Howdy, folks! It's time for a performance of the one and only, original Country Bear Jamboree, now playing at Grizzly Hall in Frontierland. Grizzly Hall is designed as a Northwoods union hall, like one that might have been found anywhere from Colorado to Oregon. It's a place where traders, trappers and loggers would gather to meet, organize or just be entertained. Judging by the pelts hung on the upper walls of the building, though, the bears in the show may be performing for more than just the fun of it.
Inside, the lobby decor features portraits of some of the stars of the show. There's master of ceremonies Henry, swingin' Teddi Barra, piano-playing Gomer, and of course the Five Bear Rugs: Zeke, Zeb, Ted, Fred and Tennessee (don't forget little Oscar).
There's also a clear indication that the Country Bears' show plays to more than just human audiences. The floor of the waiting area is all scratched up with claw marks:
Take your seats in the theater, but before the show gets started, look around at some of the details. Above the proscenium is a tribute to Ursus H. Bear, founder of Grizzly Hall and originator of the first group of Country Bears. The carvings surrounding his portrait include an owl, a squirrel with a nut and two cherubic bears. Also note the fish jumping in the stream and the beehive filled with honey, heavenly symbols for an ursine audience.
Bears aren't the only critters we find in Grizzly Hall. Melvin the moose, Buff the buffalo and Max the deer have been hanging around here for nearly forty years, too. In fact, one of the greatest delights in the entire show is watching the faces of children who've never seen the Country Bear Jamboree light up when these three come to life.
The biggest star of the Country Bear Jamboree has to be Big Al. Al likes staying close to home. His cabin is just across the street from the theater. Since he's busy performing at the moment, he's trusted some folks to house sit for him. Looks like they're taking advantage of the crowds coming by for the show and have put out all sorts of goods for sale or trade.
Let's hope that the 2010 holiday season will mark the long-awaited, long-overdue return of the wildy-popular Country Bear Christmas Special. Besides, with all the construction soon to take place in the Magic Kingdom (the closure of Mickey's Toontown Fair, the coming of the expanded Fantasyland, etc.), they need to offer some sort of extra incentive to convince guests to continue visiting the MK even while all that work is taking place.
ReplyDeleteAnd if the Summer Nightastic promotion returns for the 2011 summer season, let's hope that they'll include the return of the Vacation Hoedown as an annual summertime offering as part of its lineup.