Tribute show: worth it?

Verdict first

Book it if your idea of a good evening is a room singing along to songs it already knows, played by a real band. For about two hours the stage passes from one tribute artist to the next, each styled and voiced as a famous star, with a house band, backing singers and dancers around them. Skip it if one particular act is the whole reason you want to go, because the ticket cannot promise that: the cast belongs to the season. It also isn't a dinner show, so plan your meal around it. For most holidaymakers who like music from several decades, it is an easy, cheerful night that needs no planning beyond a date.

Who you will actually see

Whoever is in the cast that season. The production rotates its line-up several times a year, often under a seasonal theme, and keeps the right to change acts without notice, so a performer shown in spring may be gone by autumn. That is why no act is named anywhere on this site. Before settling on a date, look at the season shown on the booking page and in the production's own announcements, and choose a night because that season appeals to you, not because of a name you remember from a friend's trip. If one performer matters more than anything else, check again close to the day, and keep a second evening in mind in case the line-up has moved on.

Is it really sung live?

The show is billed as live vocals with a live band, not miming to recordings, and that is the core of the format. Wikipedia describes the production's performers as people who resemble the stars they portray and sing in their own natural voices, backed by a band and dancers. In practice you hear a real singer working hard to sound like someone famous, which is a different pleasure from hearing the record. Some voices land closer than others on any given night; the band, the arrangements and the energy in the room do much of the work. After a week of piped music in hotel lobbies, a band playing in the room makes a welcome change.

How the two hours run

Each date's start time is shown in the booking calendar. Doors open well before the start, so arrive with time to spare, show your voucher and find your seat. The show itself lasts about two hours including an intermission. Acts follow one another, each with a set of songs tied to the star being honoured, while the band, backing singers and dancers stay on stage around them. At the break the snack bar opens for drinks and something sweet. In the second half the rest of the cast takes its turn, and the evening closes with the last of the season's acts. Running order belongs to the production, and it can shift from one night to the next.

Read next: How tribute acts work

Why the line-up keeps changing

A rotating cast is how a long-running tribute production keeps repeat visitors coming back. This one has run in Myrtle Beach for decades, operating year-round. Changing the acts each season gives them a reason to book again and lets the show follow the music audiences ask for, whether that is a summer run built around one decade, an autumn line-up or a holiday show at the end of the year. For a first-time visitor the consequence is simple: treat the season you land in as the show, and enjoy whatever it brings rather than hunting for a specific face.

The theatre and the complex around it

The theatre stands in a large shopping and entertainment complex in central Myrtle Beach, built around Lake Broadway by the developer Burroughs & Chapin. It holds three theatres, alongside shops, attractions, hotels and many places to eat. Entry to the complex is free; only the attractions charge. That makes the evening easy to build: dinner first, then the show, then a walk by the lake under the lights. The complex lies inland rather than on the beach, so you will drive or take a taxi from most hotels.

Read next: The complex by the lake

Food, drink and the snack bar

Nothing to eat or drink is included in the ticket, and the theatre is not a dinner venue. It does run a snack bar with snacks, sweets, soft drinks, beer and wine, which earns its keep at the intermission. For a proper meal, eat beforehand at one of the complex's restaurants, which range from sit-down places to quick counters. Leave a comfortable margin, because curtain goes up at the time printed on your voucher whether or not dessert has arrived. If you are travelling with children who eat early, a late lunch and a snack at the break can work better than a rushed dinner squeezed in between the car and the theatre door.

Children and families

Children are welcome, and the production pitches the show at music fans of all ages. Infants don't take a seat of their own: they sit on an adult's lap. The calendar lists which ticket types are on sale for your date; look before paying. Think about length, too. Two hours with a break suits most school-age children, while toddlers may find the second half long. Because the songs span several decades, this is one of the few evenings out that grandparents, parents and teenagers can share without anyone feeling dragged along, and the loud, bright staging keeps younger viewers watching. Families with a sleepy toddler should sit where a quick exit is easy.

Access and house rules

A few rules shape the night, and they are worth knowing before you set off. The venue is wheelchair- and pushchair-accessible with no stairs, and service animals are allowed; ask for wheelchair seating when you book so it is held for you. Flash photography and filming are not allowed during the show, so take your pictures before it starts. Infants sit on laps. And the free cancellation that comes with a GetYourGuide booking runs out 24 hours before the show, which matters if your plans depend on the weather or on a long drive in.

• Wheelchair- and pushchair-accessible, no stairs
• Service animals allowed
• No flash photography or filming during the show
• Infants sit on an adult's lap
• Free cancellation until 24 hours before

Who this isn't for

Give it a miss if you only want original artists, or if one named act is the whole reason to go; a seasonal cast cannot promise that. Look elsewhere if you want dinner served at your seat or a quiet, intimate room, because this is a full theatre with a loud band and an audience that joins in. It is also not the place for something you could only see on this coast: tribute shows are a familiar format across the United States. And if a room clapping along to songs you dislike would spoil your evening, an evening on the water or a long dinner by the ocean will suit you far better.

How to book it well

Open the calendar, pick a date and check the start time and the season shown for it. Booking through GetYourGuide keeps your money refundable until 24 hours before curtain and lets payment wait, which helps while your beach week is still taking shape; tickets bought at the theatre itself are sold as final. On the night, eat in the complex, arrive early, have the voucher ready and settle in before the band starts. Torn between the show and a boat trip? The comparison guide lines the boat up against the theatre, and the guide to tribute acts explains what you are watching.

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