I got a sneak peek at "Tiana's Showboat Jubilee" last night, and I have to say I really enjoyed the latest Disneyland show.
The limited-engagement show, tied to the upcoming "Princess and the Frog" animated movie from Disney, begins its daily run at the Anaheim theme park starting Friday (Nov. 6). The 20-minute production - presented four times a day - continues through Jan. 3.
About three dozen performers dressed in 1920s-era Mardi Gras costumes dance through the crowds in second-line fashion near New Orleans Square before boarding the Mark Twain Riverboat for a floating musical revue.
The hybrid parade-show combines two of my favorite experiences at Disneyland: atmospheric street talent often found tucked in a corner of New Orleans Square and the spectacle of a huge cast aboard the Mark Twain for the Fantasmic finale. Throughout the show, a pre-selected group of 20 theme park visitors ride with the performers on board the riverboat — taking part in the show.
In all, the "Jubilee" cast sings and dances to six jazz-, blues- and zydeco-influenced songs (two of them twice). The entourage parades in and out to "Down in New Orleans" while "Gonna Take You There" serves as the traveling riverboat music. Once the ship reaches the bend in Rivers of America, the sailing stage pauses for four songs: "Almost There" (sung by Princess Tiana), "When I'm Human" (performed by Louis the singing alligator), "Friends on the Other Side" (sung by the evil voodoo magician Dr. Facilier) and "Dig a Little Deeper" (the group finale).
By far, my favorite part of "Jubilee" is the second line –- the traditional Jazz funeral dance style popular in Louisiana. The performers — banging tambourines, twirling parasols and tossing beads — dance and sing in a more organic fashion than the typical Disneyland parade. And from a storytelling standpoint, the meandering procession fits perfectly in New Orleans Square.
A virtually identical version of "Tiana's Showboat Jubilee" has been running at the Magic Kingdom in Orlando, Fla., for a couple of weeks
I got a sneak peek at "Tiana's Showboat Jubilee" last night, and I have to say I really enjoyed the latest Disneyland show.
The limited-engagement show, tied to the upcoming "Princess and the Frog" animated movie from Disney, begins its daily run at the Anaheim theme park starting Friday (Nov. 6). The 20-minute production - presented four times a day - continues through Jan. 3.
About three dozen performers dressed in 1920s-era Mardi Gras costumes dance through the crowds in second-line fashion near New Orleans Square before boarding the Mark Twain Riverboat for a floating musical revue.