90 Years Young

Harlem Globetrotters celebrate at Silver Dollar City

The Harlem Globetrotters will be at Silver Dollar City in Branson, Mo., for six weeks this summer to celebrate the 90th birthday of the all-star basketball team.
The Harlem Globetrotters will be at Silver Dollar City in Branson, Mo., for six weeks this summer to celebrate the 90th birthday of the all-star basketball team.

It was 90 years ago when a Chicago businessman named Abe Saperstein started a basketball team he called the Savoy Big Five. The concept was to promote a nightclub called the Savoy Ballroom. The result was the Harlem Globetrotters.

More than 20,000 games later, the team is celebrating its birthday at Silver Dollar City -- a reflection that its roots as a family experience are still strong and that it's adapting to the future in performances, mediums and venues.

FAQ

Harlem Globetrotters

WHEN — Through July 24

WHERE — Silver Dollar City in Branson, Mo.

COST — $50-$61 single day admission

INFO — silverdollarcity.com

"We still do some of the classic bits that my grandparents would have seen," says Brett Meister, the team's senior vice president of communications and 19-year veteran with the organization. "The staples of our show are still there, and I think people would be disappointed if they weren't.

"But we've been able to evolve with the times and technology through the music, through the experiences of the game, and we've exploded on social media, which allows our fans to connect with the players," he continues.

Silver Dollar City also marks an evolution in venues. Last year's summer engagement at the Branson, Mo., theme park was the first extended stay for the team, and "it was a huge, huge success," Meister says. It required adaptation of the performance because there is no arena on park property, and it opened the door to other similar opportunities.

"Our show producers worked closely with Silver Dollar City on creating an experience that gives you the best of the Globetrotters even though it's not our normal touring show -- because it's not a full game," he says. "It gives you a taste of all the popular elements within our touring show -- music, dancing, crowd interaction, great basketball -- and it's the absolute perfect collaboration because Silver Dollar City is so well known as a great place to take your family and create a lifetime memory."

It went so well, in fact, that the team worked for two days over Memorial Day weekend at Wild Adventures in Valdosta, Ga., and "I think this definitely has a future, whether it be theme parks or cruise ships," Meister says.

-- Becca Martin-Brown

[email protected]

NAN What's Up on 06/17/2016

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