The curtain will rise this month on the latest chapter in a family business success story that’s as impressive as it is entertaining.

It begins at a 140-year-old family farm in northwest Iowa, outside Le Mars, where decades ago Shelly Brown introduced her love of singing to the family’s four children.

“We started singing around the area and expanded regionally and eventually nationally and even internationally,” daughter Michaela Brown said.

“That turned into a 25-year career, and we recorded numerous albums and CDs because we loved making new music.”

They grew a reputation for their gospel and family-friendly music, performing at venues such as the Americana Theatre in Branson, Missouri; Dollywood in Tennessee; and on cruise ships.

But after years on the road, the family wanted to perform closer to home and became the owners of their own theater – a century-old restored former bank building in downtown Le Mars now called The Browns Century Theater.

“Last year, we started running out of room and had to turn people away,” Brown said. “We did over 40 Christmas shows in six weeks – so that’s a lot of music – and then, we started dreaming again. Now, we’re expanding and building a new theater.”

They’re converting another building they own behind their current theater into a venue that will double their capacity and host its first show Nov. 13.

“We just set out to use our gift, and that was music, and to do it as a family,” Brown said. “We had the farm, we were home-educated, so we were just always together, and then we started singing. We just knew it was a calling, and it was what we were meant to do, and we could be creative. God opened doors, we walked through them, and here we are.”

The right notes

The family’s patriarch, Keith, whom Brown said “just sings on the tractor,” continues to run the family farm along with youngest son, Andrew. Three of the four siblings – Michaela, Adam and Andrew – still sing with their mother.

“We perform about two weekends a month in the theater and do a seasonal show – an Easter music show, Celtic, patriotic, and we have one called ‘Oh My Iowa’ that has songs and history of Iowa, plus we have a country show and, of course, Christmas is our big one,” Brown said.

In addition to the theater, the family acquired other buildings in Le Mars and has opened businesses in them.

In 2016, they opened the Central Event Center, offering a buffet experience, gift shop and six-suite bed and breakfast.

When the dry cleaner behind it came on the market, they bought the building and responded to the community’s wish to keep a dry cleaner.

“So we own that, and someone else manages it and does a great job, and then we put a retail space called The Wash House in front with a ton of fun, unique soap, laundry and bath bombs,” Brown said.

As their business ventures grew, Brown connected with the Prairie Family Business Association

“My mom found it online, and it was right around the time of the Next Gen Retreat, so we joined and thought it would be a good thing to do,” Brown said. “We watched the annual conference in the car driving back from a show somewhere, and we started to watch a lot of the webinars. Then, I attended the Next Gen Retreat last fall and joined an Affinity Peer Group.”

At the retreat, “I really enjoyed it,” she said. “In a small-town family business, you can’t talk shop with a lot of people. You have great friends but can’t exactly talk business on the same page, so it was great to have like-minded people. I learned a lot and took a lot of notes.”

As part of a peer group, “I’m also learning so much,” Brown continued.

“It’s been great. I’d love to get the rest of the family more involved. I think the resources are so great. I’m gaining so much wisdom, and they’ve been super-helpful as we’ve been growing as a family in business.”

The Browns are an impressive example of a family that blends multiple diverse businesses, said Stephanie Larscheid, executive director of Prairie Family Business Association.

“This is such a fun, talented family,” she said. “There will be many considerations for them as they look to their next generation, including those related to the farm, which is an area where we’ve been able to connect our resources with a growing number of families. I’m really looking forward to our other members getting to know the Browns and what they’ve brought to their community.”

Future focus

The third generation of the Brown family also slowly is taking the stage.

“There are some young kiddos growing up and working on some songs,” Brown said. “They’re still pretty young – 8 and 3 – but Grandma is working on a Christmas song, so if they’re in the theater this year, they can hop on stage and sing their song.”

The new theater, called The Browns Music Theater, will seat 325 and include “a beautiful gift shop, plus a concession stand with chocolates, which people love, plus we have some fun surprises for the new theater because we have more room to create unique experiences, which we love.”

While the future use of their historic building hasn’t been determined, for the Christmas season Shelly Brown has created a Festival of Wreaths & Trees, “which is a beautiful winter wonderland, so you can wander through for a new experience and enjoy hot cocoa and cider and cookies,” Brown said.

“And then next year, we’re thinking we might do some musical productions because we have written some musicals.”

To connect with Brown Hospitality Group and its business ventures – including purchasing tickets to their shows – visit thebrownstheater.com.