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ScottC4746
06-07-2011, 05:41 AM
With the recent passing of Wally Boag and Betty Taylor, do you think Disneyland will ever scrap the hillbilly concert and go back to doing Vaudville type shows again? Grant you most experianced vaudvillians or too old to perform or have died, but it is called training.

olegc
06-07-2011, 08:53 AM
i doubt it but who knows... i don't think there is a high interest level from a majority audience. Mind you if they do get to the point of a 2 day resort (soon it seems) then maybe additional shows that run longer to keep folks on property may be the direction. I know they still do swing dancing on Fri and/or Sat nights and some bands in the summer perform at TT - but there also is a slew of DJ acts because that's what the mass audience kind of likes.

I think if they took a chance on something it may work - but I also think that the idea of what was the old west, and the saloon, is not in the current public's mind.

potzbie
06-07-2011, 10:06 AM
A couple of thoughts.

1. There already is a vaudeville pre-show, called "Laughing Stock Company." So that tradition continues. It may be different from the 1950s show, but it is vaudeville, and it fulfills the same purpose.

2. The old show was famous for not changing its jokes and songs. By using Billy Hill and the Hillbillies as the entertainment, the show will have various seasonal themes throughout the year. A show which changes with the seasons has significant audience-draw advantages over a show which does not change.

3. A musical act comes across as appealing to a wider audience than a dialogue-intensive act, as the old show was. That is, while a 5 year old child might not follow the jokes of Wally Boag, a 5 year old child can enjoy Billy Hill, even without "getting" the in-between one-liners and shaggy-dog set-ups.

In my opinion.

biolabetty
06-07-2011, 11:30 AM
I love the Billies and enjoyed them yesterday. Tokyo Disneyland does a version of the old show, my daughter got back a couple of months ago from being Sluefoot Sue there.

olegc
06-07-2011, 12:32 PM
while I agree with potzbie's overall thoughts and theme I don't agree that the old show was a lot of jokes and one liners as an only source of entertainment. unless you count telling a story in song, so with lots of words to a melody and chorus, telling a joke. While there were multiple sketches the notion of the vaudeville act - singing, dancing, comedy, combined efforts - were all part of it - not just comedy skits.

leota's necklace
06-08-2011, 01:32 PM
I never had the pleasure of seeing the old show, but I have listened to the edited version on the Musical History of Disneyland cd's, and I am pretty sure I hear kids laughing their heads off through Boag's segment. If they didn't get the jokes, they got his facial expressions and balloon animals and the gags with the bagpipes.

And dear lord, if we have to tune every show to appeal to five-year-olds....

DwarfPlanet
06-08-2011, 02:10 PM
Both shows have/had their appeal. I don't know how much more vaudevillian you can get than standing in front of a crowd with a violin bow stuck up your nose.

Grandpa Louie
06-08-2011, 04:19 PM
The old Golden Horseshoe Revue is as gone as the Skyway.

The Billies are a fine replacement.

findin mickeys
06-10-2011, 02:36 PM
I look forward to seeing the Billies on every trip to the park. It is a great place to take a break and enjoy one of the best shows the park has to offer. I just need to find myself a set of those lovely teeth.

Grandpa Louie
06-10-2011, 02:46 PM
They used to sell them in the Magic Store.

dban3
06-11-2011, 12:18 PM
I think the original Golden Horseshoe Revue kind of met the same fate at the western on TV. Gunsmoke and Bonanza had their runs (long runs) but eventually, people got kind of tired of westerns. The Billy Hill & the Hillbillies show is a great replacement for the original Golden Horseshoe Revue. Even though there is a certain amount of repetitiveness to their shows both with the musical numbers and bits (even with the Christmas version Billy Hill "Spectacular"), they are highly skilled musicians and immensely entertaining. And a lot depends on the audience. Their interactions with those watching the performance seems to be the greatest variable in their show. And if memory serves me, the original Golden Horseshoe Revue had many more performers. There are only 4 "Hillbillies" (and probably a "tech" guy somewhere) and while I'm sure they are very well compensated for what they do (some of the Hillbillies pop up in other park venues from time to time), there may be a bit of financial savings for Disney rather trying to run a larger "revue" type show. I'm always amazed by the number of people who go to Disneyland (not DL regulars) and don't stop by to see Billy Hill at the Golden Horseshoe. Then again, the shows are always packed even on the slowest of days, so its probably a good thing that large numbers of people don't stop in to check 'em out.

Gone2Disneyland
06-12-2011, 08:03 AM
I'm always amazed by the number of people who go to Disneyland (not DL regulars) and don't stop by to see Billy Hill at the Golden Horseshoe. Then again, the shows are always packed even on the slowest of days, so its probably a good thing that large numbers of people don't stop in to check 'em out.

I love talking up Billy Hill and the Hillbillies when I'm with friends at the park who've never seen one of their shows, and several times it's with APs too. But every time I've talked them into going in to check out their show, they leave as new fans. I think the building just doesn't scream "I'm an exciting ride!" or "The rootin-est, tootin-est show of the West is right through these doors!" so folks just understandably walk right by, especially if you're not an AP and you're trying to get the most (rides) for your money in a day.

And to give my two cents to the OP's question, I generally agree with most of the rest of the posters here. The comparative cost to launch an entirely different show and the lack of The Western as a current pop culture trend, plus the fact that for many of today's generation the days of Pecos Bill, Slue Foot Sue and the original GH Revue mean as much to them as black and white TVs and vinyl records, are my arguments that Disney won't make any changes to the Golden Horseshoe's current show. BUT I can guarantee some WD Imagineers are wondering what they could brainstorm for Frontierland once Gore Verbinski and Johnny Depp's The Lone Ranger rides in theatres from Walt Disney Pictures in December 2012!!

http://herocomplex.latimes.com/2011/02/17/lone-ranger-johnny-depp-wont-be-traditional-tonto-director-says/

The man behind the mask was also recently cast. He'll be played by Armie Hammer.

http://insidemovies.ew.com/2011/05/17/lone-ranger-armie-hammer-johnny-depp/

So stand by... :)

dban3
06-12-2011, 08:56 AM
. BUT I can guarantee some WD Imagineers are wondering what they could brainstorm for Frontierland once Gore Verbinski and Johnny Depp's The Lone Ranger rides in theatres from Walt Disney Pictures in December 2012!!

So stand by... :)

Hmmm....there have been rumors about Frontierland expansion (into the mostly sealed off Festival Arena) for a few years now. A successful Depp Lone Ranger could be the catalyst.

jpg391
06-12-2011, 02:48 PM
NO, I personally do not think they will go back to the original Golden Horseshoe Revue style of show.