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.

One Man - Multiple Faces

 

 

Recently I heard a phrase: “Every human has a unique history.” Indeed, Terry Sanders, the hardest working entertainer in the music town of Branson, Missouri, has a unique history. However, Terry wears multiple faces. He has created a story and a history for numerous characters in his creative career. Terry is one of those college drama graduates whose parents kept asking, “When are you going to get a real job?” However, Terry had his plan for a career. With a degree from Southwest Missouri State University (now Missouri State University), he headed to Branson. He worked at various jobs and especially gained from “The Toby Show” founded and directed by the late Shad Heller. Working in concessions, Terry memorized every line of every performer in the show. One evening when an actor fell ill, his break came. One break was all he needed. With a flair for transforming himself into different characters, Terry landed a job at Silver Dollar City, an 1890’s themed park a few miles from Branson. For 34 years, he has developed and played multiple characters throughout his days in the park.

A visitor might suddenly find himself being measured with a long yardstick by Mr. E. Balmer, who never speaks a word. Later in the same day, a wacky genius with powder burns in his lab coat might pass by muttering something about experiments and traveling in time. That would be Doc Harris. Often, a Southern gentleman, Colonel Paisley Parnell, greets guests in a honey-coated voice. Sometimes getting off the tram at the City, a no-nonsense prison warden, W.P. Warburton, barks orders to stay behind the white line until the tram comes to a complete stop. At Silver Dollar City’s Old Time Christmas, he is Clarence Peabody, Santa’s helper at Kringle’s Krossing.

Once at a fall festival, scarecrows decorated the City, standing in the flowerbeds, hanging from tree limbs, and lounging on benches. One life-sized scarecrow perched on the end of a bench near the entrance. A lady sat down to catch her breath and silently, with no discernible movement, the scarecrow’s white-gloved hand slipped behind and tapped her on the shoulder. Yes, inside those overalls stuffed with straw, Terry Sanders worked his magic for visitors to Silver Dollar City. The screaming woman recovered and the scarecrow gave her a huge hug. All in a day’s work to make a visit to the City memorable.

Nevertheless, work does not end with the daytime for Terry Sanders. For many years, he finished at Silver Dollar City and made his way to Braschler’s Music Theater where he filled the role of Homer Lee, the theater’s janitor. His character and the name Homer Lee have become synonymous with Terry Sanders. In fact, most of his fans think his real name is Homer Lee.

At the Braschler’s Theater, Terry honed his impersonation skills in a Joan Rivers look alike character. He often appeared in the show as the acclaimed star—and began making personal appearances as Joan Rivers at other venues. He also changed into his own grandmother, Grandma Beulah. Soon, Terry’s face appeared as Terry the Tour Guide on Branson’s Vacation Channel. For 16 years, he has played his tour guide role, as well as seven other characters in a one-hour show called “Branson Country.” The show airs several times daily on the Vacation Channel.

For twelve seasons, Terry played two characters at the Shepherd of the Hills Outdoor Drama: Doc Coughlin, the doddering old man whose repeated phrase, “What would Sarah and the girls say?” became the character’s signature, and Ollie Stewart, the city slicker who blew onto the scene in his fancy uptown car to claim the heroine’s hand. All those years, Terry and his wife Dede raised two sons, who each performed as Little Pete in the “Shepherd of the Hills.” The drama turned into a family affair as Dede played Mrs. Wheeler and Evan Sanders recently played “Ollie” on Monday evenings when his dad performed the role of “Doc.” The cast of “Shepherd of the Hills” took their final bow as the drama closed on October 19, 2013.

For six seasons in September and October, Terry Sanders has led one-hour campfire/wagon rides at Big Cedar Lodge on select evenings. As “Deputy Birdy Tweedle,” he tells the history of Big Cedar Lodge—and adds a few tall tales. Playing “Barney Fife,” he has performed for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) on several dates and at different locations.

Also for six seasons, Terry has written, produced, and performed in Bass Pro’s Christmas celebration. For 2013, he has written, produced, and directed a new show for Bass Pro in Springfield called “Rock n Roll Breakfast with Santa.” Scheduled on five Saturday mornings starting on November 23 and running through December 21, a breakfast buffet opens at 8:00 a.m. Terry’s show starts at 8:30 a.m.

Terry is in his second season performing on Kelly’s Kountry Junction, a locally produced TV show currently shown on local PBS stations in Joplin and Springfield, Missouri. The show follows a format similar to “The Carol Burnett Show” with many characters and skits. Terry stretches his creativity in many characters.

Terry and other Branson stars filmed “Boonie Woonie,” a local movie that premiered at the Branson IMAX Theatre on September 8, 2013, to a sold-out crowd. The movie will be available on DVD in time for Christmas 2013. In May 2013, Terry staged a sold-out “Homer Lee Reunion” at the former Braschler Theatre in Branson. Terry says, “I knew every single person in the audience.” Of course, he knew every single person onstage, as well, entertainers with whom he has worked over the past four decades. Bob Leftridge of the Baldknobbers was the “voice” of the show. Former cast members of “The Toby Show” that gave Terry his first break appeared on the stage: Jae McFerron, Ray Jones, Rick Medlin, and Greg Becker. Also appearing were Berry Wynne and South Wynne, the Braschler Quartet, four singers from the Braschler Show: Merissa Braschler, Susie Sims, Raphel Thompson, Dee Schrock-Dolloff. Barbara Fairchild, Clay Cooper, Toni Roi, Doug Gabriel, Shoji Tabuchi, Dino Kartsonakis, and the “real” Joan Rivers also made guest appearances on the show.

Terry Sanders says he plans to do personal appearances “everywhere” for the rest of his life. Although he is the busiest entertainer on the Branson scene, going from his regular job at Silver Dollar City to his regular job at Big Cedar Lodge, and now his regular job at the Shoji Tabuchi Theatre, he books appearances at special events, anniversaries, birthdays, family reunions, corporate meetings—and even at the Baker Creek Seed Company. His parents finally conceded that he has a “real” job.