30 Years of Yakov: Branson comedian Smirnoff enters milestone season

Yakov Smirnoff affably describes his life as a multi-part series.

Smirnoff, who emigrated to America from the Soviet Union before his rise to comedic fame in the 1980s, is nearing the twilight of a career that led to his Branson residency, one of his lengthier episodes.

The 72-year-old is one of the Ozarks entertainment town's most recognizable figures, a fact best conveyed by the ownership of the eye-catching Yakov Smirnoff Theater, a stone's throw from U.S. 65.

His 30th anniversary in Branson — where he has lived full-time since leaving his Los Angeles-area home during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 — begins in earnest April 4, for what he hopes to be another laugh-filled season.

Smirnoff was a bartender and budding comic in Russia before he and his parents defected to New York City in 1977 amid the Cold War, eventually moving to Hollywood to try and get his foot in the door.

International acclaim followed, with movie and television roles, invitations to the White House from President Ronald Reagan, and his famous catchphrase "America: What a country."

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His Slavic accent, coupled with his comedic reverence for U.S. culture after leaving the Soviet Russia, made his slogan a hit.

"Hollywood, TV, that was my second life," said Smirnoff, who was born in Ukraine. "It seems like a lifetime ago."

When the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, signaling the collapse of the USSR, it changed the complexion of his career and led to his eventual landing in southwest Missouri.

Late Night Talk Show host David Letterman jokingly predicted the end of Smirnoff's fame during his popular "Top 10 Things" segment, as much of the culture began to shift past Smirnoff's USA-Soviet shtick.

Enter the third episode, in which Smirnoff has incorporated more wide-ranging material during his decades in the Ozarks, including popular relationship humor from his set, "Happily Ever Laughter."

"It reminded me of the Wild West," Smirnoff said of his initial impressions of Branson. "If you are willing to get a shovel and keep digging, and have desire, the possibilities are endless."

Country music star Willy Nelson told Smirnoff about Branson when the two teamed up for a show in Iowa in the early 1990s. Encouraged by the positive response he received at the Farm Aid show, Smirnoff heeded Nelson's advice.

Shortly after opening up shop in the Ozarks, he became a hit.

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"What resonated (in Branson) is how much I love America," Smirnoff said. "That is what this whole town is about."

Smirnoff, who is also an accomplished painter, created a 200-foot 9/11 art installation that served as an iconic backdrop on a Manhattan skyscraper at Ground Zero, a patriotic mural piece that still evokes emotion when describing it.

It was first displayed around the time he hit Broadway with his "As Long As We Both Shall Laugh" performance.

Now the decorated Smirnoff, who has a graduate degree from Pepperdine and a doctorate from University of Pennsylvania, is enjoying his time as a Branson local.

Smirnoff considered moving permanently to Florida in 2020 after his time in California, but said he didn't feel at home when scouting out property.

"The warmth from people around us in Branson is incomparable to anywhere we've ever lived," he said.

Smirnoff's "Laugh Your Yak-Off" show will run from April 4 to Nov. 25, and will include award-winning magician and Las Vegas headliner Aaron Radatz.

Tickets in April and May are just $12 for residents of nearby counties, Smirnoff said, as part of an "area appreciation" sale. Visit bransonshowticketsdirect.com for more information.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: 30 Years of Yakov: Branson comedian Smirnoff enters milestone season