It’s a Wonderful Life at Silver Dollar City’s Old Time Christmas

It’s a Wonderful Life, is a Christmas tradition. To many families, watching the Christmas classic is a highlight of their Christmas celebration. The 1946 black and white movie is described as an American Christmas fantasy comedy-drama film set in the small imaginary town of Bedford Falls. Produced and directed by Frank Capra, the memorable movie stars a young James Stewart as George Bailey, a man who gave up his dreams to help others. An equally young Donna Reed plays his wife Mary. George Bailey’s guardian angel, Clarence Odbody, played by Henry Travers, guides the story’s hero to realize how one single life can positively touch an entire town. Although colorized versions have come out over the years, the original film is considered one of the most loved movies in American cinema, and has become established viewing during the Christmas season. The American Film Institute voted the ageless Christmas story as the “Number One Inspirational Film of All Time.”

At Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri, the musical adaptation of It's a Wonderful Life is rapidly becoming another tradition for families visiting the 1890’s themed park. Although several musical versions of It’s a Wonderful Life tour the country, Silver Dollar City’s Brad Schroeder, Vice-President of Events & Entertainment, started from scratch to create a production custom-tailored to Silver Dollar City’s audiences. He originally wrote the script, thinking it would replace another park classic, A Dickens’ Christmas Carol, now running for the twelfth year at Silver Dollar City’s Old Time Christmas Festival. Schroeder pitched his idea for It’s a Wonderful Life to the owners and the City’s management staff. They loved the story, but did not want to replace Dickens’ long run in the Opera House.  

The park’s other option for a large-scaled production is the Red-Gold Heritage Hall. The entertainment staff had never staged a multi-scene production in the large exhibition hall. However, Schroeder took up the challenge, investing five years in writing the script and selecting the scenes and music to fit into 60 minutes. He came up with the idea of using 100-foot background projections to create the 13 scenes—or locations—for the story line. “It’s a different artistic approach—more abstract,” he says. “In Dickens’, the sets are defined, detailed, and realistic. But It’s a Wonderful Life was first known to audiences as a movie, so people seem to relate to the more impressionistic style.

In selecting scenes, Schroeder decided to script the angel Joseph and the prospective angel, Clarence, like a Greek chorus—filling in the blanks of past events and moving the story from scene to scene. “We took liberties in selecting the scenes,” he says. “There’s no Uncle Billy misplacing the Building and Loan Association’s money; there’s no little daughter Zuzu remembering aloud that every time a bell chimes an angel earns his wings. In fact, there are no children performing in the production. All of those scenes in the story line are mere allusions.

“We took other liberties,” he continues. “For instance, when George Bailey is in the luggage shop picking out a suitcase for his worldwide travel, we produce a ‘fantasy’ that we call ‘The Landmark Ladies.’ A series of exotically costumed dancers enter the stage—much like the Ziegfeld Follies—depicting culture, dress, and customs of the lands George Bailey dreams of visiting.”

Schroeder says he always starts with the story and writes the script. Then he picks out songs that advance the plot, selecting from different Broadway shows, musicals, and recordings. For example, he chose “Journey to the Past” from Anastasia, but many people in the audiences do not realize the song is from the 1997 American animated musical fantasy-drama film.

Schroeder hands a sketch of what he wants for music to a musical director, who makes his home in California. The director writes the arrangements and sends Schroeder what is called a piano click in the musical production business. Next, the director adds other tracks. Schroeder says recordings are done in studios in Los Angeles, Indianapolis, Indiana, and sometimes on the director’s computer at his mother’s kitchen table in Pennsylvania. When it all comes together, the sound track goes into the computer in Red-Gold Heritage Hall and enhances the production. Schroeder explains that It’s a Wonderful Life uses the recorded sound track while A Dickens’ Christmas Carol incorporates some tracks in addition to a three-piece orchestra for its stage show. However, Schroeder emphasizes: “There are never any recorded vocals in our productions.”

Schroeder talks about the outstanding pool of entertainers Silver Dollar City has to cast both It’s a Wonderful Life and A Dickens’ Christmas Carol. “Each cast member brings to the stage vocals, dancing, and acting,” he says. “I tell them constantly that each performance has to be fresh. And it is. Not only from season to season, but from day to day while in production. 

It’s a Wonderful Life mounted three years ago in the Red-Gold Heritage Hall. A Dickens’ Christmas Carol plays in the Opera House on the opposite side of the park. Each production is different in eras, locations, costuming, and artistic presentation, but equally endearing to guests attending Silver Dollar City’s Old Time Christmas Festival. New traditions are evolving from timeless stories and the characters who bring them to life. Indeed, It’s a Wonderful Life at Silver Dollar City during Christmastime. 

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A Dickens’ Christmas Carol

For twelve Christmas seasons, A Dickens’ Christmas Carol has headlined the stage at Silver Dollar City’s Opera House during An Old Time Christmas. Over one million guests have thrilled to the Broadway-styled adaptation of the classic story of Ebenezer Scrooge and his encounter with three ghosts: the spirits of Christmas past, present, and future. Set in Victorian London, the musical adaptation written exclusively for Silver Dollar City is performed by a multi-talented cast that brings the ageless tale to life. The classic performance has become another Christmas tradition for annual guests to the City.

Set in a different era and a different country from It’s a Wonderful Life, the Dickens’ musical casts children. However, in its 12-year run, Schroeder says the youngsters in A Christmas Carol have grown up and promoted to different roles. “Originally, a young girl played Tiny Tim,” he says. “She outgrew that role and became the big sister. Now, she has become a young woman and is in the chorus.

“Scrooge and the Ghost of Christmas Present are married,” he continues. In jest he adds, “I often check with our producer to see if everything is all right between them. She literally flies onto the set, her with long flowing hair in wild array, dressed in the brilliant white of a fairy, and ‘whips’ the old Scrooge into line, swatting him with her wand!”

Schroeder goes on to say that the actor and singer who portrays Scrooge performs in Garth Brooks-style at the Echo Hollow Amphitheatre on summer evenings. “That shows the talent and versatility of our cast—switching from a proper English accent to the sound of country in our summertime show. The Ghost of Christmas Present also performs the role of the angel in the cemetery in A Dickens’ Christmas Carol.”

Shepherd of the Hills Reopens for 2014 Season

After an emotional closing performance of the Shepherd of the Hills Drama in October 2013, the outdoor play in Branson reopened for 2014 for a limited engagement. The story of The Shepherd of the Hills is - well, not as old as the hills - but almost as old as the first white settlers in the Ozarks Mountains of Missouri. The fabric of Branson’s history is stitched with men and women who came into the Ozarks and fused their individual destinies with hill folks and the land itself. Their story has been played out on summer nights for over 50 years - an integral part of Branson’s entertainment history.

Harold Bell Wright, a Kansas minister who had been diagnosed with consumption, came to the Ozarks to breathe the wholesome mountain air. Due to flooding on the White River, he asked for shelter at the John Ross cabin, intending to stay only overnight. In keeping with the customs of the Ozarks, Ross and his wife, Georgianna, and their son, Matt, welcomed him to their home. Wright stayed for eight summers.

The Rosses’ cabin had originally been one room for the three-member family. However, due to the production of their steam-powered grist and lumber mill, John and his wife, who answered to Anna, were well off financially compared to their Ozarks neighbors. An annual income of $350 and lumber from their own sawmill enlarged their cabin and allowed the luxury of a sewing machine for the tiny Anna and a push-style lawn mower for tall, brawny John.

Wright eventually pitched a tent on the Ross homestead, making for himself a summer home on what would one day be known as Inspiration Point. During winter months, he moved into the cabin warmed by the old stone fireplace. Over several years, Wright made notes of his adopted Ozarks family, their neighbors, and the customs and traditions of mountain culture. He roamed the hills and valleys, storing in his imagination scenes for The Shepherd of the Hills, a novel published in 1907.

The Shepherd of the Hills, a classic story of good versus evil, immediately became a best seller. His characters, Old Matt, Young Matt, and Aunt Mollie, inspired by the Ross family, turned into legends set against the backdrop of oaks and green cedars spreading like a plush carpet over the mountainsides where spring-fed creeks spilled into rivers. Many speculated on the identity of Wright’s other beloved characters, Sammy Lane, the Old Shepherd, Wash Gibbs, Ollie Stewart, Preachin’ Bill, and Fiddlin’ Jake. However, the author claimed that “Uncle Ike,” the old postmaster Levi Morrill, who built his post office on the "Old Trail Nobody Knows How Old" happened to be the only actual portrayal of a living person. All others, he said, including Old Matt and Aunt Molly, were his created characters. 

His tale hinges on Ozarks’ pioneers and the stranger who entered their simple mountain community. The story wraps around the silent love of a strapping young Matt for the community’s favorite lass, Sammie Lane, her longing to become a refined lady, and the ghostlike boy who roamed the hillsides stirring superstitious minds with visions of “haints,” an Ozarks’ name for supernatural spirits. Wright created tension between the vigilante Bald Knobbers and the upstanding citizens who gathered at the old grist mill to picnic, dance, and gossip. Yet, a story comes to life only with conflict. Wright, a master storyteller, delved beneath the masks of peaceful existence to expose the stranger’s mysterious past and a father’s bitterness over the tragic death of his only daughter. Mixing facts and traditions with fiction, he intertwined a spellbinding tale.

Over a hundred years after the novel brought droves of tourists to the quiet Ozarks to view up-close a picturesque pocket of earth and its peculiar populace, the story still entertains tourists as an outdoor drama in the amphitheatre at the Shepherd of the Hills Homestead. In the 2014 season, the play runs four nights a week during the summer months and weekends only during the fall. With the old grist mill as a backdrop, a city slicker pursues the hand of the community’s comely miss, troublemakers incite fist fights, and masked horsemen torch a cabin.

Ninety actors perform in the drama, bringing to life the history of the Ozarks Mountains and the story Harold Bell Wright wrote. The directors consciously type-cast local residents in the roles that fit personalities and body type. The roles are scripted, but each actor has his or her own mannerisms and ad-libs. In fright, one of the Ollie Stewart characters runs and jumps on a tree like a tree frog. While the Shepherd of the Hills Outdoor Drama is the centerpiece of the Homestead, visitors find plenty to see and do throughout the daytime hours.

Inspiration Tower, a 230-foot tall structure located on Inspiration Point, is Branson's "landmark on the horizon." Two glass elevators transport visitors to the enclosed observation deck where guests get a view that stretches over Branson and Ozarks woodlands for up to 90 miles on a clear day. Vigilante Extreme ZipRider® flies guests over treetops for a thrilling vacation activity.

During the daytime, a jeep-drawn tram takes visitors on a guided tour of the homestead. First stop is Old Matt's Cabin, the original home of the night time drama’s main characters. The modest log cabin stands in its original location, and is on the National Historic Registry. Inside the cabin, open for guided tours, the saddle of Lizzie McDaniel, the daughter of a former owner of the property, hangs on the back porch alongside one used by Anna Ross. Miss Lizzie, as she became affectionately known to hill folks, recognized the importance of preserving the homestead for its key role in the widely-read novel, as well as for the lore of the Ozarks. She traveled for years across the Ozarks on the back of a mule buying back all the items the Ross son had auctioned after his parents’ deaths. 

A ceiling lamp in the living room once hung in Harold Bell Wright’s tent, pitched on the lawn. A spinning wheel and a weasel for making skeins of yarn both sit by the old stone fireplace. Various kitchen tools and Anna Ross’ size four shoes are displayed. Through the diligence of Lizzie McDaniel and her dedication to preserve a long ago setting, the cabin, once a home for the Ross family and the Kansas preacher who made the Ozarks famous, stands as the showpiece of The Shepherd of the Hills Homestead.

Going back to the authentic roots of the Great American Cowboy in a variety of musical styles, harmonies, instrumentations, and songs, as well as cowboy poetry, “Roundup on the Trail” features the same cast that entertained for the past 10 years in “Christmas on the Trail,” one of Branson's most popular and unique Christmas shows, Performing in the Pavilion Theatre at Shepherd of the Hills, the show and a chuckwagon dinner precede the Shepherd of the Hills Drama. The dinner menu includes: Texas brisket, maple-smoked turkey breast, campfire beans, Dutch-oven trail taters, fire roasted ears of corn, cookies, hot rolls, and cobbler. Afterward, the Jeep-drawn tram transports guests down the hollow to the amphitheatre for the evening drama.

More than a century has past since The Shepherd of the Hills books passed through the mail at the old Notch Post Office and into the hands of Ozarks hill folks. The Shepherd of the Hills marked a turning point in Harold Bell Wright’s literary career. The book’s success also marked a milestone in the history of the Branson story. Families still come to relive the history of the story of the Ozarks. Visitors, who came as children, now return with grandchildren and great grandchildren. Shepherd of the Hills Homestead and Outdoor Drama are integral pieces of Ozark history—pieces to be savored and preserved.

For information on daytime activities and tickets for Shepherd of the Hills Drama, go to www.oldmatt.com or call: 417-334-4464, toll free, 800 653-6288.

Go KAPAU at Whitewater This Summer!

White Water launched its 2014 season with an all-new drop-floor slide designed to be the biggest thrill in White Water history. The $1.7 million KaPau Plummet opened in May 2014, featuring a near-vertical plunge through two 240-foot dueling slides, followed by a spiraling loop. Those who slow their pounding hearts enough to climb atop a four-story tower and into one of two encapsulated slides—described as launch capsules—hear the countdown: 3…2…1 KAPAU! The bottom of each slide drops out, creating a rider free fall at 70 degrees, speeding at 26 feet per second into a looping 240-foot translucent waterslide before a final splashdown. Spectators watch the riders’ rocket-like plunge and see them spiral through the loops.

KaPau Plummet is the centerpiece for White Water and exceeds the thrill factor of any water ride ever built at the 13-acre tropically-themed water park in Branson, Missouri. Cory Roebuck, White Water Director of Operations, explains that ‘kapau’ is a U.S. surfer slang term meaning the next big wave or the next big thing, pronounced Ka-Pow. “KaPau Plummet offers a thrill like no other ever at White Water,” he says. “The AquaLaunch trap door builds anticipation for an incredible drop, and then the plunge will literally take your breath away.”
 

But there’s more at White Water—over a dozen rides, slides, and attractions and two million gallons of cool water fun ranging from riveting to relaxing. Thrill rides include the seven-story, six-slide Kalani Towers and raft slides such as Raging River Rapids and Ohana Falls. For a more relaxing adventure, Aloha River is an 800-foot themed river, where tube riders float the twists and turns under fountains, spraying mists, and geysers. Splashaway Cay is an interactive family attraction with slides and geysers, and Coconut Cove is a play area specially designed for smaller kids.

The popular Night Water event is bigger than ever, adding more “Dive-In” movies on Friday nights in July and August, featuring films from animated hits such as “Frozen” and “The Little Mermaid” to classic family favorites including “ET” and “Back to the Future.” Movies are shown on a 10-foot screen above the 500,000-gallon Surf’s Up Wave Pool. Guests watch and float on the cool water. Also new this year for Night Water, “Red, White & Boom!” fireworks fill the sky above the wave pool at park closing on Saturday nights. During the Night Water schedule, guests can play all day and into the night under a sky of sparkling stars. White Water is open May 17-September 7. 

Showboat Branson Belle Showcases "Made in the USA"

For 2014, the Showboat Branson Belle sets sail with its popular show Made in the USA, featuring Janice Martin, the world’s only violin-playing aerialist, and the male vocal group the ShowMen. In a celebration of all-American music, the 2014 show highlights American regional songs and the best of Motown.

On the Showboat stage, Janice Martin performs on piano and violin, as well in vocal selections, before soaring overhead in a spellbinding acrobatic aerial act—as she plays her violin. Her unique artistry, which has been highlighted in The New York Times, Miami Herald and Washington Post, brings a riveting five-star act to the Branson entertainment scene.

From rich harmonies to standout solos, The ShowMen, five talented male vocalists and dancers, fill the Showboat stage with clap-along fun, showcasing American musical styles. Performers are accompanied by the Showboat’s signature live band Rockin’ Dockers, who fill the atrium-style dinner theater with surround-sound live music. Comedian and magician Christopher James is the super-funny master of ceremonies who performs spontaneous comedy along with original magic stunts.

 

Beginning in late May, a second Made in the USA show comes on board for noon and Sunday cruises, featuring master pianist Julie McClarey-Davis and talented fiddler Dean Church, plus the female quartet The ShowBelles, along with the Showboat’s live band The Castaways.

Special event offerings include Southern Gospel Cruises featuring Southern Gospel artists, presented on noon cruises August 24 – 31, and Carols on the Belle cruises, featuring gospel groups and area show choirs, presented Sundays in late November and early December. Check the website for a schedule of performers.

 

 

The menu from the Showboat’s chef includes slow simmered Beef Roast and Honey-Dijon Glazed Chicken, and the chef’s own Golden Brittle Lemon-Berry Torte, all prepared onboard in the ship’s galley. Premium dining options where guests choose from a specialty menu include the Captain’s Row on first row balcony and the Paddle Wheel Club Room, offering a private dining area overlooking the ship’s paddlewheels. Menu options include Captain’s Special-Cut Rib Eye Steak, Pan-seared Chicken with Lemon & Rosemary Beurre Blanc Sauce, the fresh catch such as Grilled Mahi Mahi, and a choice of desserts.  

The show and a three-course meal are featured on all cruises aboard the authentic 700-seat paddlewheeler, which cruises Table Rock Lake, March 8 through December 31, 2014.

Details and schedules: www.showboatbransonbelle.com

 or 800-775-BOAT(2628)
 

The Haygoods are Good!

 

 

In mid-February, 2014, the Haygoods kicked off their 21st season in Branson at The Clay Cooper Theatre. Starting their musical careers at Branson’s Silver Dollar City back in 1993, the family honed their talents for numerous instruments, choreography, and sweet harmonies. They took a chance—eight children and Mom and Dad Haygood—moving from their home in Boerne, Texas, to accept a summer contract performing daily shows at Silver Dollar City. Their “gig” extended through Christmas. Each year, Mom Haygood said they sat down as a family and decided if they were going to commit to make music for another season—or catch the big yellow school bus as it passed each morning. The decision was unanimous for the life of musicians. For the next eight years, the family grew up in the theme park, performing five shows a day, five days a week while squeezing in instrument and dance lessons, as well as completing schoolwork. The drive and persistence of oldest brother Timothy resulted in the family show become the most successful, highest rated show in the history of Silver Dollar City. Youngest brother Aaron Haygood, who arrived in Branson as an infant, summed up the experience. "I started on stage when I was two years old, so my earliest memories are of applause and hard work. Oh, and getting to ride the roller coasters every day!" The Haygoods completed over 10,000 shows during their time at Silver Dollar City.

With a generous loan from their grandmother, the Haygoods took a giant risk and opened their own show on the Branson strip in 2001. The move from a theme park to the entertainment town was more than a location change. The three oldest Haygoods also took creative and financial control of the show and began to make their mark on the show’s presentation and on Branson’s music scene. The Haygoods became the youngest performing family to ever open their own show on the Branson strip.

Dominic & Catherine Haygood

At the end of their first full season, the Haygoods reached a crossroads; they had to decide to push ahead despite financial hardships or to give up the music business and seek so-called normal lives. But music was in their blood. The siblings had known since they first played fiddles and sang at nursing homes and fairs back in Texas that they were destined to make music. They set about making their “town” show the most exciting on the Branson strip. With Dominic as music director, they began to take classic songs like "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" and "Eleanor Rigby" and add their own musical twists. Familiar songs from Motown were updated with modern dance moves and unique harmonies. At the same time, the energetic Haygoods began reclaiming their childhood by filming their wild BMX and paraplane stunts, which made them a You Tube sensation. "We finally started to realize everything was going to be OK. We loved playing our music together and we felt like we had achieved a measure of success," said Shawn Haygood.

Michael warms up
the audience.

In 2009, the Haygoods took yet another chance on themselves and their music, staking everything they had in their own theater on the Branson strip. By this time, the Haygood boys had become men and the decision to buy the Americana Theatre was an investment in their musical future.

At the same time, the Haygoods set about creating their own original music with the hope of reaching a national audience. Daily jam sessions and boxing matches led to recording studios and bringing in producers to help refine their music. Their first album "Leaving It All Behind" was released in 2010. Without any radio support, record label support or even digital downloads, the album sold over 10,000 physical copies in its first two months of release.

In the fall of 2011, The Haygoods teamed up with the RFDTV network, a cable channel distributed in over 50 million homes in the United States, and many more worldwide, to create a reality/music television show. In addition, The Haygoods moved their live show to the RFDTV Theatre on the corner of Shepherd of the Hills Boulevard and the famous Highway 76 Strip. At the same time, they retained the Americana Theatre and booked morning, matinee, and evening shows on its stage. Cassandre’, Voice of an Angel, continues to anchor the Americana’s line-up.

The television show called “Adventures of The Haygoods” did well on the RFDTV network and garnered good Nielson ratings, especially for a completely unknown group. New seasons developed, and re-runs continue to air.

The Haygoods opening Outlaw Run
at Silver Dollar City ~ April 2013

The Haygoods completed their 2012 and 2013 seasons at the RFDTV Theatre. In announcing their move to the Clay Cooper Theatre, Catherine Haygood said: “We have been looking at investing in new technology and production equipment to take our show to the next level. We needed a long term commitment to make sense financially, longer than the year-to-year lease we had at the RFDTV Theatre. Clay Copper has our vision for the future, and he gave us the commitment we were looking for. Also, our fans know we have been experimenting with new music for fun. We wanted to try out that music on the road on Fridays and Wednesdays. Again, the schedule at Clay’s theatre worked out great for us to do that.”

“We have invested in new lights, sets, and special effects and this year’s show will be our best ever,” said Michael Haygood, lighting designer and guitarist for The Haygoods. To be even better is a huge boast since the Haygoods are already one of Branson’s longest running and most successful shows. The group, now five brothers and one sister, is known throughout the Midwest for their incredible high energy productions. Combining their talents, they play over 20 instruments, sing with harmony, both powerful and pure at the same time, tap dance like they are on fire, and entertain crowds with a state of the art show featuring all styles of music from the 60s through today.

The Haygoods performing at Silver Dollar City.
(Photo by Arline Chandler)

“These guys know how to put on a super exciting, high energy show and that’s why they draw large crowds year after year,” said Clay Cooper, owner of the Clay Cooper Theatre. “I’m turning them loose in my theatre, so audiences, hang on to your seats. It’s gonna be a wild ride.”

When asked what audiences could expect out of The Haygoods this year, Dominic Haygood replied with a huge grin, “New routines, new music, a bigger production, and lots of surprises. Our lasers and new special effects will put it over the top, but the new music is what excites me.”

For information and tickets call the box office at 417-339-4663 or go to: http://www.thehaygoods.com/

"Behind the Thrills" Honors Silver Dollar City as "2013 Theme Park of the Year" and "2013 Best Theme Park Food"

Behind the Thrills is an official theme park and haunt-based website relating to the amusement industry and theme parks around the world. Established in 2008 as a source for theme park news, rumors, and trip planning, the website rolled out in October its Fourth Annual Series of weekly polls for eleven different categories in theme parks, ranging from Best Family-Friendly Theme Park to King of Halloween to Best Christmas Event.

Each category, except for Editor’s Choice, opened for one week allowing readers, fans, guests, and geeks to vote for their favorite park in each category. When the votes were tabulated, the web site named Silver Dollar City as 2013 Theme Park of the Year and Best Theme Park Food Destination.

Silver Dollar City has long been a family destination in Missouri. The park, known for creating memories worth repeating, is fast becoming a national destination park. Known for its family-oriented rides and attractions, Silver Dollar City keeps the Ozark Mountain culture and history alive, while providing the highest quality of family entertainment.

For information about Behind the Thrills, go to http://www.behindthethrills.com.

Herschend Family Entertainment Jumps Through Hoops With Acquisition of Harlem Globetrotters International, Inc.

 
Basketball fans love the Harlem Globetrotters. Even folks who are not basketball enthusiasts love the Harlem Globetrotters. Recently, ownership of the traveling team went to Herschend Family Entertainment (HFE), known for their management of Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri, and Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. The Globetrotters is the 27th property in ten states owned by the largest family-owned themed attractions corporation in the United States.

Basing their basketball skills on a combination of athleticism, theatrics, competition, and comedy, the Globetrotters have been an American institution for almost nine decades, endearing themselves to audiences around the world. Their smiling faces and friendly interaction with fans, especially children, fits well with Herschend Family Entertainment’s image of “…bringing families closer together and creating memories worth repeating.”

 

Going back to its beginnings in Chicago in 1926, the team’s official history is a bit murky. However, one fact is clear: the nucleus of the Globetrotters formed in the 1920s on the south side of Chicago where all the original players grew up. When the Savoy Ballroom opened in November 1927, the team known as the Savoy Big Five played exhibitions before the dances. However, Hinckley, Illinois, claims to have hosted the first Harlem Globetrotters game on January 7, 1927, despite the fact that the team did not have its official name at that time. The name came along later when Abe Saperstein toured Southern Illinois with a basketball team he called the New York Harlem Globe Trotters, separating the two words. Saperstein had decided to pick Harlem as the team’s home since Harlem was considered the center of African-American culture and all the team members claimed African-American heritage. At that time, an out-of-town—even more, an out-of-state—name gave the team a certain mystique. Yet four decades passed before the Globetrotters, by then one word, played their first “home” game in Harlem in 1968.

Over 88 seasons, team members have changed, owners have changed, and locations for games have changed. However, the team lived up to their name by literally trotting the globe. The Globetrotters were returning participants in the World Professional Basketball Tournament, winning it in 1940. Once considered one of the best teams in the country, the Globetrotters were surpassed by the rise of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Globetrotters stepped back and gradually built their reputation for exhibition games on comical moves, fancy footwork, basketballs twirling on the tips of fingers, skillful dribbles and dodges, and basketballs sinking in hoops from 35-feet down the court.

In 1959, they traveled to Moscow, Russia, playing nine games in the Lenin Central Stadium against their own opponent, as they often did, the San Francisco Chinese Basketeers. On January 5, 1971, they lost to the New Jersey Reds and ended an alleged 2,495-game winning streak. Up to that date, the Globetrotters were playing 277 games per year. In addition to their hundreds of exhibition games, the Globetrotters slowly returned to competitive basketball after 1993.

Between 1971 and 1995, they claimed an alleged run of 8,829 straight victories. The 8,829 games in twenty-four years means the Globetrotters were playing nearly 368 games per year or often more than one game a day. This is possible because multiple team lineups tour as the Globetrotters to allow for a greater number of exhibitions. In 1997, the team set aside their trademark tricks and showmanship for a three-week, no-nonsense tour against college teams from men's Division One. During those games there were no twirling balls or hand-off displays to the tune of "Sweet Georgia Brown," no buckets of water or confetti thrown on the court, and no teams such as the Washington Generals to act as their opponents.

Although they lost close games to Vanderbilt University and the University of Maryland, the tour marked a decade of improvement as a competitive team. According to their records, on November 3, 2003, the Globetrotters’ parade of 288 consecutive victories screeched to a halt with a one-point loss to the Miners of the University of Texas at El Paso. It was their only loss during an eight-game college tour. The Globetrotters had defeated Michigan State, University of Massachusetts, and defending national champion Syracuse University. On February 27, 2006, the Globetrotters extended their overall record to exactly 22,000 wins.

Today’s teams include three female players. TNT Maddox and one line-up of players is pictured with Herschend Family Entertainment President & CEO Joel Manby (left, holding jersey) and Harlem Globetrotters CEO Kurt Schneider (right, holding jersey) following the announcement of HFE's acquisition of the legendary team.TNT joined the elite Globetrotters in 2011, becoming the first woman to don the legendary red, white, and blue uniforms since 1993.  Her success opened the door for T-Time Brawner and Sweet J Ekworomadu to join the team over the following seasons.

The Globetrotters are like a family, another aspect that matches the philosophy of Herschend Family Entertainment. On the Globetrotters’ web site, TNT talks about the honor of becoming a part of the Globetrotters’ family. “This team incorporates everything I love about basketball,” she says. “…not only to play it, but to entertain and to give back to the community. I've always dreamed of leaving a positive mark in basketball history, and this is the perfect opportunity to do so.” Part of that positive mark came when TNT registered as an Adult Girl Scout, just another way she and her female teammates have found to inspire young girls to achieve great things.

TNT joined teammates Bucket Blakes and Special K Daley on a trip to Honduras as the Globetrotters partnered with World Vision, one of the world’s largest humanitarian organizations endeavoring to improve the lives of children around the world. During the “Fans Rule” tour, supporters will have the opportunity to learn more about World Vision, meet volunteers and staff, make donations, or even sponsor a child. As its official tour partner, World Vision will have a presence at all of the Harlem Globetrotters games during the “Fans Rule” tour.

The Globetrotters play competitive basketball, but they also create fun wherever they toss a ball onto a court. Their “Fans Rule” Tour is simply that—a fun way for fans to interact by voting on a wacky rule to be added to their game. One such rule is “Hot Hand Jersey,” which involves a special jersey that members of both teams can pass around during one quarter. The player wearing that jersey receives double points on his or her score.

Another choice on which fans can vote is starting a quarter with two players from each team. As each team scores, an additional player may enter the court. However, on the down side, for every shot missed, the team loses a player. Or another possible rule throws two basketballs on the court at the same time. Only such wacky antics happen in a Harlem Globetrotters game.

Now in progress, the Globetrotters are on the move with the “Fans Rule” Tour, playing 300 games in over 250 cities in 48 United States, six Canadian provinces and Puerto Rico through April 2014. With three teams on the road, their schedule often includes a game in San Antonio, Texas, on the same day as a game in Humacao, Puerto Rico. In February, the team plays in cities such as Prescott Valley, Arizona, Las Cruces, New Mexico, and Ithaca, New York. March takes the team to Duluth, Minnesota, Fairfax, Virginia, Rome, Georgia, and Toms River, New Jersey, to name only a few locations. (For a full detailed schedule, go to Harlem Globetrotters Full Schedule.)