It’s official! Barry’s new show, Brady Brunch, is underway at Yakov’s Branson Theater in Branson, Missouri! Of course, that’s Yakov as in actor, comedian Yakov Smirnoff, who I had a chance to chat with about his lengthy career, reinventing himself in Branson, and partnering with Barry to bring Brady Brunch to his stage!

You bring such a unique point of view to your act, which is I’m sure why you’re so successful. I’m curious if you ever played around with different personas back when you were starting out in the clubs or did you know right away that the best plan would be to just sort of be yourself?

Well my challenge was I didn’t speak English so I was being myself and my kind of a character kept changing by itself… by the more English I learned, the better I communicated my message and I never really had to do any impressions or, you know,  things that would make me different because I was already different.

I have to imagine that some comedians have sort of a love hate relationship with catchphrases, but in most cases they’re sort of handed to you in a sitcom roll and you don’t necessarily have a choice about it. Yours is kind of a different situation and seems to have served you very well. Do you remember when you came up with “What a Country!”?

Yes. I was at The Comedy Store and I kept telling people some jokes and I kept saying “What a Country!” in the end, and I didn’t plan this to be funny and they kept laughing. So little by little, it became, they would come to me…the audience would come to me and say “What a Country!” and made me realize that they remembered that more than they remember jokes. So that was a big revelation for me that I might have stumbled on something that was powerful for them. So I kept saying that and then it became my signature piece.

As you can imagine, a lot of TV fans read Barry’s blog. Most will, of course, remember your great recurring role on one of the great comedies of all time, Night Court. Can you give us a quick sense of the atmosphere on that set and what someone like you, who was a relatively new actor at that point, learned from a cast like that?

Yes. Harry Anderson and I worked together at The Comedy Store and several clubs and so when he got his television show, he sugguested that I play a part and it was such a big hit first episode that we did  that they invited me every year – a recurring character – so I was very lucky. It was interesting to watch, you know, the changes in that the cast was very talented and I also learned, you know, the more money they were making, the more, you know, it wasn’t as…first year was the best, because they were all excited about like will they be picked up or not. Once they became more of a standard on television, it was still great show, but it wasn’t as enthusiastic as they were in the beginning.

Right. It’s almost like a baseball player coming through the minor leagues and then you get to the big leagues and it’s sort of…you forget why you loved kind of being there? That kind of thing?

A little bit, but I was still very happy that I was part of it. But it was, you could see that they were getting a little bit more tired and I think every sitcom goes through that challenge, you know, that there’s some great things and then there’s some things that…they have to be there every day and you know, it becomes they’re more there than they’re at home and memorizing lines and rehearsing and all of that. It becomes a job versus an exciting opportunity.

But of course, being on a show like that, on what many consider the greatest TV lineup in the history of television, that Thursday night lineup, I mean that and a series of other things, your career takes off in the 80s. I’m curious, because of sensorship and what was going on politically, how aware, if at all, were people back home of your success?

Not much. I mean, until, you know, 90s, nobody really knew about, because it was pretty closed there. They didn’t have American television. They didn’t know about my success here. And then in 1990, Showtime network asked me to go to Russia to do special, which I did. It was called Yakov Smirnoff from Moscow, Idaho and it was fun to do and that was the first time I went back to Russia and then my success became more known there. But at the same time, the Soviet Union dismantled in 1991 and my career was changed big time because I was kind of a catalyst for change, but when the change happened, I made it number one on top ten list of Dave Letterman when he was doing the list of things that will change that now no longer soviet union is in place so…and I made number one as Yakov Smirnoff will be out of work. And it was funny for the whole country but then little by little it became reality because, you see, comedians serve great service when they relieve tension and that’s what I was doing for America. I was relieving tension that was so big between Russia and America. But when the tension went away, there was really not natural need for a comedian talking about cold war…even though I was moving on anyway to do some other things and so … that was one of those things that made me find Branson, Missouri…because in Branson, they didn’t really care that the Soviet Union  dismantled and so they still… they thought I was funny and that’s what made my home for the last 19 years.

For people like me who’ve never been there, how do you describe Branson? Is it sort of a kinder, gentler Vegas?

Yeah. That’s a good one. Yes. I love the life here. There is no gambling. There is no bad language. There is no nudity, so yeah, you’re right. It’s like Orlando, but smaller and shows…we have over a hundred shows here, and there’s more seats, theater seats, than on Broadway and in Vegas combined. So it’s pretty amazing little place.

You’re clearly a patriotic guy. I mean it’s obviously been part of your act, but it also comes from a real place. Some people may have seen your artwork and your America’s Heart mural that you painted after 9/11. Branson seems from the outside to be a very patriotic place based on the acts that are there. Is that true?

Yes. Very much so. God and country is very… and family. And that’s what I think for Barry…I think it’s gonna be an amazing home because he is, I sense, the same way.

And the Brady Bunch is, I guess, sort of America’s kind of sitcom family…

Absolutely and that’s what resonates with people. They love him here. They just…they come out of their clothes. Well, that’s women. They love him. It’s like America’s heartthrob. He’s their guy they grew up with.

A lot of entertainers, when they get successful, hire business managers so that they don’t have to deal with the business side of things. You did the exact opposite. You bought the theater. Do you enjoy that side of it which now, of course, includes helping to shape other talent like Barry?

Yes. I do. It’s very creative, especially working with somebody like Barry who is fantastic in taking direction, in co-creating. He was able to dive in to some areas that he didn’t even know existed in him. And he is bringing that to the stage and it makes him very authentic, very unique and I think people will just eat that up…in addition to eating up brunch.

Obviously Barry is no stranger to a stage. But for you, seeing him from an outside perspective, were there certain aspects of his talent and career that you wanted to capture within that show?

I wanted to kind of pass on to him what I do and my main strength is humor, but bigger than that, it’s opening my heart in front of people. If you can make them laugh and make them cry, they will come back and come back and come back because they want to feel real things, real stuff…and that’s what I do in my show and that’s what Barry was able to do in his show.

And how much should people expect in terms of Brady content? How much music? I know Barry loves to do the music and you have a live band.

Yes. I think that it’s…it’s about I would say half and half. If I have to explain his show, it’s multimedia production show. So you have him singing, him telling stores, him showing clips from Brady Bunch. But most importantly sharing his relationship with his parents, with his son and I think that that’s where he gets them and will keep them there.

It seems like a nice size for a venue. Big enough to sort of get people excited when he’s doing a song, but intimate enough that you sort of have a personal experience. Whether it’s your show or Barry’s show, should people expect to get a chance to say hi and maybe take a picture with you?

Absolutely. He is there walking around, shaking hands, having brunch with them. He’s sitting there eating with them. And after the show, he will sign autographs and take pictures with people. So yeah, absolutely. People will definitely have an opportunity to be connected to him.

Alright, enough about Barry. Let’s talk  brunch. What are we talking here? Your personal chef runs this thing right?

That’s right. That’s right. We’re serving major brunch here. They get keish. They get ham, sausage, croissant with eggs and cheese. They get blueberry muffin and strawberry shortcake served to you on a golden platter with linen napkins, real silverware and a fake candle. Plus they get a bottle of water when they walk in so they get really a great meal.

You guys are obviously working hard. Have you gotten a chance to spend any time socializing together and share some showbiz stories?

Yeah. Yeah. Well we live next to each other. We are going to Andy Williams’ show tomorrow together and Saturday we’re going to Michael Bolton’s concert.

I want to let you go cause I know you just came off stage, but any final words you’d like to share with Barry’s readers?

Come have brunch with us. You will laugh and cry and you’ll love the food, so we really have the full service package here.

Thanks Yakov. Appreciate it.

My pleasure. Thank you.

Did you hear?  Florence Henderson’s book, Life Is Not A Stage was just released. I am very happy for Florence that we can all learn “the rest of the story”.  Over the years I have always felt like I “knew” Florence but this new book is loaded with revelations that I even her close friends will come as news.

I knew she would be in New York City last week on a promotional tour for the book which included appearances on The Today Show, The View and the Joy Behar Show. By chance, I was scheduled to be in the City at the same time.

I met her at the The Today Show and joined her backstage at The View. One of the things I am very grateful for is the ongoing lifetime friendships I have with her and the rest of the cast of the Brady’s and this was a nice way to catch up and support her as she shared her life story with everyone.

The next night I invited her to dinner in the heart of Broadway at Sardi’s restaurant, a favorite of us both.  My son, Brandon who is now 8 an ¾’s, as he puts it, joined us.  He has become a big fan of The Brady Bunch, not because I pushed it, and was prepared with plenty of questions for her.  What was your favorite episode, did you like it when…, were you really mad when Peter broke the vase in the living room with the basketball?

What a fun evening and good food we had.  Florence was so patient and answered each question as though it was the first time she had been asked.  Brandon thinks it’s pretty cool I actually know her.  I think it’s pretty cool he cares.

I just arrived in Branson, MO to begin my new show BRADY BRUNCH with BARRY WILLIAMS this week on Oct 5^th.  I am looking forward to her making a guest appearance.  We certainly won’t run out of things to talk about. After I have read her new book I am sure I’ll have some new questions to ask her about.

Now Search & Win for Great Brady Prizes!

Ever since the days of Johnny Bravo, I have wanted to create a cabaret style musical show.  Over the years I have done versions although they never felt like they came up to par.  That has now changed.

The evolution of BRADY BRUNCH has been fantastic.  I went to Branson with an outline, show elements, music charts, and ideas for the show I wanted to create.  Yakov, who has been very successful throughout his past twenty years as a top celebrity comedian in Branson, grasped the concepts immediately and we went to work.  We wanted to create something especially designed for our Branson audiences.

At first the show consisted mostly of stories, videos and a few songs, which I sang live to track and… as the show title implies, brunch was served during the show. We did our try-outs right there in the Yakov Theatre.  The original concept was an enjoyable show, but we recognized there was a great deal of untapped potential.

Everyone hears entertainers tell audiences that they are an important part of every show.  That has never been truer than with the emergence of BRADY BRUNCH.

Yakov attended these try out shows over a two-week period.  After each show he had a conversation with the audience and invited them to share what they liked, didn’t care for, what they wanted to see more or less of and if it matched their expectations.  It became apparent that while everyone liked the Brady Bunch and are familiar with Greg Brady few knew what to expect from a show starring “Barry Williams”.

Our audiences enjoyed becoming an important part of developing our concept.  Their opinions and comments were invaluable.  Yakov took notes on the audience’s ideas and then he and I would work together to incorporate them.  The show changed shape and humor and content everyday leading up to our Gala Preview on August 13^th which was held for the honorable Branson community.  I am very proud of what ultimately emerged.

The number one request was for us to add more songs.  It seems that my singing abilities have been a well-kept secret in the Ozarks.  The first thing I did was to bring on board a terrific 5 piece local band which was hand picked by my Musical Director, Bogie Bohinc. We went from four to fourteen songs in this two-hour show.  The music now covers the 70’s, current day and standards.  We expanded the clips, videos and stories. We made it interactive… I have brunch together with the audience and answer questions while we eat.  We added a trivia game before the show to test Brady Bunch knowledge.  I pulled out the Johnny Bravo jacket to start the show and fortunately… it still FITS!  I share real stories about my life with the Brady’s and my own family. We also made sure that the brunch was tasty, hot and healthy.

Originally we hoped the reaction to the show would warrant a three month run in the fall of 2012.  The support and response was so strong, I have booked 182 shows which begin on October 5^th this year and run through December of 2012.

I return to Branson on September 28^th to gear up for our opening morning (the show begins at 10:30am) and well, I am very excited about getting started.

Branson Missouri is a wonderful setting with wonderful folks.  I encourage you to visit there for a vacation.  The fishing, boating, hunting, riding and tremendous caliber of entertainment there is top notch.  When you do, please stop by for a BRADY BRUNCH with me.  I’d love to say hi and take a photo with you in the lobby after the show.

Now Search & Win for Great Brady Prizes!

Here they are in no particular order…

1. Mirage/Las Vegas

2. Mariott Marquis Theatre/New York

3. Le Sporting Club/Monte Carlo

4. Yakov Theatre/Branson, MO

5. The Greek Theatre/Los Angeles, CA

6. Ka’anapali Beach Club/Maui, HI

7. Walt Disney World/Orlando, FL

8. Cruise Ship/Mediterranean Cruise

9. Grand Ole Opry/Nashville, TN

10. Dancing With the Stars

11. Australia

12. Canada

Let’s make it a great year.

Now Search & Win for Great Brady Prizes!

Hawaii has long been my favorite vacation, relaxation, rejuvenation destination. Specifically the island of Maui and more specifically the beaches of Kaanapali.

How great it is to find myself here this week and next week plus all of January at the Kaanapali Beach Club, which is a Diamond Resort, where I have been invited to join a terrific troupe of performers including the Akima family and my co-hostess, Makalapua, to interpret the rich history of Hawaii and her people.  Our Luau is known as the Feast At the Beach and this week, A Very Barry Christmas.  It is a traditional and beautifully told Luau and there’s me with my attempts to become an Honorary Hawaiian.  Throughout the show I try just about everything to be worthy of the honor.  I tell stories, I host, I try to learn the native language, I invoke my experiences with Don Ho and make Tiny Bubbles a sing-a-long.  At one point I don a grass skirt (just like the one Alice was wearing when she threw her hip out) with beads, leis and a headdress.  Finally I try and make music with a conch shell.  I can’t give away the ending here, but it helps my quest that I wear the original Brady Tiki throughout the show.

I wish everyone could join me for this oceanfront sunset on this magnificent island paradise.

I wish you a very Mele Kalikimaka,

Barry

Now Search & Win for Great Brady Prizes!

Barry, Chris and Mike recently made a rare public appearance together at Big Apple Comic Con in New York City. It was a fantastic crowd and the boys greatly appreciate everyone who came out. For those of you who couldn’t make it though, I had a chance to chat with the guys about growing up together in TV’s most famous family.

If you’d like to hear from more of the great guests at Comic Con, click here.

It was a great run, but Florence finally said farewell to Dancing With the Stars after being eliminated in week five of the competition. “You have got to week five on merit. It’s not a fluke,” said judge Len Goodman after her performance. “You got there because of your dancing talent.”

Of course, it was only appropriate that Florence made it to TV theme week, where she got a special visit from our own Barry Williams. Watch Barry and Florence reunite 33 minutes into the show, followed by a rousing Tango to the tune of The Brady Bunch theme.

Eve Plumb is making her New York City theatrical debut and Barry and The Greg Brady Project want you to be there! We have a pair of tickets to give away for an October performance of Miss Abigail’s Guide to Dating, Mating and Marriage with your name on ‘em. To enter, just answer the following question:

What is the name of Jan Brady’s fictional boyfriend?
A) Phil Packer  B) George Glass  C) Stanley Vogel

Send your answer to eric.greenberg@thegregbradyproject.com and we’ll randomly select one of the correct entries to win a pair of tickets. Good luck! And by the way, the nice people at Miss Abigail’s are offering all of Barry’s readers 40% off tickets by using the exclusive promo code: BRADYLOVE.

Attention New Yorkers! The boys are getting back together this Friday – Sunday at Big Apple Comic Con for their very first New York City joint appearance, and one of the very few that Barry, Chris and Mike have done together since The Brady Bunch went off the air. As the Banana Convention would say: “It’s gonna be a really big show. Really big!”

The guys will be signing autographs throughout the weekend as well as taking part in some very special events. Here are some tentative times to keep in mind:

- Photo Opportunities: Friday, 6:35pm, Saturday, 5:00pm & Sunday, 12:40pm

- Brady Boys Reunion Panel Discussion: Saturday, 4:00 – 4:45pm

- Brady Brunch: Sunday, 8:30am – 9:30am

To confirm times, purchase advance tickets and learn more about all the other cool guests and events, visit Big Apple Comic Con’s Official Site.

Bursting with big Brady news, here are your Greg Brady Project Labor Day Links…

Get fired up Florence fans! It’s Henderson vs. The Hoff in the upcoming season of Dancing With the Stars. America’s favorite TV mom has officially signed on for the show’s eleventh season along with David Hasselhoff, Jennifer Grey and The Situation. Do I feel a Charleston coming on?

Susan’s back on the small screen! The youngest Brady girl showed up on The Young and the Restless last week. Meanwhile, word on the street from Entertainment Weekly is that Chris Knight will appear in the September 15 episode of The Bold and the Beautiful. (Chris, can you confirm???)

Barry had some fun with the 13 News morning gang in Topeka the other day. Brady World is running a Brady Bunch trivia contest. And Marcia’s hair dryer is marked down on eBay (TGBP cannot verify authenticity).

And finally, The Boys are Back in Town! Barry, Chris and Mike will be appearing together at Big Apple Comic Con in New York next month. According to Chris, the three have only gotten together for two other autograph signings since The Brady Bunch went off the air. Hope to see you there!