MUSCATINE, Iowa — All the glitter, glamour and toe-tapping excitement of catching a live show in Branson, Mo., is coming to Muscatine.

The Lions Club is sponsoring Branson on the Road at 3 p.m.  Sunday, Aug. 30, at the Central Middle School Auditorium.

“We bring Branson to Muscatine,” said Debbie Horton, one of the show’s hosts. “It’s a high-energy show and our goal is to leave everybody with a smile on their face.”

In true Branson tradition, Branson on the Road features classic country, bluegrass, rockabilly and gospel music, combined with slapstick comedy and rhinestone costumes.

The Muscatine show will also showcase recent Muscatine High School graduate Abby Curtis singing “Walking after Midnight” by Patsy Cline and “I’ll Fly Away.“

“I’m excited,” Curtis said. “It will be a new experience for sure because I’ve never been asked to sing in something like this.”

Horton said she loves to include local performers in Branson on the Road.

“We’ve been so blessed and people have helped us along the way,” she said. “It’s kind of like giving back to other singers. Getting up on stage you learn so much.”

Horton knows firsthand just how much such opportunities mean. When she was just out of high school, her hero, Johnny Cash, invited her to play lead guitar at one of his concerts. Horton remains the only woman to ever play lead guitar for him.

“I know when Johnny Cash allowed me to play with him that was a big deal,” Horton said. “It just changed my life in so many ways.”

Lions Club member Albert Love, who organized the Muscatine performance, said it was his idea to include Curtis.

“I’m just trying to give the audience as much as I can for entertainment,” he said. “If there’s a local guest who can add to the entertainment, why not do that?”

Proceeds from the concert will benefit the Lions Club, which supports a wide range of community projects including adult hearing and vision assistance, vision screening for children, college scholarships, the Iowa leader dog program and sending kids to camp.

“Wherever we can do good, we try to help,” Love said. “Success in this program will help us to do a lot of work.”

Branson on the Road has been a huge hit in Oelwien, Iowa, where Love previously resided. The group will perform there Saturday, Aug. 29, for the third year in a row before heading to Muscatine.

Branson on the Road debuted in 2005 and is regularly featured on the national television show “Midwest Country” on the RFD-TV network.

“We are literally bringing a little bit of Branson to people all over the country,” Horton said.

Prior to forming Branson on the Road, Horton hosted her own show at the old Boxcar Willie Theater in Branson. Country singers Wanda Jackson and Norma Jean have performed songs she has written.

Her husband, Donnie Wright, plays the fiddle, mandolin, guitar, banjo and bass for the group, as well as providing comic relief during the show.

Brian Capps, the third member of the group, plays the upright bass. His most recent album reached the Top 10 on the Americana charts.

The performers will be available both before and after the show to sign autographs and take requests.

“It’s just a whole lot of fun and we are really looking forward to coming there to Muscatine,” Horton said.

Details

What: Branson on

the Road

When: 3 p.m. Sunday,

Aug. 30

Where: Central Middle School Auditorium, 901 Cedar St.

Tickets: General admission is $15 in advance, $14 for groups of 20 or more, and $20 at the door. Available at:

First National Bank, 300 E. Second St.; Muscatine Holiday Inn, 2915 U.S. Highway 61 N.; ServiceMaster, 600 Mulberry Ave. By phone at 800-516-2372; Online at www.bransonontheroad.com/tickets.html

For more information contact Albert Love at 506-0008 or awlove.love@gmail.com