Disney Revue to Close After 31-Year Run

Disneyland’s Golden Horseshoe Revue, recognized in the Guinness Book of Records for the most performances in the history of theater, will close after chalking up more than 45,000 shows since the park opened in 1955, it was learned Friday.

The vaudeville-styled musical comedy revue, an original attraction at Disneyland, will be replaced with a new Western-theme musical variety show, a park spokeswoman said. It also will be closed at Walt Disney World in Florida, where it has been running since that park opened in 1971.

“We all recognize the revue at the Golden Horseshoe and Diamond Horseshoe Saloon as one of the most enduring shows in the history of the park,” said Dennis Despie, vice president of entertainment for Disneyland and Walt Disney World, in a statement read Friday by spokeswoman Sydne Huwaidi.

“At the same time, we feel we should now develop a new generation of shows. We have a new show in development, and we are very excited about it,” Despie’s statement said.

The Horseshoe Revue features two vocalists and a comedian and incorporates vaudeville-like humor, cancan dancers, Old West costumes and songs reminiscent of the American West.

Huwaidi said the revue’s closing date has not been set, although she said open auditions for the new show will be held “in the next few weeks.” One park source, however, said the revue’s final day probably will be Sept. 7, when the saloon traditionally closes for annual refurbishing.

The closing of the revue is seen by some park employees as another attempt to update the park’s attractions to appeal to younger crowds.

In June 1985, Disneyland unveiled the $3-million teen-dance attraction Videopolis, and Sept. 19 has been set as the opening date for the multimillion-dollar, three-dimensional film-musical attraction “Captain EO,” a collaboration by singer Michael Jackson, executive producer George Lucas and director Francis Ford Coppola.

The Golden Horseshoe Revue was developed by comedian-performer Wally Boag for the Anaheim park’s opening in July, 1955. Boag retired in 1982 after more than 36,000 performances and was replaced by Dick Hardwick.

The revue’s other two star performers are Betty Taylor, who has been in the show for about 30 years, and Fulton Burley, both of whom were hired by park founder Walt Disney.

The three stars as well as the four dancers, three musicians and three backup musicians who work the show will be terminated, a park source said. Huwaidi said they will be eligible to audition for the new show.

“We are sad to see it go,” said Doug Sawtelle, president of Orange County Musicians Assn. Local 7, the union representing all of the park’s musicians. “We are not opposed to the high-tech, mod stuff and so on, but not when it puts our people out of work.” Sawtelle said the union has been given “no assurances” from Disneyland management that the current musicians will be rehired.

In its 1986 edition, the Guinness Book of Records reported that the revue had been seen by more than 16 million people as of January, 1985.