Disneyland Debate: Where Do Billy Hill and the Hillbillies Belong?
It’s no secret that many of us here at Touring Plans are big fans of Billy Hill and the Hillbillies; in the 2013 Unofficial Guide to Disneyland we give their musical comedy show 4 1/2 stars and call it “not to be missed.” Originally a street show created for the opening of Critter Country in 1989, the Hillbillies have been the most frequently featured act in the Golden Horseshoe Saloon since the Golden Horseshoe Jamboree ended its run in December of 1994.
While the Hillbillies have had the Horseshoe stage to themselves for most of the last 17 years (with the exception of Woody’s Round-Up’s run from 1999 to 2000), lately they’ve been on the move. Over the summer, they were shuffled out to the arena stage behind Big Thunder Ranch as part of a seasonal promotion, while the Laughing Stock Co. improv players took their place. More recently, Billy and the boys returned to Big Thunder for the Limited Time Magic resurrection of the beloved Golden Horseshoe Revue, albeit in the form of a “Salute” tribute show.
The Hillbillies’ hilarious bluegrass hijinks consistently draw a capacity crowd to the Horseshoe on the five days each week they perform, but all the performances of theirs I’ve seen at the Ranch have seemed much more sparsely attended. The answer as to which venue is the better location for them might seem obvious at first. But over the summer, I sat down with a highly-placed member of Disneyland’s entertainment team who gave me a different perspective.
This upper-level employee (who must remain anonymous, as our lunch was an off-the-record social meeting) is a lifelong fan of the original Revue, and was instrumental in advocating for its (temporary) return. He/she argued that, though the Billy’s are brilliant at what they do, their act is thematically inappropriate for the Saloon’s 19th century setting, because they “know they are in a theme park” and “break the fourth wall” with modern pop-culture wisecracks.
After attending a recent show in which the Hillbillies referenced American Idol, YouTube, and the Columbia House Music Club, it’s hard for me to argue with the premise. Yet, the packed audience around me (especially the special-needs boy blissfully dancing in the front row) didn’t seem to mind at all.
Should Disneyland’s favorite funny fiddlers have a permanent home in their most popular locale? Or should the Saloon return to presenting authentic 1800′s entertainment full-time like it did when Walt sat in the opera box? If entertainment and thematic integrity conflict in a theme park setting, which should win out? Join the debate, and leave your opinion in the comments below!
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7 Responses to “Disneyland Debate: Where Do Billy Hill and the Hillbillies Belong?”
It’s a good question.
Personally, I think the days of a perfectly historically accurate show are long over, given rumors of numerous guest complaints about the Golden Horseshoe Revue during Limited Time Magic. There are a million “historically inaccurate” aspects to just Disneyland alone (e.g. Star Tours = “long time ago” in “Tomorrow”Land).
Billy Hill certainly celebrates the old west in a way a show about Woody and Jesse could never do.
Billy Hill and the Hillbillies belong in the Golden Horseshoe, right where they have been for the past seventeen years. As Kevin Crossman pointed out, there are many examples of “historically inaccurate” attractions in Disneyland. And entertainment value, especially that of a time-honored, deeply loved act like the Hillbillies, who have been consistently playing to a packed house for many years, is far more important to the average park guest than perfect historical accuracy. Furthermore, it is much more comfortable for guests to enjoy the show inside the Golden Horseshoe in every type of weather than it is to view it outdoors in Big Thunder Ranch. The Billies’ audience at Big Thunder Ranch has been pitiful, but they pack the house in the Horseshoe. Please, Disney execs, if you are reading this, please don’t mess with our beloved Hillbillies. Let them continue to play to capacity crowds inside the Golden Horseshoe.
I don’t think the billy’s were ever on for their historical accuracy but for the music and laughs that fit our current culture. Does the joke really matter as long as the audience likes it? All of my family and friends love the billy’s because of their lovable style and are pretty upset they were moved from the horse shoe and are not considered as good as they used to be by some people. I can assure anyone that more people will be upset than pleased if the billy’s are removed or leave the horse shoe permanently. Please do not do this!
I hardly know where to begin. OK, Disney has a situation with Billy Hill and The Hillbillys (as well as Off Kilter in Epcot) where a band has managed to devise a show that is creative and unique within the confines of a theme park environment. That in itself is remarkable. Certainly any musician in the parks is going to be competent, but having to please, or at least not offend, corporate execs, sponsors, families, etc does not afford the freedom of a nightclub or music fest, yet these guys have managed to pull it off.
But I saw numerous problems at the Ranch last November. First, the intimacy is gone. I was 20-30′ from the stage-and I was front row center! At the Shoe, one can sit ON the stage. I’m a veteran of many outdoor music events, and they require volume. Disney will never turn it up loud enough because it will bleed out to other sections of the park (Off Kilter can be heard across the lake). That can’t happen at the ranch, either, because it will interfere with cookie decorating, and animal petting, and, well, there’s another problem-there are too many distractions from the show at this location.
But the problems I witnessed at the holiday show went beyond these logistical issues. I’m only guessing, but I just don’t see the guys on stage coming up with ideas like pre-printed cards for sing-a-longs or the Country Bears dancing in front of the stage. This makes me truly fear that someone may try to turn a great family show into a kid’s show. To clarify the difference, Toy Story 3 is a family movie; Elmo spending 80 minutes searching Garbageland for his lost blanket is a kid’s movie. It would destroy the show, and is unnecessary anyway. I’ve invited strangers to sit at my table, and have seen a quiet, shy kid totally light up when the music starts.
We first saw this band in 2001 just to be DL completests, and have been back every time we’ve been down since. I consider their show one of the top 10 attractions in the park! One of the top 5 shows I saw last year was The Billys on Leap Night, and Bruce Springsteen is also on that list. But after hyping up the band, I felt a need to apologize to family members for the performance we saw at the Big Thunder Ranch. Worse still, I was talking to a friend that also loves this band, and she said the same thing about the show in that venue. Venues matter, if you the same band at The Fillmore and a winery, it will be a different experience. In this case, most of the differences are negative.
Great article Seth. Billy Hill and the Hillbillies is my favorite live entertainment in any Disney Theme Park. I never miss it.
The time for arguing a traditionalist position for the relocation of the show seems long past. The Billys have played enough shows to become a tradition in their own right. Breaking “the fourth wall” and working in references to pop culture is a big reason why I find the show so entertaining. So is the case with Disney’s Aladdin: A Music Spectacular across the promenade. Both would be lesser shows, in my opinion, if they omitted the Charlie Sheen and American Idol wisecracks.
I have really enjoyed watching Billy Hill and the Hillbillies at the Golden Horseshoe much more than at the Big Thunder Ranch. The seating is better, the sound is better and the audience seems to get into the show much more.
The Laughing Stock may be considered much more 19th century, but I don’t see how a guy dressing in drag is very “trsditional” or more of Walt would have wanted to see. Plus, I find the production much more campy and predictable.
I say if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.