In Branson, The Show Must Go On

The hardest-hit area closest to Green Country is Branson, Missouri, where many fear the twister spun away their Spring Break Plans.

In the heart of Music City, snapped trees and shuttered theaters aren't supposed to be part of showbiz.

The winds ripped the hand railing apart and shattered the glass doors at the Dick Clark American Bandstand theater.

"Sickening, at the start of the season. Last year we had the floods. And we have this," said theater manager Jerry Carroll.

With its flooded lobby and a big hole in the roof, Dick Clark Theater is one of ten Branson venues where the registers are closed. Out of 50 theaters in this town, that's not bad.

And only about 20 of Branson's 200 hotels got hit, the most visible being the Hilton Convention Center.

"You've got shards of glass. Pieces of the wood that came off the roof," said Hilton manager Bill Tirone

The building's 12 stories of glass offer gorgeous views of Lake Taneycomo. And for some unlucky guests, a front row seat to a twister in every room where the curtain billows in the wind.

Glass is everywhere, ceilings are caving – and debris is still falling off the building.

"The length of it was probably two or three minutes. To see what Mother Nature can do in that amount of time is unbelievable," Tirone said.

Back at the concert venue, the wind did a number on a Blues Brother and his sunglasses.

"Sucked them off and they were laying back here on the floor," Carroll said.

But the show must go on.

With crews already cleaning up the theater, Branson says the dress rehearsal is over. This town will be ready by opening night.

Branson's mayor Raeanne Presley is part of the family that opened Branson's first show on the strip – and is leading the recovery effort.

So if you're coming here for spring break, all the major attractions are open.

The city's updating its website every two hours with the latest openings and closings.

03/01/2012 Related Story: Branson, Missouri Says It's Open For Business A Day After Tornado Strike