Silver Dollar City Ready for Christmas
November 2, 2006
(AgapePress) - - The Showboat Branson Belle kicks off Christmas dinner cruises November 2 with exquisite cuisine, a memorable musical review and loads of laughter. Comedian/ventriloquist Todd Oliver and his "talking dogs," a Belle headliner for nine years, are aboard as the triple-decker sails across Table Rock Lake in Branson, Missouri. The Belle is Christmas-ready, decked out with green garland and red bows. And perhaps more stunning than the on-board decoration will be spectacular views of Christmas lights along the shoreline of Table Rock Lake. With each dinner cruise, some 700 guests will line the decks to enjoy the colorful displays.
When they go inside for a gourmet dinner, they'll meet Irving, Lucy and Elvis, the famous talking dogs. And, oh yes, their friend Todd Oliver. (It's a stretch to call Oliver the dogs' master; it appears the dogs are pretty much in control.) Oliver's comedy will be complimented by the Showstoppers! stage review with favorite Christmas numbers by a cast of singers and dancers, an adagio dance team and a live band.
An in-depth interview with Todd Oliver will be posted on Friday, November 3
"I love what Branson is all about," Oliver said. "Branson really is a variety act town. And all the comedy is clean." That clean, family-friendly quality is the thing he likes best about Branson. It allows him to pursue his entertainment career without compromising his strong family values and Christian faith. He's not hesitant to talk about either.
"When I go on stage in Branson, I know God is there with me," he said. "The Lord really plays a big role in what I do. Let's not forget that our talents come from God." Oliver does two shows a day, six days a week on the Branson Belle's first-rate Broadway-style variety show at 4:00 and 8:00 pm. Comedic magician Christopher Greenamyer is featured on noon and Sunday cruises.
Three years in a row, Oliver has been named Branson's best variety act. He's also performed often on late-night TV -- The Tonight Show, Late Show with David Letterman, and more.
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Comedian/ventriloquist Todd Oliver with his 'talking dogs' |
Growing up in the 1960s, Oliver found his earliest heroes among television comedians and ventriloquists -- Red Skelton, Edger Bergen, Shari Lewis. As a kid, he wanted "one of those little smart aleck dummies." For Christmas in 1968, at age 10, he got his first dummy, a copy of Bergen's Charlie McCarthy, and it wasn't long before Oliver was performing for anyone who would listen.
"I wasn't really effective," he admits. "I mean, I was so bad I had the dummy in one hand and the joke book in the other. Something about a 10-year-old doing mother-in-law jokes just doesn't really go over."
The comedian traces his Christian faith to the example set by his father, who he says studied his Bible faithfully and stayed on his knees often. Unfortunately, on that 1968 Christmas Day, Oliver's dad lay in the hospital in a coma. He died three days later.
Though he enjoys wide national acclaim, Oliver doesn't live the typical Hollywood entertainer's lifestyle. He chooses instead to spend his days with his wife Melissa and their daughter Isabelle on their small ranch a half-hour outside Branson. He says he's just not like the entertainers who are always "on" -- lives packed with parties and public display, all-entertainment-all-the-time.
"I try to spend as much quality time with my family as I can," he said. "When I'm home, you can see me out back in my jeans shoveling manure in the barn." His five horses and his library claim a lot of his personal time.
The Belle is owned by Herschend Family Entertainment (HFE), a company committed to demonstrating Christian principles in their 20 entertainment properties in eight states. Other HFE properties in Branson include Silver Dollar City, a family theme park that goes all out for Christmas -- four million lights, a stage presentation of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, a five-story Christmas tree, parades and more.
"It's just amazing how God put us together," Oliver said. "The Herschend folks are very committed to the Lord." He is grateful to the Herschend organization, noting that it's pretty phenomenal for a ventriloquist to be able to be settled and performing in one place for a decade.
HFE is deeply committed to the personnel and entertainers in their various enterprises, as evidenced in corporate policy that commits to operate "in a manner consistent with Christian values and ethics." It's clearly this Christian connection that makes for smooth sailing on their Showboat Branson Belle.
Earlier articles in this series:
From Silver Dollar City's Marvel Cave to Nazareth, Focus Is On Faith
Silver Dollar City -- Where Flowers Bloom, People Care
Silver Dollar City -- Where Cowboys, Crafts and Christmas Fill the CalendarCave Spawns Silver Dollar City, Family Theme Park, as Leader in Branson Tourism
Randall Murphree, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is editor of AFA Journal, a monthly publication of the American Family Association. He visited Silver Dollar City near Branson, Missouri, over Labor Day weekend. This is the fifth in a six-part series of stories about the people behind Silver Dollar City. For more information on events, schedules and days of operation during the theme park's Christmas festival and other special events, call 800-831-4FUN or visit SilverDollarCity.com.
