It's not unusual for entertainers in Branson, Missouri, to work multiple jobs. Jay Wickizer, singer/master of ceremonies at Presley's Country Jubilee owns a construction company; 2017 Terry Awards Comedian of the Year Matt Gumm is a worship leader at a church; "American Idol" contestant James Redden performs on the Branson Belle Showboat and works in the box office of a theater on the strip. But Tina Cooper takes multi-tasking over the mountain pass.
Cooper, a Norman native, is director of operations for one of the theaters on the Branson Entertainment Highway. She is also a dancer/singer/songwriter (12 costume changes per show). She choreographs her own show and has choreographed other shows along “The Strip.” She sells tickets in the box office, mans the gift counter at intermission and is a mother of three — two are boys ages 8 and 13 who are involved in sports in Branson schools, requiring her attendance at games.
All that is on top of being co-owner with her husband, Clay, of the award-winning Clay Cooper Theater in Branson.
“I used to clean up the theater,” she admitted, “but that was during the first phase of our theater ownership career.”
The Coopers, Redden said, are the sweetest people he knows.
“They have so many hats that they wear: Owners, running the business side, entertaining — they get on stage every night on top of running their own business.”
Fellow Showboat entertainer Clark Roberts, who has worked with and for Cooper at several shows, says, “They are great family entertainment. They run the whole thing, and they are just great people to work for. Clay is awesome; he's an amazing entertainer and a great boss. Tina is definitely the brains behind the business. She keeps everything running smooth, I don't know how she does it.”
OU beginnings
Tina Silva Cooper grew up in Norman. She graduated from Norman High School in 1989. Her mom, Paula Silva, owned a dance studio and taught dance.
Cooper said she studied modern dance under teacher Kozaburo (Ko) Yukihiro at the University of Oklahoma.
“I just remember him staying so firm with me, and I was thankful for that. Dr. Mathis, who passed away, he was my voice teacher and just constantly continued giving me more confidence and trying to expand my vocal range.”
She graduated from OU in 1993 with a bachelor of fine arts degree in Music Theatre.
“I was thankful for Rena Cook and for Mark Brotherton who just really encouraged me with my acting. I remember doing a musical called "‘Anything Goes" and Professor Brotherton was so great with me — understanding — he kept trying to pull things out of me. I'm thankful for that now, because I'm able to do that here on stage and I'm also able to use what they taught me with my students.”
Forgot to mention she also teaches.
“I helped with American Kids, an all kids organization. It's a Christian-based group, and they had shows that they performed out at Silver Dollar City. I would take all of these kids (10-15 children) and we would create a show, and they would perform it all summer long. So that was a lot of fun. My mother was my dance teacher, and that held a strong place in my heart to be able to do something she had done,” Cooper said.
“Being able to work with kids and see them evolve has been amazing. Actually three of those kids are in my show now. So it's been really interesting cause I'm performing with kids that I taught from the age of 8 all the way up till they graduated high school. Two of them have just gotten married.”
Cooper's first job after college was in Nashville working at Opryland, followed by assignments on cruise ships for a couple of years.
"Got to see a lot of the world doing that: South America, the Panama Canal, Alaska cruises, the Caribbean. I had a lot of fun performing on cruise ships in different parts of the world, but I did miss my family. I missed my dog. So I moved back home after my second year of cruise ships and tried to figure out what I was going to do.”
A call from another OU alumnus who had moved to Branson and started a show here called "Red Hot and Blue" (which was actually a show that they did back at the University of Oklahoma that was called "Christopher and Company") helped make up her mind.
In 1996, she moved to Branson to do the show with him.
“I just fell in love with Branson. I loved everything that Branson was about. It was close enough that I could go home and see my family when I wanted to, but I was still doing what I loved which was performing and I also got a lot of choreography opportunities.
“I realized I needed more money, and so I started working at a show called 'Country Tonight.' I was doing about 12 shows a week back then. I was doing a morning show with 'Red Hot and Blue' and then two shows a day, six days a week with 'Country Tonight,' ” she said.
That is where she met and married Clay Cooper.
“ 'Country Tonight' closed in 2003 right after I had Colton, my oldest son. I didn't know what we were going to do. Clay was the host, and he had left to go start another show with a friend. That was my mainstay, dancing with 'Country Tonight.' "
Running the show
In 2005, the Coopers decided to start their own show.
“We borrowed $25,000 from my dad. We thought, ‘Yes, we're going to make this,' and it was gone before rehearsals were over," she said.
“We went through a couple of trying years. We ended up becoming a night show in 2007, and we moved venues and we worked there until 2009.
“Jimmy Osmond was looking to sell this venue (where Clay Cooper Theater is located now), and we took it over in 2010 and have been here ever since — we love it. It's been an incredible experience. I truly believe that God has had his hand on every single bit of this,” Tina Cooper said.
Clay Cooper has numerous awards for master of ceremonies, entertainer and bass guitar and was the 2016 Brammy Award winner for Entertainer of the Year.
Tina Cooper holds the 2016 Brammy for Choreographer of the Year.
“I'm so thankful. It's been awesome that we are in a place that we can do what we love to do and allow our children to take part in it. It's been great for our kids. The Branson school district is great about letting our kids get out of school and go right back over, so long as their grades stay up. It's just been a blessing for our family."
Youngest son Caden, 8, started performing at age 5 in the Christmas show. Last year was his first year to sing.
Colton, 13, was 18 months old his first time on stage.
“He walked out while the cast of the Paul Harris show was performing a bluegrass segment. He grabbed a mandolin off the stage, and the band didn't see him. The audience started laughing and making noise because Colton was behind the band imitating them. Paul and Clay turned around, saw Colton and brought him up front. That was his debut,” Tina Cooper recalled.
Today he sings solo and with his father and plays the guitar.
Stepdaughter Cassidy, 23, tried when she was about 13 but instantly had stage fright.
The Coopers have been married 17 years.
