Amish Country Theater offers plenty of new summer fun
When the cast of Amish Country Theater created its unique brand of humor, music and entertainment years ago in Amish Country via a comedy and variety show, no one was certain what to expect.
The show revolves around the Chonas Brothers — actors who play Amish brothers — and takes place in the heart of Amish Country in Holmes County.
Would the parody show be accepted, and what would the locals think of it?
It turns out people love it, including the Amish community.
Perhaps that is because of the show’s genuine love for the Amish community and its zany approach to humor that has had audiences doubling over in laughter while enjoying top-notch bluegrass music and, of course, the lovable Lynard, who never met a funny bone he didn’t want to tickle.
Maybe actor Dave Conn, who plays Jonas Eli Beachy, said it best: “It’s so ridiculous you can’t take it seriously. It’s just clean, silly comedy for the whole family.”
The cast members write their own material, and Conn is instrumental in penning many of the parody songs. He said much of the material is derived from sitting in the green room, where innocent chatter can organically turn into something fresh and funny.
“Our team is so creative, and when we come up with something new, we add it to the show to see if it works,” Conn said.
In the third week of May 2024, the troop introduced two new shows filled with new material, songs and comedy bits.
“We will always keep our most popular material in the shows, but we work hard to keep bringing in new material,” Conn said.
The two new shows coming to an Amish Country Theater near you this spring include “Barn to be Wild” and “Sheep Thrills.”
In addition, the theater also brings in more than 40 special acts each year, from Christmas shows to Elvis impersonators and national musicians and performers.
According to Conn, they make sure all the acts coming in to perform are clean, family-oriented acts, which is something they were adamant about doing from day one.
“The show is comedy variety, with a lot of music, loads of laughter and complete family content,” Conn said.
For many years professional ventriloquist Ken Groves has delighted fans, some of whom he brings on stage for a time-honored favorite skit. He has recently retired from the show, and in his place are a steady stream of nationally renowned ventriloquists.
The Chonas Brothers, Jonas Eli and Jonas Reuben, provide jokes throughout the show and provide parody songs that introduce aspects of the Amish lifestyle into the show.
Then there’s Lynard, the toothy livewire of the show played by John Bunn, who loves igniting a crowd and producing loud guffaws.
All this enjoyment takes place in a theater that is first-class. Conn said the theater itself often surprises people who haven’t attended the show.
While the evening shows are the highlight, there’s more to the Amish Country Theater experience than meets the eye.
One addition is the Land Cruise Package.
What is a Land Cruise Package doing in landlocked Amish Country?
The package is designed to emulate what one might find on a cruise. It begins with two-night accommodations in the Encore Hotel, with all the fine dining participants could want. Included in the package is the award-winning show, audience interactive game shows, bingo and brainiac trivia, a backstage theater tour, late night comedy with Lynard, and plenty of shows and days packed with fun.
“The fun never ends,” Lynard says in the promotional video. “This year we have increased the awesomeness of the menu.”
Those attending last year’s Land Cruise can’t stop singing its praises and enjoyed interaction with the cast and meeting new friends through the experience.
For more on the Amish Country Theater, visit www.amishcountrytheater.com, where you can book show tickets, reserve accommodations at the Encore and see why people keep coming back time and again to this sidesplitting adventure in Amish Country.
Call ACT at 888-988-7469. Amish Country Theater and Encore Hotel are located at 4365 state Route 39 in Berlin.
