The Hamners Producers - Illusionists / Singer hamner@hamnerbarber.com Dave and Denise Hamner have headlined many major production shows around the world, presenting their award winning and original feats of magic. Venues include not only Las Vegas, Disneyland and Hollywood's famous "Magic Castle" but also Branson where they starred in the productions Branson City All Star Revue and Magic of the Night which earned them multiple "Featured Performance" honors in the Branson All American Entertainment Awards. They have received the prestigious "Magic Masters Award" by their magical piers in Las Vegas as well as twice winning the International Magician Society's "Merlin Award" for "Best Manipulation," and "Entertainers of the Year." Internationally recognized magicians Siegfried and Roy personally honored the Hamners by presenting them with their "Bronze Lion Head Award" for performance excellence. The Hamners are best known for their one of a kind act in which they produce several, beautiful Macaws and Cockatoos that appear amid flying cards, flaming swords, falling coins and jewels. The birds then perform an incredible flight over and around the audience before gracefully returning to the stage. Other original illusions include Stargate, The Lightning Levitation, Vertigo: The Fall of Death, and new in 2007 will be Secrets of the Lost Ark Revealed and a moving, magical tribute to our veterans. The Hamners have performed these effects on many national television shows including NBC's "World's Greatest Magic" and on specials produced for the Trinity Broadcasting Network. Dave Hamner is also an ordained Minister with extensive educational training. He and his wife Denise have held special theater worship services in Branson whenever they appear here locally. The Hamners are excited and feel blessed to once again have the opportunity of preaching the gospel each Sunday morning at 10:00am as part of the Solid Gospel Sunday Service held at The Hamner Barber Theater.

Jim Barber Producer - Comedian / Ventriloquist / Singer barber@hamnerbarber.com Recognized as one of the world's great ventriloquists, Jim Barber has been honored as the "International Ventriloquist of the Year," "Comedy Entertainer of the Year," by the National Association of Campus Activities and Showtime, the Movie Channel named him one of the "Funniest People in America" (Tennessee Representative) for his technical vocal skills and creative approach to the art of ventriloquism. Jim was first introduced to Branson as the featured comedian in Glen Campbell's Goodtime Show. He has since been featured in other successful Branson productions with The Osmonds, Tony Orlando, Kirby VanBurch, Bobby Vinton and the late Eddie Rabbitt. He served as a national co-host for the Jerry Lewis "Stars Across America" Labor Day Telethon, has appeared on every major television network. Most recently, Jim's act was featured on the "Late Show with David Letterman." Jim has performed for hundreds of national corporate events and his participation in USO shows have taken him around the world entertaining our troops. He also is a favorite aboard cruise ships and was recently a featured artist for the maiden Caribbean voyage of one of the world's largest cruise liners, Cunard's Queen Mary 2. Beyond his reputation as an area performer, Jim also combines his creativity with computers as co-owner of Image Works, Inc., a video production, graphic design and publishing company. Jim has extensive training and experience in multimedia and has personally developed projects for Silver Dollar City, Big Cedar Lodge, Glen Campbell, Jimmy Osmond, Yakov Smirnoff, Pierce Arrow, Paul Harris and many other businesses in the Branson area and around the country. Jim's wife Diane has an extensive musical theater background and performs in the show's holiday production, "The Wings of Christmas" during November and December.

meet some more members of our cast...

AJ Heard
Dance Captain, Choreographer, Dancer, Singer

AJ Heard grew up in Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada, where she started taking dance and ice skating lessons at the age of 3. While growing up, her love of dance won out over skating, and at the age of 14 she began training with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. Upon leaving home at 17, she joined a Toronto based professional training program that is now known as the Randolph Dance Theater.

After performing in many trade shows, videos and movies, she was hired by Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines to perform in their onboard shows. This is where she met her now husband, Bucky Heard, who was working as a singer/cruise staff. They continued to perform at sea for 2 years before moving to Branson, Missouri. In Branson, AJ has performed and/or choreographed for a variety of shows including VanBurch & Wellford, Branson City Lights (where she first worked with The Hamners), Cracklin Rose, Jimmy Osmond's American Jukebox, Pam Tillis, Les Brown and many others.

AJ is very happy to have found a home at the Hamner Barber Theater, where she is surrounded by friends of many years. Most recently, after 10 years of marriage, she and Bucky decided to have their first child, a little girl name Cydney Resse. Bucky is currently performing as Jake Blues (Blues Brothers) and John Cougar Mellancamp in the popular Branson production of Legends in Concert. Both AJ and Bucky look forward to many more years of entertaining in Branson.

Ken Brown
Dancer, Singer

Ken Brown is one of Branson's favorite performers and has been featured in many major productions during the past 12 years. Growing up in Little Rock, Arkansas, Ken received most of his dance, vocal and acting training in his home state. He danced with Ballet Arkansas for six years as well as performing at Murry's Dinner Playhouse.

Ken was also a featured dancer aboard Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines' Sovereign of the Seas, Radiance of the Seas and Legend of the Seas. Before joining the Hamner Barber Variety Show, Ken also worked along side The Hamners and Jim Barber in Jimmy Osmond's American Jukebox Show which had a successful run for two seasons in Branson. Affectionately referred to by the cast as "Downtown Kenny Brown," Ken is a multi-talented entertainer and gives 110% to every performance.

April Christine
Dancer, Singer

April was born in Florida, but she and her family moved to Ava, Missouri when she was six. She started dance instruction at the age of three and fell in love with the art form. She began singing almost as soon as she could talk, however, it wasn't until moving to Branson that she and her sister, Stacy, began performing professionally in shows. These shows include: Sunday County Fair, American Kids' Show, Starlite Kids Revue, Dino's Christmas Extravaganza, Ed McMahon and Friends, Raising America, Silver Dollar City, and the Magic Parlor. April was one of the first Missouri members of American Kids, and has had many opportunities to perform in Branson from this great organization founded by Dr. Dale Smith.

Besides performing in the Hamner Barber Variety Show, April also appears in two other Branson shows... Dalena Ditto and Music Makes the World Go Round. If that wasn't enough to fill her schedule, she also attends college part time with plans of becoming an acupuncturist and teaches hip-hop at Dance Branson studio.

Though she is only 17 years old, April's talent, stage presence and professionalism far exceeds many professional dancers in Branson and we are pleased to have her as an important member of our cast.

Paul Linden
Technical Director

Paul has been active in consulting and design with holography, laser systems, video projection systems and theater lighting and automation since 1973, when he constructed the first holographic studio for the University of Kansas. His distinction started in 1968 when he won the Hawkeye, Iowa Science Fair at the age of 15 and was a finalist at the 19th International Science Fair. Paul graduated as the Outstanding Senior in Design (Independent Major) at the University of Kansas in 1975.

He has devoted his career to creating and applying technical innovations to the field of entertainment. This has included innovations in video presentation formats as well as early development of automated projection systems for 70mm film. He pioneered laser video projection systems and is inventor of 2 patents for laser video projection. His early innovations spurred the further development of video projection techniques that are now common in current theatrical stage productions.

Paul's career achievements resulted in being distinguished by being listed in the 1998-1999 Marquis' Who's Who in the Midwest and the 2000 Marquis' Who's Who in America. His technical skills have been demonstrated in international shows for everyone from Heads of State to Heads of Fortune 500 companies and International Art Exhibits. His work has entertained audiences as small as 40 and as large as 1.5 Million people!

Paul Linden's expertise and creative touch really adds to the magic of the Hamner Barber Variety Show and we are honored to have him as our Technical Director.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Copyright (c) 2006 Hamner Barber, LLC
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