Birthday trip, Haygoods review

Going into Friday's matinee, I knew that The Haygoods would have some pretty big shoes to fill. The show we saw in March was pretty darn close to perfect. And then Michael (i.e. "The-Haygood-who-sings-like-an-angel") did something horrific to his Achilles Tendon. He was a huge part of the show, and I knew they had refigured a lot of it to make it work, and keep Michael in the show. So I knew this wouldn't be the same show we'd seen in March. I was a bit worried.

It was a great show. The Haygoods did a fantastic job of reworking the show so that everything flows well, and keeping the energy level high.

The show starts off really strong with a bit of acapella (my favorite) and then a whole street scene. A new song was Dominic singing Michael Buble's "Feeling Good." And dang, he can sing it.

Aaron, the youngest of the Haygoods at only 14, is really coming into his own. We've only been seeing the show for a year, but the growth I've seen in him really impresses me. I love that from show to show, I can tell the Haygoods are working on the show and improving what they've got. I really saw it in Aaron this show. I loved that he sang harmony for Michael -- what a great combination of voices. He sings two solo songs, too, and it's easy to see that it won't be long and he'll be up there with his brothers.

Then there's Catherine, who is 16 and the only girl in the family. When she walks on stage, I'm reminded of Grace Kelly. Very poised and classic. She sang "Walkin on Sunshine" and it was the funnest, most honest version I saw this weekend. Later in the show, she plays the harp beautifully and joins her brothers on the violin. A very talented girl.

My favorite parts of the show are still the country segment and the tap dancing. I love the start of the second half when the older brothers come out and sing a bit of "Song of the South" then lead into Shawn singing lead on "If You're Going Through Hell." Actually, my favorite part of that song is when Dominic gets going on his fiddle. I do love a good fiddle. A new addition to the show here was "Fishin' In the Dark" which is such a great country song and they do it so well. Straw hat and all.

One of the things I really love about The Haygoods show is that the second half is just as energetic and fun as the first half. I just don't find that much in Branson shows, where it often feels as if the intermission is simply an excuse to sell the products of the performers. And while the Haygoods do have items for sale during intermission, they come back with such energy and excitement that I've never felt like they're using intermission as a big commercial.

The tap dancing segment is near the end of the show, and how the older brothers manage to save enough energy to make it through the dance is amazing. I love the energy that Tim, who choreographed the routine, puts into it. Tim had his 30th birthday not long ago, but he's not slowing down a bit. I took this photo while he was dancing and think it just captures his joy in dancing so well. You can tell it's where his heart is.

The show ends with a very modern version of Canon in D. It starts out very classical, and quickly turns into nothing short of a full out rock song. (If you'd like to see and hear for yourself, the Haygoods have a video up on You Tube.)

I'm never disappointed when I see The Haygoods. Every show brings a laugh, and a sense of really having watched something fun. I chose to go to one of their Friday matinee shows because I wanted to see if the experience would be different from an evening show. In particular, I wanted to test the theory that there would be fewer screaming girls at the matinee. I know that there are some older Haygoods fans who are slightly irritated by the number of screaming girls, and I can now definitely say that if you'd like a more relaxed, less scream filled show, you should try to make the Friday show. I always find the audience to be an interesting mix of older folks, families and young girls, but I'll admit that I didn't hear as much screaming at this trip. I think the show really worked as a matinee, while my husband much prefers seeing it in the evening and is looking forward to seeing it at 8 pm on our Thanksgiving trip. You just can't please everyone, can you? I think the Haygoods schedule this year -- 8 pm shows Tuesday through Thursday as well as Saturday and Sunday, with a 3 pm matinee on Fridays -- offers a nice choice for the Branson visitor. If you want a more laid back experience, see the matinee. The energy is different, but definitely still there.

I think you just can't go wrong seeing the Haygoods. If you're visiting Branson soon, I hope you put it on your list. And if you see it, drop me a line and tell me how you liked it. I love to hear from those who read my reviews!

Comments

[Yvette]

Hey Just straight from kay's community and wanted to say hi! I like your head banner...cool! So here I am and aloha hugs to you!

[Annette07]

Kim,

Awesome review and absolutely on target. I have only seen one concert but feel like I have been a part of this longer. Seeing the videos, pics reading the MB and reviews just makes me want to go even more. LOL