Photos and Videos of Bobby Vinton ~ Blue Velvet Theatre ~ Branson, Missouri

The Polish Prince

While in Branson, Missouri my mother and I had to choose from a wonderful assortment of performers and theatre choices. Bobby Vinton's Blue Velvet Theatre beckoned to us because of the lovely and memorable songs we remembered being sung and made famous by Bobby Vinton.

The Glenn Miller Orchestra was also a lure. While the original musicians may have changed in that orchestra (some of the older members being replaced with younger ones), they still play those wonderful old tunes that I grew up hearing in our home. They accompany Bobby on stage in his Blue Velvet Theatre.

(c) Peggy Woods - All Rights Reserved

As many performers have done, Bobby Vinton and others have had their own theatres built in the scenic Branson, Missouri area and thus have to do far less traveling. The public now comes to see and hear them in that locale instead of the heavy travel schedules most of the performers used to have to maintain.

Quality of life for their families has definitely improved.

Bobby Vinton was the son of a band leader in Pittsburgh and followed in his father's footsteps. He had his own band at a young age. Graduating from Duquesne University with a musical composition degree he learned how to play multiple instruments including the piano, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, drums and oboe.

Bobby Vinton's hit song "Roses Are Red" hit the top of the charts and many others joined that list from 1962 to 1972 awarding him with more # 1 hits than any other male singer of that era . He had dozens of gold records and his smooth recognizable voice was just as good when we heard him sing many of those top hit songs in his theatre in 1995 as it had been on earlier recordings.

He has performed on television as well as in movies. Bobby Vinton's autobiography titled The Polish Prince was an instant hit. He has been awarded a bronze star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

His theatre is of a European design and has embellishments such as murals painted on the ceilings. Of course one sees blue accents everywhere from the blue on the outside of the theatre building to the plush blue of the 1600 seats facing the stage.

Bobby Vinton's entire family is musically inclined and perform with him on stage. His son composes music and sings with him. His beautiful daughters are in many of the singing acts with Bobby and his mother not only accompanies his singing but can belt out a powerful solo of her own.

The action on stage was non-stop.

Costume changes were frequent.

Acts and skits were continually presented to the enraptured audience.

Bobby played a number of the many musical instruments with which he is proficient.

Some of what we saw that afternoon included a ballroom dancing act; a Phantom of the Opera piece; a cute "Chattanooga Choo-Choo" act with a large colorful train prop on stage; Mrs. Noah and the Ark act with loads of stuffed animals (filled with people) and many other action packed scenarios.

It was non-stop singing, dancing and entertainment. The songs, of course, were wonderful.

Towards the end of the performance, Bobby Vinton walked down the aisle into the audience and shook hands with people as he was still singing. I was one who got to shake hands with him.

It was a fun couple of hours!

We started that particular day at Yakov Smirnoff's Grand Palace and laughed until our sides literally hurt.

We left Bobby Vinton's Blue Velvet Theatre with his songs swirling around in our heads. Many of the people in the audience as they were leaving were heard to be humming some of these songs. Hard not to do! It was fun gathering the photos and memories together for this hub. I'm humming "Blue Velvet" in my head right now.

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If you like good old fashioned songs and get a chance to visit Bobby Vinton's Blue Velvet Theatre in Branson, Missouri...by all means do so! These photos and videos are just a small sample of what you might hear and see.