Business Spotlight: The Duttons LC

The Duttons LC

Owner: The Dutton Family

Founded: 1991 – began touring; 2001 (bought Branson theater)

Address: 3454 W. Highway 76, Branson, MO 65616

Phone: (417) 332-2772

Fax: (417) 334-2314

Web site: www.theduttons.com

E-mail: judith.dutton@gmail.com

Services/Products: On-stage musical performances; theater, hotel and deli management; and printing company

Employees: 50

When the NBC show, “America’s Got Talent,” came calling a year ago, the nine performing members of the Dutton family jumped at the chance.

“They called us and invited us to auditions,” says Dutton family matriarch and theater CEO Sheila Dutton. “They were trying to increase the talent for the show. It’s not how they normally do it.”

Sheila says her family made the cut from 100,000 applications.

The Branson theater family first made it into the top 71 acts, next into the top 35 and then into the top 20, before ending up among 10 finalists. The family appeared on the national network show beginning June 5.

“It was the most-watched (TV) program for the summer,” says daughter-in-law Judith Dutton, noting that the opening show collected 12 million viewers.

The Dutton Family made five appearances on “America’s Got Talent,” including the live finale Aug. 21 in Los Angeles.

Back in Branson, the Duttons juggled live performances at the Dutton Family Theater and management of Dutton Deli and Dutton Inn, all owned under the parent company The Duttons LC.

Behind the scenes

More than a musical family, the Duttons also own a separate printing company, Principle Graphics Printing, with offices in Utah and Missouri.

Sheila and Dean Dutton have 14 children; seven are biological and seven are adopted. Nine of the Dutton family members regularly perform on stage and an additional 21 have cameo appearances.

Behind the scenes, 13 in the Dutton family and a staff of 50 full- and part-time employees operate the family businesses.

“It’s been on a need basis,” Judith says. “As the business grew, it just made more sense for each of us to take over a section.” (see side bar)

The Duttons began touring as a performing group in 1991, based out of Provo, Utah, with 250 road dates a year, according to Sheila.

In 1999, the Duttons moved to Branson to perform at the BoxCar Willie Theater and bought the theater two years later.

With the anticipation of more bookings from the recent national publicity, the Duttons look to hand over more of the day-to-day operations.

“We are in a transitional position. We just hired a manager for the motel,” Judith says. “I have somebody who has taken over (the theater) house management.”

Sheila adds, “The business has grown so much, (still) it’s very hard for the family to let go.”

Curtain call

Bouncing between live shows in Branson and “America’s Got Talent” filming in Los Angeles had its challenges, family members say, namely missing 30 shows at the family’s hometown theater.

Sheila says it was a calculated move to participate in the show, believing that TV appearances outweigh other forms of marketing. “We are also aware that we cannot afford an ad on national TV,” she adds.

The family is optimistic that the national exposure will pay for itself.

“We started noticing the effect right after the first airing June 5,” Sheila recalls. According to her husband, Dean, chief financial officer for the theater, ticket sales to the Duttons’ shows have increased 40 percent.

Judith says the theater’s Web site traffic has increased, too.

“There were 4,000 hits on our Web site that night during the first hour after the show,” she says, compared to the couple hundred daily hits the site had been recording.

Now, she says, the theater averages 300 to 350 Web site hits a day.

“We have every indication the (loss of the) 30 shows is more than going to be made up this fall,” says Joshua Dutton, the Duttons’ son and manager of Dutton Deli and Dutton Inn.

The Duttons have invited other finalists of the show’s to perform limited engagements beginning Sept. 17. Each show is scheduled to include at least three of the finalists.

Juggling Act

Dean and Sheila Dutton have seven biological children who, along with their spouses, perform and/or manage the business side of the Dutton Family Theater Complex.

Sheila – performer, CEO

Dean – performer, CFO

Timothy (son) – performer, Dutton Family Theater co-manager

Judith (Timothy’s spouse) – performer, Dutton Family Theater co-manager

Benjamin (son) – performer, manager of bookings

Brande (Benjamin’s spouse) – makes fudge for concessions

Jonathan (son) – performer, leads technical staff and Principle Graphics Printing

Bella (Jonathan’s spouse) – leads accounting and manages Island Fire Show, also at the Dutton Family Theater

Amy (daughter) – performer, music director and manages costumes and stage production

Rudy (Amy’s spouse) – manages theater lighting

Abigail (daughter) – performer, operations director

Adam (Abigail’s spouse) – assistant video director

Joshua (son) – performer, manages Dutton Deli and Dutton Inn

Evette (Joshua’s spouse) – songwriter, assistant bookkeeper

Jenny (daughter) – tour performer, lives in San Diego as senior vice president of LPL Financial Services

Dean and Sheila also have seven adopted children who are of college age: Granger, Michael, Alex, Anastasia, Natasha, Nick and Sam.[[In-content Ad]]