Fringe, Rhinestones, Sequins, and Boots: What It Takes to Style a Branson Show

By Annie Sowell

 

As we wander down hallways between dressing rooms at Grand Country Music Hall, I catch glimpses through doorways of sequins and rhinestones adorning jackets, shoes, and nearly any other item of apparel imaginable. With only an hour until showtime, performers and musicians trickle in and begin readying themselves to grace the stage. While they see and sport their onstage attire almost daily, the items that fill their brimming closets hypnotize me, which is no accident.

The talent of Branson’s performers accompanied by the intentional designs of their wardrobes operate to keep an audience member’s eyes glued to the stage. The lights, music, attire, and smiling faces weave together a mesmerizing performance for audiences year-round. The hours of measuring, designing, styling, and dressing for the occasion—not to mention the hours of mending, hemming, and repairing pieces—are numerous. While the attention to detail may not be fully known by an audience member, it is truly the difference between a show and a Branson show.

 

Grand Country Music Hall

With eight live performances and a weekly TV show, Grand Country Music Hall’s costumer, Megan Williams, keeps a busy schedule. She is responsible for the wardrobes for six of those eight, and while her job consists of choosing and styling new pieces, she is also responsible for repair and maintenance of current items. Their team travels to attend wholesale markets each year to source their items, as the clothes they wear onstage are very important to their performances overall. “My opinion has always been that the clothes are the scenery,” shares Grand Country Music Hall Emcee and Producer, Mike Patrick. “You can’t change the scenery on [our] stage, so nobody ever walks onstage twice in the same outfit… because that’s our scenery.” From the sequins and rhinestones that catch the light onstage down to the vibrant neon green—or hot pink, yellow, or aqua—western boots worn by Mike, every detail is meant to complement the talent of the performer.

Mike walks me through his closet filled with twelve custom suits, ranging from light and vibrant to dark and dazzling. His suits are crafted by the renowned Los Angeles based designer, Jaime Castaneda. Castaneda studied under Nudie Cohn, famously known for the rise of his unique style of rhinestone-studded western wear. His client list was filled with some of the greats in entertainment and included Elvis Presley, Hank Williams, John Lennon, John Wayne, and many more. The legacy of his style is still seen in Hollywood today and also on the stage of Grand Country Music Hall through the skill and artistry of Castaneda.

One special aspect apart from the glitz and glam that Grand Country utilizes is theming. You may notice that one certain character of Grand Jubilee, Jim Dandy, is a man of many talents with one signature color—orange. By dressing him either with elements of orange in every look or from head to toe in orange for some, he must wear orange on the stage. This is a detail that is taken into account when planning new costumes. As Megan and Mike shared, whenever they see anything orange, they buy it.

 

Sight & Sound Theatre

When QUEEN ESTHER hit the stage of Branson’s Sight & Sound Theatre in early 2023, word spread quickly of the magnificent costuming and wardrobe. Adorned in rhinestones, jewels, and sequins truly fit for a queen, this show leaves audiences in awe.

From the start of each Sight & Sound production, the costume design team is involved, conceptualizing the wardrobe to complement the story, themes, and time period. In the case of QUEEN ESTHER, the goal was for the audience to be transported into the Persian Empire, and with the show taking place primarily in the palace, the colors and designs had to be fit for royalty. The costume designers set to work, creating looks with grand silhouettes and “lots of sparkle.” In order to draw attention to the main characters of the story, they gave each one a specific color scheme to help the audience quickly and easily identify them. With 350 costume designs for QUEEN ESTHER, and considering the size of the cast, nearly 950 costumes in total were created for this production. In total, this consists of nearly 3,000 costume pieces.

Every costume used for a Sight & Sound production is unique to that production, and there are many factors to be considered when curating the collection. The costume should be easy to change in and out of within 30 seconds, and the performer needs to be able to move or even dance accordingly. Additionally, some characters ride an animal during the performance, so the clothes need to be durable and conducive to physical activity as needed.

As the bejeweled performers enter the stage, there are moments when the shimmer of their garments is nearly blinding, and in the best and most memorable way. Queen Esther’s costumes specifically capture one’s attention and beautifully accompany her story from start to finish, leaving audiences inspired and fascinated.

 

Presley's Country Jubilee

Over the years, multiple generations of the Presley family have graced the stage and dazzled with their stylish flair. I know that for myself, when I think of classic Branson style, I think of the Presley family. They take their costuming very seriously, and according to Eric Presley, the show wardrobe for each season is a collaborative effort between the generations. They create costumes to please all tastes of their performers but that maintain the standards of showmanship that have been in place for over 56 years.

A large consideration is the music that will be performed while wearing the look: “Is it fun, serious, sad, or upbeat?” The emotion evoked through the music often determines the creative direction. They then consider the character or performer wearing the items to take into account the personal style and taste of the individual.

The final consideration is, “Does it look showy?” From leather and fringe to rhinestones and beading, the pieces selected need to be eye-catching from the stage and carry on the known Presley style well. While the individual costumes worn for featured songs are special, the matching, rhinestone-trimmed suit jackets that all the Presleys’ Country Jubilee entertainers wear are their staple pieces. These iconic jackets are famously known and never fail to amaze audiences with each performance.

 

Silver Dollar City's Saloon Show

I remember as a young girl being absolutely captivated by the Saloon Girls’ dresses: the way the ruffles accentuate every slight motion and catch the stage lighting with each kick and twirl. Blending the new with the old as Silver Dollar City does best, the wardrobe for the Frontier Follies Saloon Show makes use of a variety of fabrics that maintains the traditional style of old-time saloon shows but prioritizes mobility and longevity for the activity involved in the performances.

The iconic saloon girl skirts feature ruffles in flashy, vibrant colors, meant to catch the eye of audience members with each kick and spin. Beverly Almond, Silver Dollar City’s Costuming Supervisor, oversees the curation of the show’s wardrobe, which she researches through vintage photos, past shows, and even western movies. In 2023, she was tasked with adding special details to the show’s costumes to commemorate the 50th celebration of the Frontier Follies Saloon Show. As a commemorative addition to their costuming for this celebration, they added to the costume of each performer, including the band, a trim of gold.

The costumes for this fun and upbeat show must also be fun and upbeat, but they must also include the elements of 1800s performance style and showmanship. The Silver Dollar City costuming team works to make the wardrobes authentic to the time while also exceptionally impressive for all audiences to enjoy today.

As Megan carefully shuffles through her rhinestone collection in her workspace at Grand Country Music Hall, she shares with me about times that she has hand-placed each rhinestone adorning various items throughout the room. Particularly, there were four polka-dotted suit jackets, where she placed a rhinestone on each dot of the jackets; she notes that when the crew saw the way the jackets caught the stage lights, they were all blown away.

Branson’s theatres are home to some of the brightest creativity and talent, and that extends to each carefully placed rhinestone you see. The talent of our performers and artists is to be applauded, and as they take their bow at the end of your next Branson show, I am sure you’ll find yourself newly in awe of the lovingly crafted wardrobes you’ve seen onstage.

 

To see more of Branson's marvelous live shows, click here!