A special invitation for our friends who perform magic!

Hamner Barber Theater

Sunday, September 12, 2010

5:30pm (immediately following the Hamner Barber Show)

$15.00 per person at the door (Lecture Only)

Special Offer: SAVE $5.00 on the Lecture with your Hamner Barber Ticket Stub! (same day show)

Are You Ready To Be Amazed?

Join us for a special afternoon of incredible magical illusions of the Hamners, the hilarious comedy ventriloquism of Jim Barber, and top it all off with the fantastic Jay Scott Berry in a rare Branson appearance.

Jay Scott Berry is counted among the world’s finest performers and creators of magic.  For over 20 years his lectures and performances have received rave reviews and standing ovations around the globe.  As such, Jay is one of the pioneers and architects of the current state-of-the-art.  It is often said that his presentations are “as close to real magic as you will ever see.”

The Hamner Barber Theater is proud to host Jay Scott Berry and his new lecture, “The Delicate Sound of Wonder”.  In this lecture, Jay will explore and redefine the boundaries of the Art of Magic and Illusion.

“You’ve got to see this guy, he’s a great magician!” - Donald Trump

“Impeccable magic, absolutely wondrous!” - Channing Pollack

“In my entire career, I have never seen anything as convincing.  It was real magic, delivered with precision timing and consumate skill.” - Mark Wilson

“Jay stands alongside the all-time greats; in the same league as Slydini.” – Ed Rosenthall

“Over the past 70 years, I have seen almost every great magician in the world.  I would rank Jay as one of the top 3.” – Heinz Philipp, Friend and mentor of Siegfried and Roy

Don’t miss this amazing evening of magical fun in Branson!

Experience the incredible illusions of the Hamners, the hilarious comedy ventriloquism of Jim Barber, and top it all off with a fantastic private lecture with Jay Scott Berry in this rare area appearance.

To purchase tickets for the Hamner Barber Variety Show and save $5.00 on Jay’s lecture, call our Box Office at 417-334-4363.  Branson area resident rates available. Call early for best seats!!

COME SUPPORT MAGIC IN BRANSON… AND LEARN FROM ONE OF THE GREAT MASTERS OF THE ART!

Weblinks: HamnerBarber.com, JayScottBerry.com

The Hamners Magical Birds with Jim Barber & Chico Pete

From the moment the curtain opens on the Hamner Barber Variety Show, the audience is transported to a magical world where beautiful tropical birds appear seemingly out of nowhere, flying over the heads of the astonished audience.

With all the action, one would think an umbrella would be in order, but fortunately that isn’t the case.  Famed Illusionists The Hamners have worked diligently with their friendly flock of magical birds to ensure that an accidental blessing from above doesn’t befall an audience member.

Master Ventriloquist Jim Barber’s canine sidekick Chico Pete is another story all-together.  While he’s fairly confined to Jim himself, Chico often let’s loose with hilarious songs and frisky humor that may leave the audience rolling in the aisles.

That’s just the tip of the iceberg of incredible family entertainment awaiting you at the Hamner Barber Variety Show.  There are amazing original illusions galore that you won’t find in any other magic show in the World.  Jim Barber’s unique puppet characters and multi-octave singing voice will even have the audience becoming part of this fun Branson show.

Individually, The Hamners and Jim Barber have headlined their acts in such mecca’s of entertainment as Las Vegas, Laughlin, Reno, Atlantic City, Atlantis Resort, and even Hollywood’s Famed Magic Castle to name a few.  Together, they combine two amazing variety acts into one incredible show that can only be seen at the Hamner Barber Theater in Branson, Missouri.

By the way, the theater gift shop carries a wide array of magic tricks, photos, dvd videos, quality jewelry, and just in case… umbrellas too!

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

Hamner Barber Variety Show February – December 2010

2010 BOX OFFICE RATES Adult (18+) $ 29.50 Teen (13-17) $ 16.50 Child (4-12) $ 8.50 Infant (0-3) FREE 11.6% sales tax additional

Before the screaming jet engines and the plumes of dense smoke, there was a modestly quaint and colorful performance happening nightly over the heads of astonished Branson theater goers.  The act was called the “Pirate Parrot Act” and was developed over many years of intense training, love and dedication by professional illusionists Dave and Denise Hamner who came to the Ozarks from their ranch home in Southern California where they raised their birds by hand and tended to them kindly as if they were their own children.    In their one-of-a-kind act, a beautiful bevy of exotic, tropical parrots appear from nowhere, flying low enough over the audience as to rustle the hair of anyone in their path.  There are macaws, cockatoos and even white doves creating a seemingly endless array of feathered fun to the delight of those looking up from below.  The giddy laughs of amazement and vocal cheers from the crowd is testament to the sheer magnificence of their original routine.  Branson audiences had never seen anything like this before.

The Hamners were receiving high recognition for their magical effects, long before bringing them to Branson.  In addition to appearances across the country, they’ve performed at major attractions such as Disneyland and Hollywood’s Magic Castle.  After a performance in Las Vegas, entertainment Superstars Siegfried and Roy presented the Hamners with their prestigious Bronze Lion Award for excellence and shortly thereafter, they were asked to perform with their beautiful birds on NBC’s “World’s Greatest Magic” TV special which has been aired around the world numerous times.  Host John Ritter introduced the Hamners as “the most amazing bird act in all of magic.”

When the Hamners were hired to perform at a theater in the Mutton Hollow Theme Park in Branson, Missouri (most recently known as Celebration City), they were so taken by the beauty of the Ozarks, that  they sought out other opportunities to stay in the area.  After an invitation from Jimmy Osmond to join him and his talented brothers at the Osmond Family Theater, The Hamners began to earn a reputation around Branson as one of the most amazing support acts in town.  When their contract at the Osmond Theater expired, Dave and Denise were offered a featured role in a new production show called “Branson City Lights” which then led to an opportunity to finally headline their own “Magic of the Night” spectacular at the Remington Theatre.  A couple years later, they once again teamed up with Jimmy Osmond to perform in the “American Jukebox Show” where they shared a dressing room with comedian, ventriloquist Jim Barber who had also been cast in the new show.  Although the Hamners and Jim Barber had been friends for many years prior, this opportunity to appear in the same show brought them much closer together.

After a successful two-season run, the plug was pulled on the American Jukebox Show creating an opportunity for the performers to move on to new ventures.  Jimmy Osmond traveled to England to produce and star in various projects, and in the Spring  of 2004, Jim Barber and The Hamners were offered an opportunity to co-star in their very own “Hamner Barber Variety Show” at another venue that they now own together, the Hamner Barber Theater on Shepherd of the Hills Expressway.  In 2010, the award-winning variety show will celebrate it’s seventh-season as Branson’s most unique family show featuring magic, comedy, music and dance.

In addition to their magical feathered friends, the Hamners have also invented and developed many never-before-seen stage illusions that can only be experienced at their Branson show.  In the world of illusion, The Hamners are true originals in every sense of the word.  As long as they continue to step out onto the stage of the Hamner Barber Theater, there will be magic in the air above Branson!

The Hamners are being honored with their second Merlin Award as“Entertainers of the Year.” In 1999 they received the coveted award for “Best Manipulation.”

Making this year’s presentation even more special, Jim Barber is receiving his Merlin Award for “Ventriloquist of the Year,” being the first entertainer ever to receive this award for ventriloquism in the society’s 38 year history.

The International Magicians Society (IMS) is the world’s largest magic society as recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records. The IMS began in 1968 and now has over 37,000 members worldwide. It was created to help promote and preserve the art of magic and provide a format where magicians (and magic hobbyists) could share their secrets and ideas.

In the profession of magic, the Merlin statuette is the equivalent of the Oscar for film, the Emmy for television, and the Tony for theater. It is presented only to those entertainers who have achieved the highest level in their craft. The voting members begin with approximately one hundred names and narrow the list down to a select few. The criteria considered for a winner include talent, showmanship, originality, skills, and above all, the rare ability to entertain under any conditions.

The Merlin Award statuette was commissioned to over 100 art students from various colleges across the country. The winning design was carved and created in 1968 by New York University art student Carol Michaud.

Some of the more famous winners of the Merlin Award for excellence in magic include: Harry Blackstone, Doug Henning, Siegfried & Roy and David Copperfield.

Related websites:

Hamner Barber Theater
www.HamnerBarber.com

International Magicians Society
www.magicims.com