Fee Hedrick Family Entertainment Group

PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. – Get ready to clap your hands, stomp your feet and get your groove on because the “Black Bear Jamboree Dinner and Show” is throwing a big party with the launch of a new musical revue show in celebration of its sixth season in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. The multi-million theatrical extravaganza brings audiences movie music from Hollywood, the hottest tunes from the ’70s Disco era, and new Country music favorites, complete with a finale of inspirational and patriotic numbers.

The show features a large cast of actors, singers, dancers and musicians, collectively making more than 250 costume changes, set against all-new theatrical enhancements, including extraordinary sets, colorful lasers, surround sound, state-of-the-art lighting, and black light special effects. Six animatronic black bears complete the show.

The dinner show experience begins with a three-course meal, accompanied by a Country music pre-show performed by the award-winning Black Bear Jamboree All-Star Band. The Country feast includes creamy vegetable soup, hickory-pit barbeque ribs, southern-style tender roasted chicken, seasoned green beans, farm-fresh seasoned potatoes, fresh buttery corn on the cob, hot golden brown rolls, unlimited beverages and a signature desert. Vegetarian lasagna is also available upon request.

The show follows dinner. The new show’s story line follows a family of black bears watching a team of Hollywood directors make a movie entitled “The Black Bear Jamboree.” In the end, the black bears learn that the movie’s message is about the spirit and culture of the Smoky Mountains region.

Main characters of the new show are Mr. Schlemielberg, a talented Hollywood director (played by Jimmy Bryant), and Dexter, a bumbling assistant director who is aspiring to be a star (played by Stacy Mitchell).

Produced by the Fee/Hedrick Family Entertainment Group, the
Black Bear Jamboree has hosted an estimated 1.5 million patrons since the theater opened in May 2002.

David Fee, co-owner and president of Fee/Hedrick, says the goal of the new show is to give new audiences and repeat patrons a quality entertainment experience unlike any other show in the area. “When you bring come to the Black Bear Jamboree you are guaranteed lots of bears, lots of music, lots of fun and a guaranteed hand-clapping, toe-tapping good time,” Fee says.

A number of Fee/Hedrick employees collectively contributed to the script of the new show, including Stephen Knowles, Bob Hamill, David Hirschi, Alvin Robinette, and Russ Hollingsworth. Under the leadership of general manager Scot Tillery, the new top-rate show has been in the works for the past nine months, beginning with last fall’s cast auditions.

Scot Tillery says the cast for the 2007 season was specially selected with the new show’s performance demands in mind. “For this show we cast performers who were not only good singers and actors, but also were talented in many styles of dance.”

The new show features about a dozen different dance styles – tap, jazz, ballet, disco, adagio pairs dancing, Broadway show-style dancing, square dancing and contemporary Country line dancing, just to name a few.

The show features about fifty songs in five melody segments – Hollywood show tunes, ’70s disco music, new Country favorites, inspirational spirituals, and a patriotic finale. Tillery says of the song selections, “We’ve kept the same musical revue format of the Black Bear Jamboree Show that audiences are accustom to, but we’ve included new styles of music such as movie music and brought a new flare to the show with the disco fever number.

So far, audiences have commented that they like hearing great Country music, but that they get a little extra at our show with other types of music represented,” Tillery says.

The 750-seat Black Bear Jamboree Theater is open year round with dinner shows at 5:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. daily. Adult tickets are $34.95, plus tax. One child, age 11 and under, is free with each paying adult. Additional child tickets are $9.95, plus tax. Tickets are available by calling (865) 908-SHOW (7469). Groups of 20 or more qualify for group rates, available by calling 1-866-492-6972. The Black Bear Jamboree Theater is located at 119 Music Road between traffic lights 0 and 1 on the Parkway in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. For more information about the show, visit www.blackbearjamboree.com.

The “Black Bear Jamboree Dinner and Show” is produced by Fee/Hedrick Family Entertainment Group, which is the second largest privately-owned entertainment company in the Southeastern U.S. The company also owns and operates The Comedy Barn Theater, The Miracle Theater, and Magic Beyond Belief Theater in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. For more information about any of Fee/Hedrick’s shows, visit www.feehedrick.com.

By J.J. Kindred as seen in the Mountain Press

PIGEON FORGE – The Black Bear Jamboree has undergone some major changes with a new musical revue show for its sixth season.

The show features movie tunes from Hollywood, country music favorites, disco dance hits from the ’70s and a finale featuring patriotic and gospel songs.

There is also an enhanced stage, surround sound, new lighting and more than 250 costume changes.

A family of animatronic black bears watching Hollywood directors making a movie called “The Legend of the Black Bear Jamboree” is the show’s new storyline, featuring the main characters of Mr. Schlemielberg, a star Hollywood director (played by Pigeon Forge theater veteran Jimmy Bryant), and Dexter, the nerdy assistant director who aspires to be a star (played by longtime Dollywood performer Stacy Mitchell).

“Dexter is probably me in real life,” Mitchell said with a laugh. “I really snort when I laugh like he does, which is embarrassing. He’s a combination of Jerry Lewis and (Steve) Urkel (from “Family Matters”).”

A Knoxville native and University of Tennessee graduate, Mitchell performed at Dollywood for six years. He auditioned for season four of “American Idol” and made it to the Hollywood round before being eliminated in the third stage.

“That was a great experience,” he said.

He added that being able to sing gospel music during the show fulfilled his dreams. “It was a real blessing,” Mitchell said. “I’ll just continue to go wherever the Lord leads me.”

Bryant, who wrote and directed the Smoky Mountain Opry show at the former Governors Palace Theatre, said they went through six or seven scripts before finally settling on one.

“A lot of different hands were involved in this,” Bryant said. “I was just asked to play the director. It’s over the top and that’s how my role came in. I had no writership in this one.

“There’s a lot more acting involved in this,” he continued. “I’m not much of an actor so I have to pull deeper and let my inhibitions go and commit to it. I feel kind of foolish at times because I’ve never done a lot of acting.”

Bryant said the music variety will give audiences more to appreciate.

“It’s almost like a variety show,” he said. “This is based on the prior show, but we didn’t do ’70s music. I don’t think there’s anyone else in town doing ’70s. We’ve added more gospel to this show – we get a higher demand for it.”

Scot Tillery, the show’s general manager, said the new production has been fun.

“We had less than four months to do our first show,” he said, “but we took our time to make sure everything was okay. The response has been amazing. The other night we had three rounds of applause and a standing ovation after the final song. I think people will continue to enjoy themselves.”

By Michele Karl as seen in the Seymour Herald:

It may be Dollywood Country here in Sevier County but at the Black Bear Jamboree Dinner and Show it’s more like Hollywood. The theater showed off its newest theatrical presentation to media and guests this week with a Hollywood theme and enough music to keep everybody’s feet tapping.

Pigeon Forge has always been known as a great family destination and this show is one that should not be missed by not only tourists but locals as well.

After opening remarks and getting the kids on stage to do a little act of their own, the show begins with a Hollywood scene as the stars of the show, “Jimmy Bryant” as the lead director and “Stacy Mitchell” as his gallant but mainly nerdy assistant set their “film” in motion as Hollywood legends like Marilyn Monroe, sing songs from some of Americas best loved films.

The Black Bear Jamboree gang (six large animatronic black bears) sit on either side of the stage critiquing the show as the director and his assistant do their work.

The music then turns to the hottest tunes from the ’70s Disco era, and new Country music favorites, complete with a finale of inspirational and patriotic numbers.

The talented singers, dancers and musicians are so full of energy that you wonder how they are able to do what they do, show after show, and still making you feel like it is the first time they have performed the show onstage. With 250 costume changes, great looking sets, state-of-the-art lighting, and black light special effects it’s definitely a show full of excitement.
“This is the first time we have changed the show in a while so we are really excited about it,” stated Deborah Fee Newsom Director of Fee/Hedrick Public Relations.

David Fee, co-owner and president of Fee/Hedrick, says the goal of the new show is to give new audiences and repeat patrons a quality entertainment experience unlike any other show in the area. “When you come to the Black Bear Jamboree you are guaranteed lots of bears, lots of music, lots of fun and a guaranteed hand-clapping, toe-tapping good time,” Fee says.

A number of Fee/Hedrick employees collectively contributed to the script of the new show, including Stephen Knowles, Bob Hamill, David Hirschi, Alvin Robinette, and Russ Hollingsworth. Under the leadership of general manager Scot Tillery, the new top-rate show has been in the works for the past nine months beginning with last fall’s cast auditions.

Scot Tillery says the cast for the 2007 season was specially selected with the new show’s performance demands in mind. “For this show we cast performers who were not only good singers and actors, but also were talented in many styles of dance.”

The new show features about a dozen different dance styles – tap, jazz, ballet, disco, adagio pairs dancing, Broadway show-style dancing, square dancing and contemporary Country line dancing, just to name a few.

Tillery says of the song selections, “We’ve kept the same musical revue format of the Black Bear Jamboree Show that audiences are accustom to, but we’ve included new styles of music such as movie music and brought a new flare to the show with the disco fever number. So far, audiences have commented that they like hearing great Country music, but that they get a little extra at our show with other types of music represented.”

Besides the great show you are treated to some of the best fixin’s around with a meal of creamy vegetable soup, hickory-pit barbeque ribs, southern-style tender roasted chicken, seasoned green beans, farm-fresh seasoned potatoes, fresh buttery corn on the cob, hot golden brown rolls, unlimited beverages and desert.

In the end the “film” teaches a message about the spirit and culture of the Smoky Mountains region.

Dinner shows are at 5:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. daily. Adult tickets are $34.95, plus tax. One child, age 11 and under, is free with each paying adult. Additional child tickets are $9.95, plus tax. The “Black Bear Jamboree Dinner and Show” is produced by Fee/Hedrick Family Entertainment Group, which is the second largest privately-owned entertainment company in the Southeastern U.S. The company also owns and operates The Comedy Barn Theater, The Miracle Theater, and Magic Beyond Belief Theater in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. For more information about any of Fee/Hedrick’s shows, visit www.feehedrick.com or call 428-7676, toll-free at 800-908-9018.

PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. – What do a bowling ball, rubber chicken, and ping pong ball have in common? Not much, other than they are all items comedic juggler David J. Hirschi can toss into the air as part of his “Slim Chance” act, appearing at The Comedy Barn during the 2007 season.

Known by his stage name “Slim”, the seven-ball juggler also throws saw blades and incorporates humor into his act by saying his catch phrase “Sissy Dog” using a voice similar to Mr. Haney, who was played by Pat Buttram on the popular sitcom “Green Acres.”

Slim comes to The Comedy Barn from Branson, Mo., where he most recently worked in “The Yakov Smirnoff Show” as a performer, writer, director, and co-producer. David Fee and Jim Hedrick, co-owners of the Fee/Hedrick Family Entertainment Group, saw Slim’s act in the Yakov show during a trip to Branson in August 2006. In addition to co-owner, Hedrick also is vice president of the Fee/Hedrick company. He says they really found a special addition to The Comedy Barn in Slim’s act.

“As a juggler myself, I instantly recognized his talent,” Hedrick says. “His energy and presentation is very likeable, which is one of the most important aspects of a being a great entertainer. The country theme of his act also really fits into the atmosphere of The Comedy Barn.”

Slim says relocating to Pigeon Forge has been a positive move for him. To keep his act fresh and new, Slim works on new tricks all the time. He is introducing a new finale trick that involves standing on top of a 6-foot ladder on one foot, while balancing 10 cigar boxes on his chin, and twirling a garbage can lid in one hand and spinning a Cowboy rope in the other.

When asked what part of his act he most enjoys performing at The Comedy Barn, Slim is quick to point out that it is not so much what he does, but the audience’s participation. “I enjoy figuring out where an audience is emotionally and bringing them into the performance until they are roaring with laughter. After all, that is what comedy is all about — laughing.”

Slim says juggling is a creative profession. “This is an environment where you are allowed to create happiness in people. There is nothing better than people being appreciative because you made their day better,” Slim says.

But the performer has not always been sure about his career path. He first learned to juggle at 15 years old, after which he found himself leading a double life — his normal, everyday life; then his life as an entertainer. Although he spent thousands of hours on the stage as an entertainer, performing always took a back seat to more serious endeavors, such as graduating from college and working in the “real world.”

While a student at Virginia Tech, he established the Virginia Tech Juggling Club and earned a bachelor’s degree in biology. Following graduation, he worked as an education specialist for the National Park Service in Maine and Utah, The National Zoo in Washington, D.C., and Point Reyes Bird Observatory in California. At the same time, he also worked as an actor in theatrical productions, industrial videos, and a television mini-series “The Murder of Mary Phagan,” starring Jack Lemmon. He also honed his juggling skills with appearances at Busch Gardens and Disney World theme parks.

His unique combination of theatrical experience and science education led to six years of writing, directing, and producing large-scale, science shows for The Science Museum of Virginia and The Science Museum of Minnesota. He also received consulting contracts from The Minnesota Zoo and The Science and Technology Museum in Atlanta to develop science-based theatrical productions.

But in 1991, he shifted his career direction when he accepted an invitation to perform his juggling act in Las Vegas, which led to stints at the Excalibur, Maxim, Sands, and Aladdin hotels. Since then, he has worked full-time only as a professional entertainer.

Slim says there once was a time when he questioned the social importance of being a comedic juggler. “As a teacher, we are taught that our purpose is to bring a sense of social value to society. When I started performing professionally, I questioned whether this line of work had much social value,” Slim says. “But one day following a show in Branson, a lady came up to me crying. She told me that her husband had terminal cancer and this was the first time she’d heard him laugh in months. At that moment, I learned we all have our role and place in life, and this was where I needed to be.”

After four years in Las Vegas, he moved to Branson in 1994 where he began performing at The Country Tonite Theatre. For the next four years he developed his new character, “Slim Chance,” which the entertainer describes as “a sophisticated, juggling hillbilly with an off-beat sense of humor.”

His “Slim Chance” act garnered him back-to-back Comedian of the Year titles at the Branson Entertainment Awards in 1995 and 1996. Also in 1996, he received the Country Comedian of the Year Award from the American News Journal in Houston, Texas.

In 1998, David joined Russian comedian Yakov Smirnoff at his theater in Branson. The duo created “The Yakov Smirnoff Show,” which became one of the most successful shows in Branson, attracting some 250,000 people per year. He later served as creative producer when Smirnoff wanted to create the one-man show, “As Long As We Both Shall Laugh,” which ran on Broadway in New York City in 2003. That same year, Slim also wrote and directed “The Pam Tillis Show” for the country superstar in Branson.

After 13 years in Branson, Slim moved to Pigeon Forge, Tenn., just a few weeks ago to perform at The Comedy Barn and to enjoy the atmosphere the region offers. “The live entertainment scene in Pigeon Forge is coming into its own, with folks understanding that they will be getting a quality show on par with other entertainment venues around the country,” Slim says.

The Comedy Barn Theater is located one-half block south of traffic light No. 3 on U.S. 441 (The Parkway) in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. Open year ’round, The Comedy Barn has two shows nightly in season at 5:00 p.m. and 8:15 p.m., as well as some scheduled matinees for groups throughout the season. Adult tickets are $21.95, plus tax. One child, age 11 and under, is admitted free with each paying adult. Additional child tickets are $9.95, plus tax. For tickets, call 1-800-29 LAUGH. For more information, visit www.comedybarn.com.