Seven Brothers And A Sister

2004 Winner for Best ensemble at the Branson Critic Awards.

October 18, 2005

Haygoods - From Peter The Adequate

Picture by Kurt Moore

A few notes about the venue. In addition to the previously mentioned comfortable seats, the theater itself is very well laid out. There is not a bad seat in the house (Ok, maybe the last row of the balcony where the top of your head gets uncomfortably close to the very efficient air-conditioning system). I have seen two very different shows in this theater. Tom Mullica’s Red Skelton tribute (also a great show), which is very intimate and The Haygoods which feels like a giant musical spectacle. The theater is perfect for both of them. Somehow the theater seems to transform itself to fit the show. Even when the house is less than full (a rare occurrence with The Haygoods), the split between the downstairs and the balcony makes the place seem full every time.

And now about the show. I have seen many “Family” shows. Often they consist of mom and dad and a handful of kids who have been trained to live out their parent’s dream. Not so with this show, it is conceived, choreographed, staged, arranged and performed by the kids themselves. There do have some help from their uncle who does an excellent job on the keyboards and an excellent drummer (who I believe is also in Tony Roi’s show) who fills in when Shaun Haygood is singing, dancing or playing a different instrument.

Seven brothers (ages 12 – 28) and one incredibly talented sister (I4) play at least three different instruments each. Between them they play fiddle, lead and bass guitar, drums, saxophone, piano and the harp. They play with a skill which rivals that of some of the best seasoned adult performers around and they do so while they sing, dance, bounce off of trampolines and do all sorts of acrobatics. More than anything else though, they have fun, lots of fun and the audience does too.
The show covers some of our country’s greatest music from the 40’s to the 90’s and they present each decade’s music with the same great ability. Too often I have seen musical retrospectives which may pay a faithful homage to one time period or another, but seem to really miss the mark on others. This is not so with The Haygoods. They seem to really get the mood, feel and the musicality of each decade and musical style they cover.

No matter what your age is, you will love this show. I have seen 13 year old girls who have season passes with reactions reminiscent of teenyboppers at an Elvis or Beatles concert, each one with a crush on her own personal heartthrob (usually Michael, Shaun, Dominic or 12 year old Aaron) and I have watched older couples holding hands while listening to the dulcet tone of their impeccable harmonies or masterful fiddle playing, my favorite of which, is the most beautiful rendition of Ashokan Farewell I have ever heard.

Audiences of any age will marvel at the sheer spectacle of the event. The show has pyrotechnics, colorful sets, special effects (my favorite being the instant transformation of the entire set, instruments and costumes from black and white to vibrant colors during their 40’s presentation), and great audience participation. All of the shows in Branson are acceptable for people of all ages. This one however, is perfect for people of all ages.

As a performer, what I am probably the most impressed with, is the level of showmanship. Showmanship is about giving everything you’ve got to the audience and this group does just that.  I have heard people refer to this show as “The New Face Of Branson”. They are wrong. This is the new and the old face of Branson all rolled into one delightful and exhilarating package.

Earlier this year, I was fortunate enough be invited to attend a special awards ceremony of Operation Homecoming, a salute to our Vietnam Veterans. At the ceremony I heard Lee Greenwood sing his famous song “I Am Proud To Be An American”. I hate to say it, but as great as that was, it paled in comparison to The Haygoods rendition of that same song at the close of their show.
My only problem with this show is that every time I leave the show, I feel humbled. I walk out feeling that I don’t work hard enough.

Haygoods - From Peter The Adequate