Long Branch Variety Show facts for kids
The Long Branch Variety Show is a fun Wild West show. It takes place in the Long Branch Saloon. This saloon is part of the Boot Hill Museum in Dodge City, Kansas. The museum is a non-profit place for entertainment and history.
The outside of the Long Branch Saloon was built in 1958. It looks like the original saloon, which burned down in 1885. The inside is like the saloon from the old TV show Gunsmoke. It has an old bar from 1881. Two golden eagle statues on the bar once belonged to Chalkley Beeson.
The show features actors playing famous characters. These include Miss Kitty, known as the "Queen of Dodge City." Chalkley Beeson, the saloon owner, is also a character. The show started in 1958 for a short time. It was so popular that it kept going. Now, it runs seven nights a week in the summer. This makes it one of the longest-running seasonal shows in the country!
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How the Show Started
The idea for the show came from Rosemary and Lewis Mock. Dr. Mock was an eye doctor in Dodge City. His wife, Rosemary, was a well-known local entertainer. They were perfect to create the show.
In 1958, the first six buildings of Front Street in Dodge City were rebuilt. They were built at the base of Boot Hill. This was a place where early Dodge City residents were buried. The new Long Branch Saloon was one of these buildings. The original Long Branch was famous for entertainment. An early owner, Chalkley Beeson, even started the Dodge City Cowboy Band. So, it made sense for the new saloon to have a show. The Mocks asked the museum director about performing. They were given permission to develop the first show.
The Gunsmoke TV Show Connection
The TV show Gunsmoke first aired in 1955. It made Dodge City very famous. Many travelers wanted to visit this place. They hoped to see Miss Kitty and Marshal Matt Dillon at the Long Branch Saloon.
The very first Long Branch Variety Show did not have Miss Kitty. Instead, Mrs. Mock played Dora Hand. Dora was an entertainer in early Dodge City saloons. But as more people visited Boot Hill, they kept asking, "Where is Kitty?" Visitors expected to see Miss Kitty. So, Dora Hand was replaced with Miss Kitty in the show.
Some of the original Gunsmoke cast members visited Dodge City. They even had a special event to rename a street "Gunsmoke Avenue." James Arness (who played Matt Dillon), Amanda Blake (Kitty), Milburn Stone (Doc Adams), and Ken Curtis (Festus) all visited Dodge City and its Long Branch Saloon.
History of the Show
For the first nine years, Mrs. Mock played Miss Kitty. Dr. Mock played the piano. Because he was a doctor, people called him "Doc." Mrs. Mock wrote many of the early songs. These included "She Runs an Elegant Place" and "Best Saloon in the West."
The early shows also had a quick-draw contest. There were dramatic readings and dance numbers. Local young women joined the dance group. They performed a special number and the Can-can at each show. Mrs. Mock also wrote the first theme song, "Down at the Long Branch Saloon." This song was used for nine years. It was then lost for a while. In the early 2000s, the song returned. It is now the final song of the show.
At the end of the 1966 season, Rosemary and Lewis Mock retired. They had performed seven nights a week for nine summers. They were ready for a break. In 1967, a new cast took over. Nellis Reinert, a housewife from Dodge City, was chosen to play Miss Kitty. She was called the "Queen of Dodge City." The cast changed, but the show's basic style stayed the same. A new theme song, "The Long Branch Saloon in Dodge City," was introduced. It was used until 1983. This song also disappeared for a few years. But it was used in Christmas shows in the late 1980s. The original version came back in 2010 as the show's opening song.
In 1975, Mrs. Reinert retired. Connie Hudnett took over as the Queen of Dodge City. Mrs. Hudnett was from Deerfield, Kansas. She was a homemaker but had a theater background. She started in 1976. Mrs. Reinert continued to help part-time. During Mrs. Hudnett's time, the show grew. It was still very popular because of the Gunsmoke TV show. Boot Hill Museum also added more entertainment. A daytime version of the Long Branch Variety Show was added. This was a shorter version of the evening show. It was performed several times a day. The daytime show stopped after only a year or two. Mrs. Hudnett played Miss Kitty until 1985. Roberta Scott from Hutchinson, Kansas then took over. Mischel Raney Miller followed Ms. Scott in 1988. She played the role until 1993.
For the next 15 years, the show continued with some changes. But the main format stayed the same. The role of Chalkley Beeson became bigger. Miss Kitty even took on more variety acts. In recent years, Miss Kitty's role returned to its original importance. The current show is very much like the early shows with Rosemary Mock. In 2017, the show opened for its 60th season.
Acts and Performances
Over the years, many local actors from Dodge City have created acts for the Long Branch Variety Show. Local men and women perform a gunfight in front of the saloon every night. This happens before the Long Branch Variety Show. The gunfight has become just as popular as the show itself. The gunfight group tries to wear real period costumes. They also have a safety team. This team makes sure everyone is safe, both the performers and the audience. All performers must be trained in handling firearms and stunt fighting.
Show Theme Songs
Rosemary Mock created the first show theme song. It was called "Down at the Long Branch Saloon." You could buy the sheet music as a souvenir. It had a photo of Mrs. Mock as Dodge City Kitty on the front. The song was used until 1966. It was brought back after 2000 and is now the show's finale. Mrs. Mock still owns the copyright for this song.
A new theme song, "The Long Branch Saloon in Dodge City," started in 1967. It was written by JoAnn Bock, Bruce Dillman, and George Henrichs. It was used until 1984 in the summer show. It was also used in some Christmas shows in the late 1980s. It came back in 2010 as the show's opening song. Boot Hill Museum now owns the copyright for this song.
A third theme song, "When You're in Dodge City," was introduced in 1984. Don Steele wrote this song and holds its copyright. It was used from 1984 until 1994.
