Excitement ran high when Disney announced that there would be a return of The Golden Horseshoe Revue as part of its Limited Time Magic promotion for 2013. Billed as a "Salute," it was fairly obvious that there was not going to be an attempt to exactly re-create the legendary show made famous by Wally Boag & Betty Taylor.
Although many (including myself) would love to see that show again, it just would not be possible. Without the original cast, the audiences who had seen the original would be too busy attempting to compare the new vs. the old. Wisely, the entertainment division created a rousing tribute that is perfectly fitting and tons-o-fun to see.
It is important to get to the Golden Horseshoe PRONTO once the rope drops on Frontierland. Don't even think about trying to get to Indiana Jones first; you might miss the opportunity to get a ticket. The friendly cast members at the stand in front of the Golden Horseshoe Saloon will give you a ticket(s) for the show that you request, and then you return at the appropriate.
And don't even begin to think about showing up late; your ticket is only valid if you show up on time (or early, if you want a good seat!). Annual Passholders have the option of getting a reserved seat and a special dinner-time meal for $35.
A live band performs in the pit (Note: in this case, front row is not really a bonus, as you'll have the drummer in your face. Try to get a balcony seat!), and once the piano player began, it was obvious that this was going to be a real treat.
The Can-Can girls came out and immediately took ownership of the stage.
Don't get too close to the stage; you might lose your front teeth!
Kudos to Miss Lily, the star of the show.
I don't know who played her, but she was a fantastic choice. Excellent timing, a great voice, and a personality that immediately endeared her to the audience.
Once she was done primping with her mirror, she used it to check out the guys in the audience.
She found one lucky sap who ate up all the attention; his wife didn't seem to mind, as they had been married almost twenty years.
Back up on the stage, Miss Lily took the pace of the show back up another few notches.
The Can-Can Girls gave it their all...
and before I knew it, the show was (sadly) over.
Could it have been longer? Probably, but for general audience appeal and attention span, the length was perfect.
Kudos to the Disney Company for putting together this fantastic show; and judging by the packed house, I would say that it has been a hit.
See more Golden Horseshoe Revue Salute photos on my Golden Horseshoe Revue Salute photo web page.
8 comments:
It sounds like it was a fun show. Now if only they'd bring it back in some form permanently.
Of the few "Limited Magic Time" events I've heard about, this one seems to be the best.
Was there a male comedian performer at all, or was there no time to include that in the shorter show?
K. - I am guessing that the positive response to this "Limited Time" event would bode well for that.
David - There was no counterpart to Wally; not only would there not have been enough time, but I think those would be very difficult shoes to fill!
Major, there were two men in the ensemble who seemed to be dressed to resemble Wally Boag and Donald Novis types. At least, that's what I interpreted. Perhaps it was wishful thinking. Either way, they didn't really contribute much to the show.
We had a part of 4 and attended the AP dinner version on Friday the 18th. Although it is billed as "The Golden Horseshoe Revue", it is really a redo of "The Golden Horseshoe Jamboree", a second show without Betty and Wally. This was already noted in the comments on the blog entry for the Disney History Institute.
The AP included a meal with some historic connections, a plastic boot-shaped mug filled with Fritos, and a CD of the original record album (©2003).
It was a very enjoyable performance, something we'd like to try again, but we were disappointed that it did not include anyone at least trying to do some jokes like Wally Boag did. Doing the acrobatics and balloon animals would be too much in a single person to find again. Plus, if they had a Wally-like person they could include his theme song which is a particularly nostalgic one. The CD does list this but I haven't opened it yet.
The old boot mugs were porcelain and possibly glass. I see the porcelain ones on eBay and at the Disneyana shows on a regular basis but haven't felt compelled to get one. It might go nice with the Mine Train display though.
I hope to see other "time travel" opportunities like this, including perhaps something for the Jungle Cruise with a "straight" documentary-style narration akin to the Thurl Ravenscroft one on the flip side of the Tiki Room album or one of the TV show versions. It seems like this could be done without a lot of expense on their part.
Hi James - thanks for the info about the AP package. I am also looking forward to seeing what other things they come up with. I have a feeling there will be a Tahitian Terrace one in there somewhere.
All of Wally & Betty's understudies are still around and capable of doing the old show. Remember, please, that they only worked, at most, 5 days a week and the rest of the time there were very talented understudies. And only last year Dick Hardwick, Dana Daniels and Jim Adams, Wally's three successors to the comic role, were on the Horseshoe stage for a celebration of GHS History. To say that they could not present the original show is simply not true.
To compare the understudies with Wally Boag and Betty Taylor is really quite a stretch. Yes - to do the show "technically" as it used to be would be possible. To recreate the magic of the ORIGINAL cast is impossible, and I believe that the Disney Company would have been nailed to the cross for that attempt. They did the next best thing by doing a "tribute."
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