Press Release for immediate Release

Press contact: Judith Dutton, 417-332-2772, judith.dutton@gmail.com

The Duttons to Reopen Theater May 16

With the recent declaration from the Governor of Missouri that live events are able to resume, The Duttons are happy to announce that their theater will open on Saturday May 16th, 2020, and have their first show that evening at 8pm.  The Duttons will continue on a limited show schedule following that date with a show on Saturday May 23 at 8pm and subsequent shows to be announced in the coming days.  Says Sheila Dutton, CEO, “After so much time at home, we know many of you are eager to enjoy a visit to Branson to take part in the extraordinary musical and entertainment culture found here.  The Duttons are excited to get back to work and bring music back to Branson.”

Mrs Dutton continued, “We have been very fortunate to meet and work with the team at both the Chamber of Commerce and the City of Branson. Together, with knowledgeable individuals and local health and government authorities, we’re adding and considering several safety measures to do our part helping everyone stay well while we plan to re-open the Dutton Family Theater Complex. We will also continue reaching out to our fans and travel partners to determine the best and safest procedures for our families, staff and guests.”

The Duttons have announced the following plans as part of their re-opening:

  • Physical distancing and capacity measures: Managing guest traffic while waiting in line for tickets, restrooms and the concessions counter, as well as maintaining sufficient social distancing in our theater, are areas of prime concern. Some of the things that we will be putting in place are markings on the floor to help guests maintain six feet of distance between parties, having a greeter guide the guest through picking up tickets and concessions and escorting them to their seats, reducing the number of guests in the theater to 25% seating capacity, while maintaining a six foot distance between groups, and playing the show without an intermission.
  • Personal Cleanliness and Safety: The Duttons will be installing sanitizer stations at the entry of each facility with additional pumps on high traffic areas like the box office counter, the concessions counter, and the gift shop counters.  
  • Screening and prevention support:  For now the Duttons have decided that masks will be worn by the staff and Dutton Family Members working in public areas, and they are requesting that guests please wear masks to their performances.  While this is not a requirement, The Duttons ask that out of respect to that request, and in support of those in attendance that may be concerned, visitors bring their own masks and gloves  with them.  For the time being, disposable masks will be available for sale for guests attending the show.  
  • Theater and Facility Cleaning: Following each show,  seats that were occupied during the show will be sprayed with a disinfectant solution.  All hard surfaces in public areas (door handles, counter tops, etc) will be disinfected every hour during regular open hours.  Additionally,  once the building is unoccupied, ozone machines will run a one hour cycle, following which all the doors of the theater will be opened and fresh air will be cycled in through our industrial ventilation/fan system.
  • Guest and Business Partner Information: In addition to regular updates on www.theduttons.com and their social media pages, the Duttons are releasing an educational video showing guests some of their plans regarding preparing the theater for each show.  This can be seen on their website and social media pages.

These are just a few examples of the plans the Duttons are implementing with guest and staff safety in mind.  These plans may be adapted  in accordance with advice from local and national government and are subject to change.

During the shutdown, The Duttons have been performing a youtube livestream concert from one of their homes each Thursday evening at 7pm central, and plans are in the works to continue with those broadcasts.  “The livestreams have been an amazing amount of fun!”  says Amy Dutton Arambulo, the show producer.  “We have really enjoyed staying in touch with our fans each Thursday evening, and those livecasts have been such a success, and a chance to try things we normally wouldn’t do in the course of a regular show.  We definitely plan on continuing with those for now, with new material each week.”  

The Duttons have also prepared a safety video for guests that plan on visiting that can be viewed either on their homepage at www.theduttons.com or at  https://vimeo.com/416801240

The Duttons would also like to recognize the medical professionals working to bring care and comfort in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. 

Reservations may be made to see The Duttons at their theater in Branson by calling 417-332-2772.  To watch a livestream from The Duttons visit their youtube channel at youtube.com/theduttons.  A complete schedule of the livestreams is also found at livestream.theduttons.com