2 • June 26-27, 2020 LOCAL bransonglobe.com Coronavirus pandemic keeps a Branson jewel at home By David Stoltz, Branson Globe Correspondent While the Coronavirus pandemic has turned everyone’s life upside down, it’s had one benefit for Branson. It’s kept popular comedian Yakov Smirnoff here! Yakov is doing his popular show five days a week at the Caravelle Theater at 3446 West Hwy. 76 in Branson. He’ll be performing here Wednesdays through Sundays through Aug. 9, and then he’ll return again Oct. 2 through Dec. 5. Originally, Yakov had planned only one week of shows in Branson this summer, but the Covid-19 pandemic changed all that. When the pandemic took hold, Yakov and his wife, Olivia, decided to leave Los Angeles for Branson “because it was a lot safer here. So we got here in early March and went through the quarantine and then we said, ‘well, you know, what if the town opens up, let’s just start doing shows.’ So this thing kind of evolved.” Because of the pandemic, Yakov’s 2020 tour dates were “pretty much moved to 2021.” He opened his new show on May 22. Along with the new Branson show dates came the show’s new location in the Caravelle Theater, which also houses the ”Liverpool Legends” show. Yakov had thought of moving the show to “the strip” since the end of last year, and so far he’s satisfied with the result, despite going from an 1,8000-seat theater to 700 seats. His large, smiling face atop the theater greets travelers out front. “Being in the center of town is beneficial, especially when I’m not doing a full year, the marketing budget is not as big. So then for people to know where you are is a little bit harder as opposed to when they’re here and they’re going up and down the strip where stuff is happening,” he said. And being in close proximity to shows such as the Duttons, Hughes Brothers and Jim Stafford also helps. “When you have a big theater Comedian Yakov Smirnoff has returned home to Branson. (Photo courtesy yakov.com) you’re used to big overhead,” he said. ”This pandemic kind of shrunk everything. It’s kind of like a very small family of people (working here) who are saying, ‘Look, this is desperate times, desperate measures, and then you realize you didn’t really need a lot of other stuff. But downsizing makes you go, ‘Wow, this still works. People are still laughing and they’re still emotional and everybody’s okay and we’re doing that without major overhead.” Adjusting to the times we live in, Yakov’s show includes a monologue with him dressed in full medical gear with shield, gloves and mask. “And then I do a press conference like (immunologist) Dr. (Anthony) Fauci,” and the audience becomes the media and asks questions. In another segment, audience members tell jokes and the audience gets to pick the winner, who then becomes the talk show host and Yakov becomes the guest. While Yakov’s theater on Hwy. 248 is now home to the Acrobats of Branson presenting ICircus, plans are one day to convert that land into a retirement community, “Yakov Towers,” including an independent living and assisted living center, a hotel and memory care facility. Prospective investors have shown interest in the projSEE YAKOV, PAGE 7
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