Fiddlers’ Feast has undergone a transformation. After two years in existence, the Pigeon Forge theater has kicked off its third season with three new shows: the “Giddy Up!” breakfast show, featuring the western music of newcomers Jim and Jeanne Martin; a lunch matinee featuring Uncle Bud and the Dixie Darlins’; and the regular dinner show, renamed Tennessee Shindig and featuring the theater’s in-house performers, Mountain Legacy.
Originally from Levelland, Texas, the Martins met and performed together in Ruidoso, N.M., and have done so for 15 years. Uncle Bud and the Dixie Darlins’ originally premiered on a trial basis late last year. The show features Mountain Legacy performers “Uncle” Bud Beasley, Kerensa Joy Smith and Tammy “Dee” Gislason, along with Josh McFerren and Brandon Truman.
“The biggest thing is better production value,” Beasley said. “We have drums, electric guitars and bass, and the energy level is raised considerably. We’ve always had good singers, but now our musical part of the show is raised up with the expectations of the band.”
“It’s really been fun,” said Gislason, originally from Canada. “Think the boxed lunches are going over extremely well. It’s more of a work load, but I don’t think you can get into entertainment and think it will be easy. You know you will have some long hours, and until you get it right you’re going to have to work as hard as you can.”
The Tennessee Shindig evening show will feature the theater’s steak and chicken meal, along with an enhanced musical format of classic and modern country, Elvis Presley songs, bluegrass, southern gospel, blues and Dolly Parton songs.
“Our owner (Jess Davis) came up with the Tennessee Shindig. He gave me that and we worked around that theme, said Allan Miller, the theater’s new show production manager, who came from Branson, MO. He also is a featured guitar player.
Jessica Davis, marketing coordinator and occasional guest performer, said solid reviews on the shows and food should continue with Miller on board. “He did a lot of shows in Branson, and he’s creative and fantastic in production,” Davis said. “We wanted to try a western show because it’s something that hasn’t been done around here. We tried the Uncle Bud show in October and it did really well. We are making good use of the entertainment we have here. They are so talented. These shows give them a chance to perform different venue and in different ways.”
Information provided by The Mountain Press