBN network. TBN is not my cup of tea. So the connection did cause some preconceived notions. But we decided to give it a try anyway. My wife is a passionate church pianist and I knew she would enjoy it.

It is hard to imagine that there are still a few theatres in Branson that I have not been in yet, but the Tri-Lakes Center was one of them. I had tickets to see Any Williams once when it was his theatre, but the show was canceled and so I had never made it back.

I was impressed upon arrival. The theatre was very big, but in Branson that is not always a good thing. Even an audience of 500 people can seem small in a large theatre, but there were lots of cars in the parking lot. Once inside it did not take long to realize that this theatre was something special.

The theatre itself had been built in the style of a turn of the century vaudeville theatre. Lots of details in the molding and even the seats seemed to have a classic feel to them. I did have one big concern. Though the seats are not tiny, they did not leave a lot of breathing room. The entire night my wife and I had to keep swapping out who was going to put their arm around who, so that we would have enough room. I would have to think twice before I would see another show here. Not because the show was not good, but because the seats are small.

There was a very good crowd in the audience. It was probably one of the biggest audiences I have seen in Branson in several years. The 2500 seat theatre was well over half full. I also noticed that the audience did have a good mix of young and old.

The show started with a grand entrance. Dino was slowly lowered from the ceiling on a huge platform while playing a grand piano. He was followed onto the stage by a troop of beautiful dancers and his wife Cheryl who throughout the evening sang some of my favorite Christmas carols and songs.

During the first half of the show Dino, Cheryl and the cast of dancers took the audience on a Musical Christmas journey around the world. We heard a couple classics that I recognized, but most of the songs from around the globe were new and exciting.

The second half was filled with many of the traditional Christmas classics that were familiar and easy to sing along with, our just sit back and enjoy.

Dino played the most beautiful grand piano I have ever seen. The entire piano is completely covered with Austrian crystals that were attached by hand in Europe. The piano stood out and shined all evening. The only thing flashy enough to even begin to compare to the piano was the costumes. There must have been over a hundred costumes used throughout the show. Every one unique and even more special than the last. Truly no expense was spared.

One of the most impressive parts of the show was also probably one of the simplest. Most shows in Branson are obviously performed by Christian entertainers. Many entertainers even make it a point to speak about their beliefs. Dino goes was beyond mentioning his relationship with God. He actually presents the gospel of Jesus Christ in a visual illustration. I was very impressed and found myself wishing that others would be as bold as he is. He did not fear offending anyone. He wanted to make sure that all clearly understood the source of his relationship with Jesus Christ.

The closing to the show included an incredible nativity scene complete with flying angles. This section was so beautiful and touching that I had chills. I do not start thinking about Christmas until Thanksgiving, and this show helped me to focus on the real reason for the season.

After seeing the show, my concerns vanished. Dino’a Christmas Extravaganza only appears for a limited time during the Christmas season in Branson. I can see why our dear friends from church make this show one of their Christmas Traditions.

Dino’s Christmas Extravaganza is performed at the Tri-Lakes Center. The show is performed at 8:00 p.m. during the Christmas season. For more information visit www.trilakescenter.com/tickets.htm or to reserve tickets call the theatre at (877) 4336-0219. Tell them that Heath from Branson Critic Online sent you.

What do you think? Your opinion is your opinion. Let me know at hhawkins@waynesville.k12.mo.us.