In the past articles I have covered entertainment strategy and all of the musical groups that Disneyland has to offer. Theatre lingo for performing on stage is “trodding the boards,” and now we will shift to discuss all of the wonderful performances that Disneyland has to offer.
There are four stages currently in operation at Disneyland. The Golden Horseshoe in Frontierland has the Laughing Stock Co. and The Tomorrowland Terrace has the Jedi Training: Trials of the Temple. In Fantasyland we have the Royal Theatre which alternates between Beauty and the Beast and Tangled while the Fantasyland Theatre offers Mickey and the Magical Map. All four of these shows are also listed on line and in your handy Entertainment Guide made available at the front gates, hotels, information kiosks and from custodial cast members.
The Golden Horseshoe
The Golden Horseshoe opened with the park and had one of the longest runnings shows in the history of America starring Wally Boag and many dancing Can-Can Girls. Billy Hill and the Hillbillies followed, and played for years on this stage. Now the Laughing Stock Co. is in residence. They still have the Mayor and Clem, but they have also added a woman to the troupe: Miss Rose, the saloon owner. Along with a very talented piano player this four person group relies heavily on audience participation.
Brave volunteers play Paul Bunyan and Davy Crockett with the Company. Photo by Todd Pickering.
The group opens and closes the show with a quick song, and in between it's definitely more of a sketch show. One show had them bring three people up on stage to play Davy Crockett, Paul Bunyan, and Slue Foot Sue. During another show they pulled a woman from the audience to play Cinderella in a Wild West-style with Clem as the Prince. This show was all of 15 minutes and really felt more like a skit. It seems that this venue has become more of a food location rather than a show.
While these performers are talented, they are still getting their groove going on these new formats. I will be keeping an eye on this venue and hope that it continues to evolve into a more fully realized theatrical presentation.
Tomorrowland Terrace
Make sure to register your young Jedis upon entering the park before it fills up. Photo by Todd Pickering.
Jedi Training: Trials of the Temple is half show and half kid participation. Complete with Stormtroopers, Kylo Ren, Darth Vader, Darth Maul, and the Seventh Sister (from Star Wars: Rebels). You must sign your kids up ahead of time and for some this is a must do activity. The kids are taught a simple choreographed fight routine with light sabers and are quickly ushered to fight one of the four bad guys mentioned.
There is a loose storyline written around the Jedi Master who is training a character named Nedris, an over-eager, rough around the edges individual. The Jedi Master cautions her to use the force wisely and fight her fears. They ask for audience participation to use the force to raise the stage and fight off the bad guys. The jokes are all right and Nedris' pluck and energy is good but the show falls flat on the kids who really just want to play with their lightsabers.
The Jedis look on while Nedris prepares to fight Darth Maul. Photo by Todd Pickering.
It feels like the actors are trying to get through the script as quickly as possible. I think they enjoy themselves but in the previous incarnation of Jedi Training, the masters really just facilitated the fights; that was preferable to the current offering. This is really not much of a show for anyone who doesn't have a kid in the fight, and folks passing by that want a gander at the Star Wars characters.
The Royal Theatre
One of the most delightful theatrical offerings in the entire resort is the Royal Theatre. Mr. Smythe and Mr. Jones enlist the help of either Belle or Rapunzel to act out their stories. The two actors play all of the other parts with the help of their crew and live piano player (with the exception of Flynn Rider making an appearance with Rapunzel). Before the show begins, children are allowed to sit on carpets right up by the stage. They are taught to shout “Huzzah!” when something wonderful happens and shake their fists in fury at the villain (Gaston or Mother Gothel) with a hearty “Fie!” Teaching kids Shakespearean jargon is nothing short of genius. These shows are 20 minutes and the kids get to see their heroes up close and personal.
Located to the left of the castle is the wonderful addition of the Fantasy Faire. Photo by Todd Pickering.
The princesses are asked to help the two thespians act out their respective tales. Mr. Smythe and Mr. Jones are always talented and do all of the singing. They work beautifully with the princesses and the audience. This terrific offering beautifully teaches kids that theatre is a form of play that they are already adept at and confirms their ability and need to express themselves. Truly the magic of theatre.
Make sure you check the theatre's listings of the shows. Usually they do one story for the first three shows and then a different one for the last shows. Sometimes they may just do one story all day. I cannot think of a more perfect way to see if your little ones can handle Frozen – Live at the Hyperion over at Disney California Adventure. Frozen is a Broadway-style musical currently clocking in at an hour, and by the time the kids wait in line and get settled in they are usually already tired and cranky. Of course every kid is different so you need to make that judgement but if your child is bored and fidgety during the Royal Theatre then I would not recommend Frozen.
Having a live piano player adds to the richness and improvisational aspect of theatre. Photo by Todd Pickering.
The Fantasyland Theatre
The use of a video screen adds a great animation element, but the live singing, dancing, and trumpet cannot be beat. Photo by Todd Pickering.
This theatre's last incarnation was the Princess Fantasy Faire while their new home was being built, so it is wonderful to see a show back in this outdoor (but shaded) theatre. If you are looking for a tale you will be disappointed, but if song and dance is your milieu then you have come to the right place. The giant set piece is a triple tiered video screen that the cast can walk on. It is a very clever way to mix animation with live performers that harkens all the way back to Walt and Roy Disney's original filming of live actors with animation.
King Louie jams out to some serious brass during “I Wanna Be Like You.” Photo by Todd Pickering.
Mickey and the Magical Map is the loose story of Mickey Mouse wanting to join the cast of painters who leave him alone to clean up after them. He tries to paint an animated spot on the map projected on to the screens, and ends up traveling to the four corners of the map (east, west, north and south) where he encounters four distinct musical numbers.
King Louie from The Jungle Book singing “I Wanna Be Like You” is the first number where this jazzy orangutan and a live trumpet player get the show off to a great start. Then the show goes into a mash up of Pocahontas singing “Just around the River Bend,” Mulan singing “Reflection,” and Flynn and Rapunzel singing “At Last I See the Light.” If any of these characters are your child's favorites, it is great fun for them to see them singing live on these numbers.
Flynn, Rapunzel, Pocahontas and Mulan perform a beautiful musical number. Photo by Todd Pickering.
Sebastian from The Little Mermaid performs “Under the Sea” at the next destination. This segment gets creative when it places two of the dancers inside giant balloons that look like bubbles. The ocean segment segues directly into Stitch from Lilo and Stitch singing “Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride.” Three of the male dancers do lots of fun acrobatics on stylized surf boards.
“Mickey and the Magical Map” is the only Disneyland show with high-powered choreography. The cast is tight and has a great time performing. Photo by Todd Pickering.
The finale features Tiana from Princess and the Frog singing “Dig a Little Deeper.” It's a fantastic number to end on as the live trumpet player comes back out. There was a two-year-old girl sitting next to me once that was transfixed with the live trumpet player. It warmed my heart to see that power of live music (the rest of the show is recorded). Keep in mind it is truly a revue rather than a musical play. I have heard a few people grumble that it was short on story, but considering the offerings of Frozen and the delightful shows at The Royal Theatre this is your go to dance show at the Disneyland Resort.
Tiana moves along to the unbeatable live music. Photo by Todd Pickering.
This ends my flash critiques of all of the entertainment at Disneyland. See you next month when I head over to Disney California Adventure to sample all of the song, dance, and acting opportunities that park has to offer.
