French Lick entertainment venue will host family-friendly variety shows
BRANSON MO NEWS: In the tourist-friendly town of French Lick, a new option for family entertainment has been added to the growing list of attractions.Regulars to the area might know the Legend of French Lick estate as a treasured landmark, the former home of Indiana basketball legend Larry Bird and setting for a 1980s commercial and a scene from the 1994 film “Blue Chips.”But this isn’t the sports section.Abbeydell Hall, which was originally Bird’s garage on the property and has since been converted into a convention hall, now houses Abbeydell Theatre, which will host shows for a general audience with an option to eat dinner before the show.Rhett Thomas, who’s spent most of his life as a traveling musician, started out his musical theater career in his home of Los Angeles, inspired by his dancer parents. He became interested in interactive variety performances — such as “The Lawrence Welk Show” and performances he saw in Branson, Missouri. From the west coast to the east coast, and many places in between, he’s been a singer, dancer and host. He and his wife, Wendi, spent several years traveling around the country with their children.“It’s an interactive-type theater where people can not just watch the show, but actually be involved in the show,” he said in a phone interview. “Like going to a live concert with a theatrical flare.”Eventually, Thomas began directing and producing the types of shows he’d fallen in love with. With family in Columbus and six children, he began researching the area to find a place where he could provide those shows for an audience who would appreciate them most.Enter Abbydell Hall. It’s thanks to Mike Hicks and his wife, Wendy, who own the property, that Thomas was able to bring …
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