One day last week my mom asked if I wanted to take the kiddos to watch the Hughes Brothers Show…By myself… At first I thought, that would be fun! But then seconds later, reality sank in… Three kids by myself at a show!!! Am I crazy? BUT I must have been feeling particularly “SuperMom-ish”. So I decided to commit! We would be there. We stopped by Dollar Tree on the way and I picked up candy, water bottles, and more candy. I knew if I wanted to get out alive, I was going to have to set my kids up for success. So candy, water bottles and more candy should do the trick!
We arrived to the theatre, picked up our tickets, went to the restroom, and went to sit down in the auditorium. And I was so thankful we were seated on an aisle! But there were people seated behind us.. I was so nervous we would annoy them, but they had a young guy with them too, so I figured they would show us some grace… and they did. They didn’t seem to notice my kids!
So here we go. My first time at a show with our kids by myself . I didn’t know what to expect but I had already committed, I couldn’t back out now ๐
* Disclaimer: My mom was there with us but she was technically “working” so I didn’t want to ask her for help with the kids, although in my kids eyes she is the bee’s knee’s so they couldn’t stay off her lap or leave her alone.
The show started promptly at 2pm. And from the downbeat it was a constant GO, GO, GO!!! I mean this show must have had 40 or more people in it! It was the four Hughes Brothers, their wives and ALL OF THEIR KIDS! One brother had 15 kids! The rest all had 5 or more, so all in all, it was a HUGE cast! They all sing and dance, and are trained to do so. I was blown away. This show moved so fast that it didn’t really give my kids the opportunity to get bored or restless. My two boys who are 4 & 6 were really tuned into the show the whole time. They didn’t ask one time if we could leave, and that is really saying something. Now, my daughter who is 22 months old, sat still for the first thirty minutes on her Mimi’s lap. Then she got restless and I had to break out my bribery candy. And that seemed to do the trick. She didn’t really tune back into the show but had fun playing on the ground in our aisle, eating the candy, and running back and forth between her Mimi and I. BUT in my experience, this is not out of character for a toddler at a Branson show. I mean toddlers aren’t really any shows target demographic.
When it was time for intermission (about 1/2 way through the show), I took the kids out to the lobby. Our daughter stayed inside and played with the toys in the lobby with her Mimi. I took the boys outside to the hotel next door and literally had them run for about 5 minutes to get some energy out. We all used the restroom…again. Then before the second half started, I bought some popcorn! This was a LIFESAVER! And first let me say, that it was GOOD popcorn! So I asked for three foam cups at the concession stand and they generously gave them to me free of charge. I gave all the kids their own popcorn cup and some more candy, and when the show started they were all set up, ready to go. The popcorn was a big hit with the kids!
The second half is much like the first, fast moving, full cast, great lights, great sound, great production! Some of the younger kids were featured in the second half so I think that made it a bit more interesting for my two boys. There are also some big production numbers in the second half, which helped get through the second half slum that some shows have. Now, when my daughters popcorn was gone, she started to get a little restless again and ended up crying, like meltdown crying. So while the boys stayed in the auditorium with my mom, I quickly took my baby girl out to the lobby to chill out. A minute later she calmed down and we went back into the theatre, and she was good for the rest of the show. Before we knew it, two hours had flown by and I can honestly say we all really enjoyed it. I wouldn’t hesitate to go back to this show! I would probably even do it again by myself ๐
Also, I felt pretty relaxed at this show. I felt comfortable to bring my kids, who I knew might be loud and distracting at times. Maybe it’s because the Hughes family has so many kids of their own, I thought that if anyone understood what I was going through it would be them. Somehow that thought gave me comfort when I felt like my kids were distracting during the show.
Overall, we really enjoyed this show and it was a great experience. My boys really enjoyed it from beginning to end and my daughter enjoyed eating and snacking through the last hour of the show. It moves quick and there is NOT a lot of quiet down time during the show for them to be distracting. I would recommend this show for your family!
*This is based on my personal experience, while I can’t guarantee you will have the same experience I sure do hope you will take a chance and go see this show.
The Branson Mom Tips:
-Always request an aisle seat with kids!
-When the show starts if your kids are distracting, ask an usher if you can move back a few rows from the main crowd. This separation gives your kids a little room to move and they aren’t as distracting as they may be when they are surrounded by other patrons.
-For the preciousness of others, purchase or bring snacks! But, be sure to clean up your mess after the show!
-Ask before the show if their is a cry room. Some theatres offer a “cry room” for parents to take their fussy babies to, so they can still see the show while their babies cry it out.
-Be sure to have kids use the restroom before the show and at intermission
-At intermission if your able, take the kids outside to walk around and get some of that energy out, as it is all they can do to stay still for two hours!
-***Have fun! Branson is truly a family friendly place, and most people understand or remember what it was like to feel the anxiety of taking their kids to movies or shows. They get it and most people are so happy to help you feel more at ease.
Have questions? Feel free to ask in the comments below.
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