The Johnson Strings
—General Experience
The Johnson Strings is a family of 8 who opened up a show in Branson in 2017 at the Majestic located at 2849 Gretna Rd., Branson, MO 65616. Their website is www.thejohnsonstrings.com. The also have an active Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/TheJohnsonStrings/
We were greeted at the door by Paul Johnson, family patriarch, and shown the massive stairway to head up to the theater. (Elevator was available). At the top of the stairs (to the right), we were greeted by Abigail Johnson, who sold us our tickets and pointed to the entry doors.
Upon entering the small lobby with ample refreshments (made by another Johnson family member, Karen), the player piano was filling the room with soft music. We were then greeted by Laura Johnson and shown to our seats. Silent videos were being played on the screen as we entered the quaint theater. I didn’t count the seats, but I would guess the tiered seating auditorium sat not many more than 100 people.
The seats were comfortable, the temperature was pleasant, and every one of our seats had a great view of the stage.
The show was a mix of classics, patriotic, originals, gospel, and sacred music. At the show we attended, Seth Johnson was absent while he was attending school out of state.
We attended this show with five of our immediate family (40, 39, 13, 10, 6) and 2 grandparents (both late 60’s).
Though the show was a solid 2 hours (with a 15 minute intermission), it held the attention of all of our children. We saw this show last year too and even then, it held Toby’s attention (3 at the time) until about 20 minutes before the end. At which time, Toby (3) came over and sat on my lap to finish out the show, but never complaining.
“Not for a second did I wish I wasn’t there!” -Mark
—Things to Know
| Time Required: | The show was almost exactly 2 hours with a 15 minute intermission. Due to the size of the theater, there is no need to get there very early. You may need to arrive a few minutes early to get your tickets as the ticket setup is completely manual and a with a larger crowd, it might take a few extra minutes. |
| What to Bring: | Jaime ALWAYS brings a long sleeved pull-over to any indoor event in the summer, though I don’t know that she needed it. |
| Other Good things to know: | Though the theater is small, the bathrooms seem to be a long ways away (on the same floor). |
| Discounts Available: | Check out their Facebook page as sometimes they offer specials/discounts. Their website currently has a coupon on it too. |
—Cost
| Ticket Costs: | According to their website on the date of this posting, the prices are as follows: Adult (18+) $39.00 Student (12-17) $19.00 Child (4-11) $15.00 |
| Discounts Available: | They were offering a Facebook deal during the time we were there. Their website currently has a deal for online ticket purchases (10% off), and I have noticed in scrolling through their Facebook page that this is not the first time they have offered some form of a coupon. |
| Value for the Money: | Last year when we went to their show, I kept thinking to myself that I wished that they had a Family Deal. THEY DO THIS YEAR!!! They also offer Season Passes because apparently they have a pretty big return-customer following.
They are talented! You don’t come to this show for the flashy lights, the elaborate sets, or the lavish costumes… you come to this show for the shear love of music and QUALITY MUSICIANSHIP! |
—Reviews
Andy's Take (13 Years Old)
ANDY’S TAKE FROM 2017 SHOW…
Things I didn’t like: I can’t think of anything.
Things I did like: I like that it wasn’t just slow music. There was happy music as well. I like how they took different songs and made new arrangements of them. I enjoyed watching the lights dance during the show. The videos were interesting too. We studied orchestra in school and it was great to see them in performance.
Would I recommend this for kids my age?: Yes! It was exhilarating. Even though it was something that adults might like more, I think kids my age would like it too.
ANDY’S TAKE FROM 2018 SHOW…
Things I didn’t like: I can’t think of anything… except I wish there was a Gluten Free Option with the yummy looking cookies.
Things I did like: I liked the song selection. I also like their “tricks” they do with their instruments.
Would I recommend this for kids my age?: It depends on the interest levels of the kids. If they are interested in music, then “yes”… “so pretty much ‘yes'”.
Samuel's Take (6 years old)
SAMUEL’S 2017 REVIEW
Liked: “The 2 first songs.” “I would say that some of the songs weren’t my style, but plenty of them were.”
Didn’t Like: “It was so long.”
Would you recommend to people your own age: “Yes”
SAMUEL’S 2018 REVIEW
Liked: Yankee Doodle Song
Didn’t Like: Nothing
Would you recommend to people your own age: “Yes”
Toby's Take (4 years old)
TOBY’S 2017 REVIEW:
Liked: “The war songs” (Dad’s note: Maybe talking about the Stars and Stripes song?)
Didn’t Like: “So long”
Would you recommend to people your own age: “um, yes”
TOBY DID NOT ATTEND THIS WITH US IN 2018 SO FAR.
Sophie's Take (10 years old)
SOPHIE’S 2017 REVIEW
Things I didn’t like: There were not many things I didn’t like but I was cold near the end of the show.
Things I did like: I like that the kids ran the show and you didn’t have to wait to see them until the end of the show. They took your tickets, greeted you at the door and took you to your seats. I also liked that there was a variety of stringed instruments and that some of them changed instruments for the songs they did.
Would I recommend this for kids my age?: Yes! It was exciting to hear all the instruments.
SOPHIE’S 2018 REVIEW
Things I didn’t like: Nothing
Things I did like: Plink, Plank, Plunk
Would I recommend this for kids my age?: Yes, I cannot wait until some of my friends come to visit and I can take them.
Jaime's Take (the Mom)
JAIME’S 2018 REVIEW
THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE: nothing
THINGS I DID LIKE: In general, the musicianship, the talent and composition of the pieces is quality! The talent is rich.
I also enjoyed attending this show without Toby! We struggle with him at shows at his pre-school age. He is typically ready for bed by intermission! 🙂
JAIME’S 2017 REVIEW
THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE: With younger kids in tow, the show felt a little long. The last twenty minutes or so I spent encouraging my two youngest to hang in there.
THINGS I DID LIKE: The show was a fantastic example of musical craftsmanship. From the moment we walked into the theatre until the time we walked out, we could see the hearts and talents of the musicians in every aspect of the entire experience. I enjoyed the variety of music that was performed. The music evoked emotions that caused my son, Samuel, to comment about what he thought that the music was depicting such as a battle or a carnival.
As a mom, I appreciate that even before the show began, my son Andy was looking at the player piano in the lobby when Silas Johnson came over and began to explain how it worked to him. This did a mama’s heart good! Then Andy began to proceed to explain it all back to us!
I would recommend this show for families of any size.
Mark's Take (the Dad)
First let me caveat here, after I saw this show in 2017, there were some production issues that I had the training and abilities to help. I offered my services to them and over the off-season I was able to help them with their sound system. I tell you this, for no other reason then to let you know that since seeing this show in 2017, I have befriended this amazing family and it has been fun to watch them grow, develop, and polish their stage show here in Branson!
I love this show. I love this family. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT TO ANYONE! IT IS A MUST-SEE SHOW!
Grandparents' Take
In 2017, We were glad to have Jaime’s parents join us on this outing! We asked them to give us a GRANDPARENTS’ take on the evening.
THE FACILITY: The distance from the parking lot to the theater is a bit of a distance. There is an elevator to go up to the theater. There are also stairs to get from the lobby to the theater seating, but those can be avoided if necessary. Just let the box office know you cannot traverse stairs well.
GRANDKID FRIENDLY: Our grandkids did fine during the show.
OTHER THOUGHTS: For someone who likes the classical stings, this show would obviously be a great choice. For those who don’t want to listen to 2 hours of that, there was a nice mix of popular string music as well. -Grandpa Jim
—The Final Verdict
| JOHNSON FAMILY STRINGS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Rating | Notes | |
| OVERALL |  (5 / 5) | Besides minor whining from the littles, we heard little complaints |
| Family Friendly | (5 / 5) | Nothing objectionable seen or heard. |
| Facility | (5 / 5) | Loved the quaint theater. Their part of the property is great! Though not the fault of the Johnson Strings, the upkeep on the rest of the property is not great. |
| Staff | (5 / 5) | Consisted of the stage performers. |
| Food | (5 / 5) | Papa ate one of Karen's cookies and loved it! The kids enjoyed some ice cream. |
| Price | (5 / 5) | Got a great deal! |
