New Grand Jubilee Show for 2026

It might be said that Mike Patrick, the master of ceremonies at the Grand Country Music

Hall, hands Michael Davis a menu for every new season. It’s up to Davis, the pianist

and music director for the Grand Jubilee, to take the ingredients selected by Patrick and

make a delicious musical meal.

The all-new show for 2026 was served up for the first time on New Year’s Eve, and

Barry Arwood, lead singer for the headlining New South Gospel Quartet, repeatedly

honored as Branson’s Best Quartet, says audiences and the musicians themselves are

happily singing, dancing and playing their fill.

“We do the Grand Jubilee show 250 to 300 times, six nights a week, probably 49 weeks

out of the year,” he says. “So no matter how fun the show is, it’s nice to have something

fresh and mix things up a little bit. Plus musicians always enjoy the process and the

challenge!”

Davis explains that he does read music, but it’s his ability to play by ear that helps

create a new show. Patrick — who is the reigning emcee of the year in Branson and the

heart that sets the beat for all the shows at the Grand Country Music Hall — brings him

a smorgasbord of songs he’d like to perform, usually delivered as recordings he enjoys.

It’s up to Davis to take the pieces that Patrick prefers and deliver them to the performers

as sheet music, ready to learn.

“It’s a creative process,” Davis says. “I know a lot musically, and I know how to

orchestrate everything, but I also like to incorporate everyone’s ideas; it makes you feel

like you own part of the show.”

Like so many Branson performers, Davis has been making music as long as he can

remember. Growing up in Camden, Ark., he started lessons in classical piano at age 4.

Later, he joined the school band and choir, but he and his dad also played with

legendary blues and soul guitarist, singer and songwriter Michael Burks.

“I’ve always been passionate about all different styles of music,” he says. “Classical just

provides a deep foundation — and it gives you good piano technique as well!”

The road to Branson started with another friend of his dad’s, country Americana

songwriter Steve Black, who was playing the Pump Boys & Dinettes Dinner Theater and

offered him a job. Soon, Davis was on the road with Black, playing Branson and the

Ozark Mountain Hoedown in Eureka Springs. A chance in 2001 to join the Down Home

Country Show at the Grand Country Music Hall sounded magical.

Arwood and Patrick both grew up surrounded by music, too.

Arwood went to Missouri Southern State University majoring in classical bassoon and

minoring in opera vocal performance. But he also grew up going to Branson as a

weekend getaway with his family and hanging out with his grandfather, a music minister,

a recording studio owner and an occasional guest performer with the Foggy River Boys.

Patrick grew up down the road from Branson in Nixa, Mo., and attended church with the

original Bald Knobbers, the Mabe family, who started the Branson family entertainment

tradition in 1959.

“I was 5 before I knew not everybody did a show at night,” Patrick remembers with a

laugh. “I was always in love with Branson. I always knew I wanted to be a part of that

world.”

Arwood admits being part of the Grand Jubilee is still surreal to him.

“I remember being 5 or 6 years old and seeing all the performers at Silver Dollar City or

going to see the different shows on the strip with my family and going back to the

Branson Towers Hotel for their cobbler and ice cream after the shows were done,” he

says. “I remember seeing the people up on stage and thinking that was the coolest thing

on the planet. And now I’m on that stage.”

Arwood and Davis both perform almost every day at Grand Country, with rehearsals

whenever the quartet and the band can find a minute to work together. The new

repertoire becomes the focus of those rehearsals in the autumn, bringing together new

songs, old songs and favorite songs. With New South and The Rhinestone Mafia

centerstage, it’s the heart of the Grand Country lineup, with a list of awards including

“Entertainers of the Year,” “Branson’s Best Show,” “Branson’s Best Variety Show,”

“Quartet of the Year,” “Comedian of the Year,” “Emcee of the Year” and more.

As always, Davis says, audiences will hear Top 40, country & gospel classics, and rock

‘n’ roll hits from the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s, all seasoned with comedy by "Jim Dandy", also

known as Jaime Haage.

Of course, fans who come back again and again want to know the performers, and

Davis says this year’s “band song” — when they’re introduced — is Brad Paisley’s hit,

“Cliffs of Rock City.” And they’ll get to see Davis come out from behind his piano to play

the “keytar,” a keyboard instrument he can wear like a guitar.

“I’m kind of a shy guy on one hand, but I like people,” Davis says with a chuckle.

Grand Jubilee is on stage four nights a week through February — Tuesday, Thursday,

Friday and Saturday — with bonus shows Feb. 15-16 for Valentine's Day. The full six-

day-a-week schedule resumes in March.

Find out more and make your reservations — you can still buy season tickets! — at

grandcountrylivemusic.com.