Dick Clark’s American Bandstand Theater closed in 2009. Information below is for historical reference.
Some of you may remember the Boyd’s Bears Country at the south end of Pigeon Forge or may have seen the building (it was the enormous red barn at the end of town closest to Gatlinburg just past the Log Cabin Pancake House). If you have never been, you missed your chance as it shut down and has now been turned into Dick Clark’s American Bandstand Theater. I imagine locals will call it something creative…like…big red barn (not to be confused with the Comedy Barn). Pigeon Forge became home to a brand new music venue with some popular artists performing in concert. They had a handful of artists lined up to perform that appealed to a broad range of people.
Other areas of this new music complex will be a tribute to Dick Clark (most likely a museum-style area with the story of his life with memorabilia) and a restaurant. It’s definitely going to be a great place to stop if you love music of any era. This would even be a great place to bring the kids or grandchildren to show them what you listened to when you were their age. The goal is to keep this a very family-oriented venue so that people of all ages can visit and go to the concerts.
Let me begin by saying that I am a Christian and that my review is from that perspective. I’m always interested in new and engaging ways to share the Gospel with the world and so I was excited to see The Miracle Theater come to life in Pigeon Forge, TN. This town has historically had very few productions with Christian stories, so The Miracle was a breath of fresh air from the rest of the entertainment in town.
As far as the show goes, I don’t want to give too much away, but it centers around the life of Christ and the Miracles He performed throughout His life. The Miracle is a two and a half hour production (which includes a 15 minute intermission) that covers Creation (Genesis) and jumps straight into the Birth of Christ and then weaves a completely engaging journey through the New Testament. The Miracle is a Broadway-style production with original songs & music (there are only a couple of songs you will recognize), an enormous cast, special effects (flying angels, smoke, fire, rain, and more!), live animals, and so much more. Much like The Passion of the Christ (the movie), The Miracle is a profitable production rather than a mission. It has the same bottom-line as any other theater or show in town, but it delivers a message that is so much more powerful and beneficial.
One of the things I noticed while watching The Miracle is that children and adults alike were asking questions to people around them as to what character was speaking, what was going on, and why things were happening the way they were. It became an opportunity to witness to numerous people and gave them many topics to discuss after they left the theater. There’s no doubt in my mind that at least one life is positively changed after each show. It truly is an amazing experience.
