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ASHEVILLE — There's never been anything in Asheville quite like the new Carolina Country Theater — a multimillion-dollar, family-friendly music hall with live variety music and comedy performances.
The theater will begin previews May 1 at the Crest Center and Pavilion in Asheville before moving to a new, yet-to-be announced location. The goal: to entertain both locals and bus tour groups that often bypass the city in favor of similar shows in east Tennessee or the more distant Branson, Mo.
There are musical attractions in the area. Shindig on the Green has been playing free mountain music shows in downtown Asheville since the late 1960s. And in Maggie Valley, there's the Carolina Nights Dinner Theater and the Maggie Valley Opry.
But the Carolina Country Theatre aims to be something different, said show producer Jody Medford, who grew up in Enka and has performed in similar shows in Branson, Mo., and Pigeon Forge, Tenn.
If it works as planned, the economic impact could be huge, with a new type of visitor coming to town, area tourism experts said.
In planning for “almost three years,” Medford has teamed with partners Bill and Carolyn Baity of Asheville and Charles Barker of Hendersonville to open the theater.
“This is really my first time getting full reign of being able to do this,” said Medford, a bass singer who will also perform in this show.
If the idea works, it could bring thousands of new visitors to Asheville, pumping big money in the local economy and making Asheville an even more popular visitor destination.
“The tour bus (companies) are contacting us like crazy,” said Medford, who expects to begin selling tickets later this month.
While prices aren't set, tickets for the shows at Crest will cost about $24, or in the $30-plus range for the performance and a meal. When the show goes to its permanent location, it will be a performance only with concessions available.
The cast includes Melinda Hyder of Sevierville, Tenn., a singer for eight years at Dollywood theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., and a contestant on the current CBS-TV reality show “Survivor: Exile Island.” Hyder was just voted off the show. Other performers include brothers Tim and Kenny Hunley who performed for nine years at Dollywood, and Mike Swope, drummer for 12 years for country singer Louise Mandrell.
“It will be total variety — every style of music and a lot of comedy,” Medford said.
“There's been a void for something like this” in Asheville, said Ted White of the Whitewater Bluegrass Company band.
A similar sort of vibe was found at the old Bill Stanley's bluegrass and barbecue restaurant, which was popular with both locals and tourists. The restaurant, which closed in 1989, featured a live band, clogging and good-natured humor, White said.
“I think (the Carolina Country Theater) will go, if it's promoted right,” White said.
The theater would be a good addition to what is already happening in Asheville, said Leesa Sutton Brandon, a heritage development officer with the N.C. Division of Tourism.
“I think anytime you have a year-round offering, that is especially good for tourism,” Brandon said. “I think it can complement what is going on, especially if the production acknowledges (Western North Carolina's mountain music scene), its deep roots and branches.
“Anything that offers music to families year-round couldn't be bad,” she said.
In Savannah, Ga., Michelle and Matthew Meese co-produce their own family-friendly variety show “Jukebox Journey,” at the Historic Savannah Theatre on Bull Street downtown, a venue that dates to 1818. The two-hour, for-profit show is a musical revue, with eight singer-dancers and a five-piece band, said Michelle Meese.
Having performed in Branson, the couple chose Savannah for their show because it lacked this kind of attraction, she said. “Unfortunately, the symphony had folded, and there really wasn't (any kind of evening family music attraction),” she said.
They spent four months renovating the Savannah Theatre before opening Aug. 10, 2002. From the start, it was a hit, she said.
“I think people were curious (about the show). And once they came, they started spreading the word. We signed a long-term lease on the building, and that was the thing we had to get across (to locals), that we were going to stay. We weren't going to do a show for five weeks and leave,” she said.
“Jukebox Journey,” which opens its new season in March, has averaged an audience of about 150 per performance (it will play six times a week this season). The theater can seat 535. The audience has been an even spilt between locals, walk-up tourists and bus groups, she said.
Three shows are located in Sevierville, including “Great China Circus” and “Come Celebrate America,” a patriotic musical tribute. The latest production is “Fixin' to Rain.” Opening April 1, it is a Broadway-style show that tells the story of Noah's Ark but is set in 1930s Appalachia, said Amanda Maples Marr, with the Sevierville Chamber of Commerce.
The shows have had an impact on visitation, she said. Sevier County is topped in tourism only by Shelby County (Memphis) and Davidson County (Nashville), she said. About 9 million visitors came to the county in 2004, with an economic impact of $1.2 billion. The chamber does not provide separate numbers for tourists who come just to see stage shows.
Many visitors combine a trip to include all three towns, she said.
Tourism plays a major role in Asheville's economy, generating a billion-dollar impact each year, said Marla Tambellini, assistant vice president and director of marketing for the Asheville Convention and Visitors Bureau. Annually, the city will host 2.25 million overnight visitors, and the number jumps to 6.43 million travelers if day trips are included.
Tourism money ripples through the Asheville financial scene in ways that may not be obvious, Tambellini said. “It shows up in everything from hotels to someone stopping by an art gallery.” And money would be spent building the Carolina Country Theater, or renovating an existing structure, she said. “I think people sometimes forget that,” she said.
Although Asheville markets to tour groups, that is not the largest segment of people who come here, Tambellini said.
Ken Richards has been leading tour groups around Asheville for decades through his group Dillingham Richards International. “We have so many wonderful attractions and to keep bringing tour groups in, we need more and more,” he said.
The Carolina Country Theater might encourage visitors to spend more time and money here, Richards said.
Performers: Include show producer Jody Medford, singer Melinda Hyder (an ex-contestant on the current CBS reality show “Survivor''), Dollywood veteran performers The Hunley Brothers, drummer Mike Swope, bassist Jerry McNeely, impersonator Michael Goodman, local entertainers Jonathan Whitaker, Keith Smith and Tommy Ballard, and other area performers to be announced.
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