McCue Custom Homes owner Ken McCue just completed his third Branson home since moving to the area three years ago from Mexico, Mo.
He visited with hundreds of people during a recent open house, and he predicts an influx of new residents to Branson due to low taxes, the laid-back lifestyle and pent-up demand.
"A large number of people, especially from California, Texas, Wisconsin and Minnesota, are saying that they want to come here as soon as the market turns around and they can sell their house," said McCue, a Missouri State University graduate.
Many are baby boomers close to retirement, he added.
McCue collaborated with Bill Lennon Design on the interior of a 3,339-square-foot Branson Creek home. Bill Lennon - brother of the performing Lennon sisters - began designing in California in the 1970s and counts Bob Dylan and Dennis Quaid among his clients. For years, Lennon has collaborated with his nephew, Tom Gass, owner of Backstage Connections; their work includes design of the New Shanghai Theatre, 645 State Highway 165.
The French Country home at 245 Golf Club Drive, adjacent to Murder Rock Golf and Country Club, features exposed beams, custom cabinets and quartz countertops. It's listed at $695,000 on www.mccuecustomhomes.com.
Holy flying angels
Sight & Sound Theatre presents "Miracle of Christmas" for the first time in Branson through Dec. 30, according to www.sight-sound.com. The show first played in 1996 at the company's Lancaster, Penn., theater.
Auditions for the cast of 45 drew actors from Lancaster, New York and the Branson area. There are dozens of live and animatronic animals, and more than 70 set pieces. Special flying rigs allow angels to soar 45-feet above the audience. The set - which comprises 65,000 feet of aluminum and steel, 45,000 square feet of plywood and 1,000 gallons of paint, much of it purchased locally - took 50,000 hours to build, according to Sight & Sound sales director Mike Pittman.
Based on biblical accounts, the show follows Mary and Joseph on their way to Bethlehem and through the birth of Jesus.
Shepherds and live animals greet guests outside the theater, and decorations in the lobby include a nativity scene made of gingerbread by culinary students from the Victory Trade School at Springfield's Victory Mission.
Reindeer visitors
Barbara Famuliner has raised reindeer for 14 years at her farm south of Kansas City, and she's bringing a couple of special reindeer to Titanic-Branson for a holiday celebration.
This year, Famuliner and her husband, Ron, have eight reindeer that they breed and show.
They'll bring a 300-pound steer named Rudolph and an 80-pound, 6-month-old baby to the Titanic museum 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on Dec. 4, 5, 11 and 12.
Visitors can pet the animals and have photos taken, though Famuliner cautions that they should avoid their noses. "How'd you like to have your nose touched 200 times a day?" she said.
The baby reindeer has small antlers, but those, too, are off limits, Famuliner said.
Other upcoming special events at Titanic include the fourth annual Professional Ice Sculpting Competition on Jan. 16 and Sweetheart Month in February. Advance reservations indicate wedding vow renewals on the grand staircase will break last year's record of 1,900 couples, according to www.titanicbranson.com.
There are more than a dozen special events throughout the year. Such interactive experiences keep visitors coming back, said owner John Joslyn.Kathryn Buckstaff, membership public relations manager of Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce, can be reached at
kbuckstaff@bransoncvb.com.
