le_mace_ozark

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Not all was Country Music.
The cave man, played by JIM McCURDY was a regular and at the time worked as a bank teller.

Here is view of audience from on top of the rock in back of the stage. Most nights were sold out except in the beginning it played two nights a week, Wednesday and Saturday, After a few months, then Saturday only. Due to the constant 60 degree temperature in the cave, warm wraps were advised and lots of coffee, hot chocolate and hot sandwiches were served.

The one on the right, playing to the mike is BOBBY BARE.

Besides the regulars that played each Saturday night until the late 60s, there were big names from Nashville and Wheeling WV. BUCK OWANS drew the largest crowd that I knew of up to the spring of 1966. That is until this next group pictured below played the caverns in the fall of 1965.

LEE MACE'S OZARK OPRA THEATER played (and still plays) at Osage Beach on the Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri. They would take the show on tour in the Winter, mostly north into northern Missouri and Iowa. When the Ozark Opar played Fantastic Caverns, it was their first time to travel south of the Lake of the Ozarks to put on a show. They found they had a tremendous following.
The OPRA started playing in 1953 and must be the longest continuous running Country Music show in the Ozarks. As for Music Row in Branson, there should be credit given to Lee Mace's theater a hundred miles north, for the success of Lee Mace's Ozark Opra in the 50s and 60s was reason for optimism that a show in Branson would and could be successfull. While the BALK KNOBBERS had their start up in Branson near the same time, it was the PRESLEY'S THEATER that opened first on 76 Highway, now called 76 Boulevard. The Presley's were playing FANTASTIC CAVERNS during the time these pictures were taken in the mid 60s and Loyd insisted they would play with, or be the backup band, for the Music Stars that he booked.
Loyd Evans never charged more for a Saturday night show, no matter if it was Buck Owens or his Ozark Playboys performing. $1.50 for adults, Buck Owens played for $700.00. Needless to say, he never booked again, and up to 1966 none of the big names got more than the seven hundred. I think BOBBY BARE booked at least once a year and spent his vacations fishing with LLoyd Presley on Table Rock Lake.
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