The Long Branch Variety Show has become the nation's longest-running seasonal theatrical production,

Running nightly from Memorial weekend, maintaining its core structure: Miss Kitty and her piano player host a mix of musical, dramatic, and comedy routines, concluding with the Can-Can dancers' signature performance. Over the years, hundreds of local performers have contributed, including three full-time Miss Kittys in the first 25 years: Rosemary Mock (1958-1967), Nellis Reinert (1967-1976), and Connie Hudnett (1976-1984); today, five ladies share the role. Key supporting roles have included Clancy the bartender, "Doc" the piano player (a constant since Dr. Mock), and, since 1984, the historical figure Chalkley Beeson as the saloon owner.

Integral to the entire summer experience, alongside the nightly Long Branch show and a Country Style dinner, is the Boot Hill Museum Gunfighters' reenactment of a shoot-out on old Front Street at 6:00 pm. The show's continuity is further marked by its theme songs, "Down at the Long Branch Saloon" (written by Rosemary Mock) and "The Long Branch Saloon in Dodge City," which continue to be used as the finale and opener, respectively.

The tradition of the arts in Dodge City, stemming from figures like Chalkley Beeson, was revived in 1958 when the Boot Hill Jaycees reconstructed Front Street. Optometrist Dr. Lewis Mock and his wife, Rosemary, seized this opportunity to establish a period saloon show in the new Long Branch Saloon. The inaugural show, featuring Dr. Mock on piano, the first Can-Can dancers, and Rosemary Mock as host Dora Hand (an early Dodge City figure killed in 1878), was a resounding success over the Fourth of July weekend. Its popularity led to its continuation as a nightly summer production. By 1959, responding to the immense popularity of the television show Gunsmoke and visitor expectations, Rosemary Mock created the character of the Dodge City Kitty (later simply Miss Kitty), cementing the show's format.

What to Expect at a Performance

Visitors can expect the Long Branch Variety Show, a time-honored tradition that is a full theatrical production of singing and dancing. Hosted by characters like Ms. Kitty and her piano player, the performance includes musical, dramatic, and comedic acts.