{"id":6302,"date":"2019-03-15T20:40:07","date_gmt":"2019-03-16T01:40:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stateoftheozarks.net\/showcase\/?p=6302"},"modified":"2019-03-15T20:58:44","modified_gmt":"2019-03-16T01:58:44","slug":"smells-like-rain-tastes-like-tears-shepherd-the-musical","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stateoftheozarks.net\/showcase\/2019\/03\/15\/smells-like-rain-tastes-like-tears-shepherd-the-musical\/","title":{"rendered":"Smells Like Rain & Tastes Like Tears: Shepherd the Musical"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

PLATE 1.<\/span> \u201cYoung Matt\u201d (Caleb Odenthal) fights the Baldknobbers. Photo by Beckie Fairchild.<\/em><\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_separator][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Smells Like Rain & Tastes Like Tears: Shepherd the Musical<\/h1>\n

by Joshua Heston with Caleb Brubaker<\/p>\n

\u201cDo they think this is the end?\u201d Dave Wallace wondered as he looked over an audience rising to their feet. The applause was long and lasting as the house and cast wiped away tears. Wallace was crying as well. Wallace, though only 35, had been given the role of the paternal \u201cShepherd\u201d in a production created by composer Stan Beard and Dr. Hayden Head and based on Harold Bell Wright\u2019s 1907 book The Shepherd of the Hills<\/span><\/em>.<\/p>\n

This night, the production (simply titled Shepherd the Musical<\/span><\/em>) was getting a run-through of sorts \u2014 a concert reading in Gittinger Recital Hall on the campus of College of the Ozarks. The community had been invited in force.<\/p>\n

Beard, whose work as musical director and composer includes the long-running Silver Dollar City productions A Dickens Christmas Carol<\/em>, Headin\u2019 West<\/em>,<\/span> and It\u2019s A Wonderful Life<\/em>, <\/span>was at the piano, having written the score and led the premiere\u2019s direction.<\/p>\n

\u201cStan certainly qualifies as a genius in my mind,\u201d shares Kevin Day, a Branson actor, musician and craftsman who performs as \u201cHarry the Photographer\u201d in Shepherd<\/span><\/em>. \u201cThe music he writes is very melodic. It\u2019s complex. As far as structure there\u2019s a lot going on. I like the spontaneity of his music. It\u2019s very intelligent and tasteful.\u201d[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”6291″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center”][vc_separator][vc_column_text]When Beard was first contacted by Dr. Hayden Head, the composer was not familiar with Wright\u2019s work. \u201cWhen I finally read the book,\u201d he notes, \u201cI couldn\u2019t believe when<\/span> it was written!\u201d The book was a best-seller when released early in the 20th century. Many, however, feel the novel resonates with timeless themes.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think back to the historical aspect of the town and the novel and I think that means a lot to us who are long-time Branson folks,\u201d says Marty Schmitt, 22-year entertainment manager with Silver Dollar City. \u201cWe have to keep that legacy alive and not allow it to be buried in the glitz and glamour. We need to keep the integrity of Harold Bell Wright\u2019s novel.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was Schmidt who introduced Shepherd<\/em>\u2019s<\/span> writer \u2014 Hayden Head \u2014 to its composer \u2014 Stan Beard. \u201cStan was very gracious,\u201d she remembers. \u201cAnd Hayden is such a faithful and good man. I knew him because of his wife Sue. Hayden knew God was going to do something with this project. He waited years for the collaboration.\u201d<\/p>\n

Matters of patience, faith, humility and challenge resonate throughout the lives of those involved in the production as well as the novel itself. Further, Wright addressed difficult issues that speak to a modern audience \u2014 depression, broken relationships, teen pregnancy, illegitimate children, even mental health.[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”6292″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center”][vc_single_image image=”6293″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center”][vc_separator][vc_column_text]\u201cPete knows…\u201d<\/span><\/em> is an echo throughout the book and the phrase is part of the Branson lexicon, but dig deeper and you find a bastard child described by his own grandfather as \u201cwitless.\u201d \u201cWe would have terms to describe Pete today,\u201d notes Beard, \u201cWords like \u201cautistic\u2019 or \u2018asperger syndrome.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

The role of \u201cPete\u201d went to the sublimely gifted yet understated Captain Sibley of Springfield, also known for his role of \u201cTiny Tim\u201d in A Dickens Christmas Carol<\/em><\/span>. \u201cHe\u2019s just an unbelievable young talent,\u201d says Beard.<\/p>\n

Wright understood humanity and incorporated powerful themes into his works. His literary wrestling with issues of integrity, morality and intellect remain timeless. The author also understood the Ozark Mountains to be a harsh place often producing harsh people \u2014 as exemplified by his character of Wash Gibbs, portrayed by robust Branson actor Robert Montgomery. \u201cThey told me, \u2018Speak softly and carry a big stick,\u2019\u201d says the actor. \u201cBringing it down to almost a whisper as I\u2019m making threats was a unique experience for me but ultimately a good one.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yet simultaneously Wright lyrically wrote of the Ozarks as a beautiful and serene place \u2014 a place of rest and spiritual healing. Both subjects are explored through the song, \u201cThese Hills Ain\u2019t What You\u2019re Lookin\u2019 For.\u201d The men of the cast sing of the hardships and trials while the women echo the beauty and peace.[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”6294″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center”][vc_separator][vc_column_text]The pain of an internal struggle or private trial is also heady subject matter in the hands of Wright \u2014 a theme furthered by Beard and Head\u2019s empathy.<\/p>\n

\u201cStan\u2019s walk in the wilderness was with his wife Heidi,\u201d explains Marty Schmidt. \u201cHer illness was a three-year walk for both of them, completely walking by faith, desperately dependent on the Lord daily to get through.\u201d When asked, Beard points to his co-collaborator as inspiration as well. \u201cHayden was involved on this project a long time before he even heard my name and he wrote Shepherd<\/span>to soothe his own spirit.\u201d[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”6295″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center”][vc_single_image image=”6296″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center”][vc_single_image image=”6297″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center”][vc_separator][vc_column_text]\u201cA lot of this was precipitated by my father who passed away in 2008. He was just a kind and holy man, just a…,\u201d Head paused for a moment, speaking from the heart, \u201c…a beautiful person. And so, that was obviously hard. Working on the play kind of helped me. I guess you could almost say it was a sort of therapy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Head understood the pain of death and found a beautiful and passionate sorrow in the words \u201cthe taste of tears and the smell of rain,\u201d words which worked their way into the song lyrics and the audience\u2019s hearts.<\/p>\n

This was the understanding that pushed Head forward; an understanding Beard drew upon. Day furthers, \u201cIt\u2019s the passion in the music. Stan has walked through a lot of things in his life. I think that\u2019s made him a deeper writer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even so, the artistic creation of the music was not, initially, an easy one. \u201cAt one point,\u201d confides Beard, \u201cI told Hayden, \u2018I don\u2019t think I\u2019m going to be able to continue this project. But when I sat down [at the piano] I said, \u2018Okay, let\u2019s see if I can write one line,\u2019 and literally within a bit more than a day, I wrote the rest of the score.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was when I felt very clearly called to be a part of Shepherd<\/span><\/em>.\u201d[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”6298″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center”][vc_separator][vc_column_text]Beard\u2019s calling culminated in a brilliant piece of work and the audience responded enthusiastically to the minimalist presentation of the concert reading. There were few props. The actors, dressed in black, faced the audience.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen everything is stripped away, it makes you dig deeper in the script. It makes you dig deeper in the music. It makes you work hard to bring out the emotions,\u201d explains Matthew James, a Silver Dollar City vocalist with a degree in musical theater.<\/p>\n

Extraordinary focus was placed on the humanity of the characters.<\/p>\n

Following two sold-out shows, Head and Beard hope for more open doors \u2014 perhaps a touring company, perhaps a permanent home here in what is still known as \u201cShepherd of the Hills Country.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe questions is, as they say, \u2018How does it play in Poughkeepsie?\u201d Beard muses. \u201cIt was a phenomenal experience and I hope and pray it makes it to a larger venue and a full show here in Branson.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHayden has done a very good job of capturing honest words and real emotion throughout the whole of the show,\u201d continues Dave Wallace who, as \u201cThe Shepherd,\u201d was called upon to carry the weight of the show\u2019s emotions during the second half.[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”6299″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center”][vc_separator][vc_column_text]\u201cThe words Hayden wrote are so simple but the power is undeniable.\u201d Wallace stands, facing the audience, tears streaming down his face as he discovers his son \u201cHoward,\u201d (Jonathan Beard) is dying.<\/p>\n

In the audience, \u201cI looked over at my sister and her little lip was doing this quiver thing,\u201d recalls Schmidt. \u201cWe just sort of met eyes for a second and it was like, \u2018Oh, my gosh! We\u2019re watching history being made.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

The audience rose to their feet, wiping tears. The applause broke the tension, surprising even the cast.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was really overwhelming,\u201d says James. \u201cWe got the standing ovation and we didn\u2019t expect that because it wasn\u2019t the end of the show!\u201d[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”6300″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center”][vc_single_image image=”6301″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center”][vc_separator][vc_column_text]Emotions were high and it was hard to imagine a dry eye in the house. \u201cThe Believe<\/span><\/em> piece is really the emotional zenith of the show but it\u2019s not the finale,\u201d Beard insists warmly.<\/p>\n

\u201cLife is a collection of moments,\u201d observed Wallace with a shepherd-like wisdom far beyond his 35 years. \u201cThere was something in those scenes with Howard, the intimacy of our faces unabashedly facing the audience. It\u2019s something we all shared because it is a human story: Everyone has loved ones that have gone away. Everyone has forgiveness they\u2019ve needed. And forgiveness they\u2019ve given. And it\u2019s all worthwhile. Every bit of it.<\/p>\n

\u201cLife.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Outside the brightly lit music box of a recital hall and beyond the noise of the applause, a light mist fell. The Ozark hills of which Wright wrote so eloquently loomed silently, dark and unforgiving. But an early spring bloomed in the March night and, with it, all the magic of hope and forgiveness.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been a real labor of love,\u201d mused Head, smiling, \u201cand it\u2019s been a long time getting here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 originally published March 26, 2016<\/strong><\/em>[\/vc_column_text][vc_text_separator title=”Story Credits”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

PHOTO CREDITS: BECKIE FAIRCHILD. MARCH 29, 2016. ARTICLE BY JOSHUA HESTON & CALEB BRUBAKER.<\/strong><\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]DR. HAYDEN HEAD<\/span><\/strong> has been a professor of English at College of the Ozarks for the last 17 years. He and his wife, Sue, and their two children, Heno and Lanie, moved back to the Ozarks from Irving, Texas, where Hayden earned his doctorate from the Institute of Philosophic Studies at the University of Dallas. Prior to their move to Irving, Hayden and Sue worked with Hayden\u2019s parents, Heno and Jane Head, who owned and operated Camp Soaring Hawk \u2014 located not too far from Monett, Missouri.<\/p>\n

Since that time, the camp changed hands and is now known as Camp Barnabas. Hayden and Sue met there over 40 years ago. \u201cLike so many Ozarkers, I love the story of Shepherd of the Hills<\/span>! I\u2019ve even had the chance to teach it a couple of times to my students in American literature. And I confess to a lifelong love of musicals. Thanks to Stan Beard, I\u2019m finally beginning to hope that my love for musicals and this story will make it to the stage. I will never forget listening to Stan\u2019s score for the first time \u2014 with tears in my eyes \u2014 and thanking the Lord that I could work with such a talented composer.\u201d Thank you for joining in what has been a labor of love. Long live the Shepherd![\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]STAN BEARD<\/span><\/strong> is a musician, vocalist, arranger, composer, and often not one at a time! Stan has performed in concert halls in every state in the USA and in more than two dozen other countries. Appropriately enough, this Pennsylvania native began his career with renowned entertainer, Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians, becoming the group\u2019s youngest choral director at age 20. The stages and studios of California then drew Stan to a musical world that ranged from his tenure with The Carol Burnett Show, and tours with the likes of Ray Conniff and Doc Severinsen, to singing with Streisand and Sinatra.<\/p>\n

His varied skills have well-served his long association with Disney on Ice, where has been musical director for more than three decades. \u201cJust try directing Goofy in Mandarin Chinese, Aladdin in Dutch, and Donald Duck in Italian, without cracking up! I dare ya!\u201d He has written or produced thousands of commercial jingles (American Airlines to Zenith TVs). Several films and TV movies carry his name right after the words \u201cMusic by…\u201d.<\/p>\n

Here in Branson, it has been 21 years since Stan composed the title song and score for \u201cListen to the River\u201d to open Silver Dollar City\u2019s Opera House. Since then his music has graced SDC\u2019s productions of A Dickens Christmas Carol, It\u2019s A Wonderful Life, Headin\u2019 West,<\/span> and the Living Nativity,<\/span> as well as parades and other events at the park.<\/p>\n

\u201cBranson and the Ozarks remind me of my Pennsylvania roots. Not just the land, even more so, the people. What a joy to team up with Hayden in this retelling of Harold Bell Wright\u2019s great story. I felt I knew many of the characters from my rural Appalachian foothills upbringing. Old Matt was Pop, my grandfather. I am honored to dedicate my work on Shepherd<\/span> to his memory.\u201d[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] PLATE 1. \u201cYoung Matt\u201d (Caleb Odenthal) fights the Baldknobbers. Photo by Beckie Fairchild. [\/vc_column_text][vc_separator][vc_column_text] Smells Like Rain & Tastes Like Tears: Shepherd the Musical by Joshua Heston with Caleb Brubaker \u201cDo they think this is the end?\u201d Dave Wallace wondered as he looked over an audience rising to their feet. The applause was long…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6290,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[942,955,582],"tags":[1073,454,229,453,1074],"class_list":["post-6302","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hillbillybroadway","category-hillbillyhistory","category-sotoarchive","tag-caleb-brubaker","tag-hayden-head","tag-joshua-heston","tag-shepherd-the-musical","tag-stan-beard","category-942","category-955","category-582","description-off"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateoftheozarks.net\/showcase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6302","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateoftheozarks.net\/showcase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateoftheozarks.net\/showcase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateoftheozarks.net\/showcase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateoftheozarks.net\/showcase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6302"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/stateoftheozarks.net\/showcase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6302\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6310,"href":"https:\/\/stateoftheozarks.net\/showcase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6302\/revisions\/6310"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateoftheozarks.net\/showcase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6290"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateoftheozarks.net\/showcase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6302"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateoftheozarks.net\/showcase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6302"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateoftheozarks.net\/showcase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6302"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}