Hamner Barber Variety Show - Branson MO Illusionist Ventriloquist Puppet Variety Show

The Hamner Barber Variety show has been a fixture on the Branson entertainment scene for many years. In 2009 the production will celebrate its 14th year of operation. Consistently funny and aimed at the family crowd, the show draws thousands each week.

The Hamner Barber show is held is the former Braschler Theater, now known as the Hamner Barber Theater. The location has been renamed several times over the years to match the current performing act. This most recent iteration was built from a Victorian home. Construction overruns meant that on opening night in 1995 the stage was painted only hours before the first patron arrived. Nevertheless, the productions have been a consistent success allowing the theater to recover from its haphazard beginnings.

The current show has two distinct elements. The first is illusion. Dave Hamner is a world renowned illusionist. His act uses live animals, fiber optics, and traditional techniques to provide first class illusions and entertainments for guests. His work with exotic birds has been a long standing feature of the performance.

The second element is puppetry. Jim Barber is a ventriloquist who has been featured on the David Letterman show and in several other venues around Branson. His portion of the show, Seville and Jim Barber, features a variety of puppets including the non-traditional variety. One of the puppets appears to be holding and manipulating him in a reversal of the traditional roles.

The show strives to be funny yet tasteful. Mindful of their family audience, while some jokes may be crude a filter is in force to keep them from straying to the obscene. Additionally, Dave Hamner is an ordained minister, so nothing in the theater's act will leave a family wishing they had left their children at home.

Performances run in the evenings from mid-February to mid-December. The theater seats about 650 patrons. During the high season in the summer it is advisable to book seats well in advance to guarantee availability.