Doug Gabriel Show

Personally we enjoyed the show. Some think his son is a distraction, but for people with kids the mixture of music and comedy is great. This truly a family production and I love that they put it together primarily for the love of what they do. It is cheaper than most shows, but still delivers a great time. People who don’t enjoy it I am afraid are expecting way too much. It is a wholesome and fun family time.

Not sure where to begin. This show called «#1 Hits» or something like that, is a collection of, yep, you guessed it, number one hits from across several time periods. Another reviewer said it pretty well, Doug is fantastic but the rest of the show leaves a lot to be desired.
You get the sense Doug has been around for while and just appreciates performing. He is a great singer and his years of performing experience really comes through. Doug, or as he is referenced at one point during the show — «Dug», really makes people feel at home which is partly due to the small theatre but also his cool, casual, and genuine demeanor. He also thanks each and every person on their way out. No literally, he stood in the lobby and shook everyones hand as they left.
The show goes south in a hurry when his son, playing the role of comic relief, starts his bit. His high energy, cocky, in your face attitude does not fit the show at all. In more ways than one. Often times it is irritating and you find yourself rooting against him or you feel awkward for watching it. His only clever and funny part came during the Chariots of Fire song. (I won’t spoil it for you.) Actually, he also did well during the audience interaction part when one of the audience members «Rod» was on stage and he did this strange leg dance move, the son picked up on it and worked it in. One person said it well as Jim Carrey doing slap stick which describes it well but I would go further and say it is a cross between Jim Carrey and Michael Richards (Kramer from Seinfeld) doing bad slapstick comedy. He is either running, jumping, or flopping around on stage in a distracting way. Perhaps, as one person mentioned, a few tweaks would really go a long way. If only his character came across as a hard working and sympathetic cast member instead of (using a phrase from the older generation) «a young punk», it might work better. Either way, the show would have been a 4 star show if it wasn’t for the distraction. He enjoys being on stage and has a good presence, but playing that role is no good.
His wife, 16 year old daughter, and the other son also join him on stage. At one point, even his pregnant (due early 2015) daughter-​in-​law joins the cast. All the pieces start to come together that this is a real family production because you start to recognize their faces from earlier in the lobby working the concession, ticket counter, and gift shop. The wife sings ok. At one point the daughter sang a Taylor Swift song but I think the older crowd all had blank looks on their faces.
Apparently he is in a new location from previous years and the address in Unilocal is incorrect. The theatre is located on the main strip, behind Olive Garden, but a ways down the hill. The theatre itself isn’t really visible from the road so you have to rely on the sign to turn into the place. Strangely, the sign was not lighted at night — or at least this night it wasn’t. I knew where I was going so It didn’t bother me but I could see how others may not easily be able to find it. Everything else is lighted in Branson, why not his sign.
It’s priced at $ 30 and if you look hard enough you can find a $ 5 coupon. Unfortunately, its current production needs to be tweaked before I recommended this show to anyone.

Simply put Doug is great! Yes his family is not at his level, but to say the show is not up to snuff is not correct., as he is on the great majority of the time. His wife is solid, not great, but as good as many of the 2^nd voices in Branson (Doug is just that good that the comparison hurts her). As far as his comic son, it depends on whether you like the off the wall type, if yes he belongs, of not he subtracts from the show.

This would be a review for the show in general. If it were just for Doug, the rating would be much higher. He is a great singer and plays guitar and piano very well and I believe is a genuine guy. As the previous reviewer mentioned his family takes it down quite a bit. His wife is not a bad singer and sings well with him. His one son is the drummer in the band and does a great job! Then his other son comes out… He is the «comedian». This is extremely painful to watch. A review on TripAdvisor described him as a young Jim Carrey doing obnoxious slap stick which is exactly right! They could revamp the comedy aspect of the show and it would be a huge help. His daughter (15 years old at the time of the review) needs a lot of maturing to her voice. She is not terrible but not something I would pay $ 30 to see. I thought the band overall was great. I did not expect much from a show this small but I think the band played very well. Speaking of small… Their «new» theater is TINY! The fire occupancy sign says 238. The seats are all level so if you’re short, you may not be able to see. The sound and lighting was not bad for such a small theater. Overall I would recommend spending your money on something else.

Doug is a great guitarist and has a grand, powerful voice. He works with his family, wife and two kids who are just barely Ok in my opinion. He has a kind heart supporting friends wiped out by the tornado and publicizes local businesses. Five stars for him but only 3 for his show.