First visit to Disneyland, Day Two, Post No. 3

A few minutes later we caught another great performance--lucky for Sharon and me because we truly love live performances. The Red Car News Boys certainly performed very well. These first two photos actually show the action at the end of the performance. I very much like the expression on this young man's face in each of the photos.



I found a person's impression of the Red Car Newsboys' performance on the Internet.

Red Car News Boys

I always walk away from a performance by the Red Car News Boys humming one of the show's songs. It's hard not to be charmed by this engaging troupe of news boys (and one news girl), who roll up in a shiny new Red Car Trolley singing, "California, Here We Come!" Arriving in front of the Carthay Circle Theatre, they proceed to sing out the day's headlines in an effort to attract buyers for their papers.



Each headline is accompanied by a different song: "Take Me Out to the Ball game" for news about Babe Ruth; "Clap Hands, Here Comes Charlie" for a story about Charles Lindbergh; "We're in the Money" for a financial headline. These songs provide every performer an opportunity to spend a moment as the lead. The performers also showcase their physical talents while they sing, such as dancing the Charleston or executing cartwheels.



(My observation, not the other Internet author: Mickey came out of the trolley car, too, then put his suitcase down and joined in the performance.)



(My observation: That's the News Girl Mickey appears to be pointing at, in the gold pants with the strange spots at her thighs.)
 

(More of what I found on the Internet.) Mickey's just arrived in town, and the news boys want to see if he really has what it takes to become "the next big thing." This is a Mickey we rarely see—shy, bashful, somewhat uncertain. (My observation: I didn't notice Mickey being shy, but it all happened pretty fast.)
 

(My observation: Mickey is such a cute little guy, even in this costume.)
 

(My observation: Mickey danced along, too, amazing to me in those huge shoes.)

(I didn't see this next part which makes me wonder if it has been removed from the performance.)

The show ends with the Newsies anthem "Seize the Day," and includes a novel encounter with one of the Citizens of Buena Vista Street. Molly the Messenger arrives with a telegram for Mickey Mouse, with news of a big audition. I love the way the show's creators pulled Molly—a character you see riding around Buena Vista Street throughout the day—into the show for a cameo. It gives the show a sense of place and immediacy, and it's really a lot of fun.



(My observation: The News Boys help Mickey down so that they can all leave on the trolley car once their performance is completed.)

(And here's the last of what I found on the Internet.)

While some (including this writer) feel that the thumping bass beat behind some of the arrangements is a bit too modern for 1920s Los Angeles, the era re-created on Buena Vista Street, the show has an endearing quality that makes me enjoy the performance, and willing to overlook an anachronistic musical choice or two. With concealed speakers built right in, the Red Car Trolley makes a great backdrop and rolling stage, though I've noticed that the acoustics seem optimized for the crowd gathered around the performance space; from elsewhere on Buena Vista Street, the vocalists do not seem to blend or harmonize quite as well. That means you should try to grab a front-row seat if you want to catch the Red Car News Boys in any of their six daily performances on Buena Vista Street.

First visit to Disneyland, Day Two, Post No. 2

Street performances happen every time you turn around, seems like. Here's a shot from the first one we witnessed at Disney California Adventure on January 18, 2014--it's on Buena Vista Street. Neat to see children from the audience taking part, some with no shyness at all, some a bit unsure. Still, making memories is what it's all about. Here's what I found online about this particular group: Five 'N' Dime
         A group of maverick musicians arrive in their makeshift jalopy on their way from Chicago to Hollywood looking for their big break. They enlist the help of the crowd (and Goofy) while performing standards from the 20s and 30s.
 

I don't remember seeing Goofy out there with them, but you can tell that his outfit goes with theirs and he was on Buena Vista Street posing with park visitors--we saw him there before we enjoyed the performance.



Once the performance ended, Five'N'Dime climbed in their jalopy to continue the journey towards their big break.

I found a bit more about Five'N'Dime online and saw photos of Goofy included in their performance, when it debuted. Changes must have been made in the meantime--this is pretty interesting reading: Five and Dime is a talented quintet of jazz performers (“Five”) plus one vocalist (“Dime”) who roll out several times daily onto Buena Vista Street from Hollywood Land and park in Carthay Circle to perform a variety of familiar standards and dance-worthy numbers. Alan Bruun, creative director of entertainment for Disneyland Resort, describes the group as moving to Hollywood after “having sold everything, bought this jalopy, [and] driven down from Chicago to make it big in the movie business.” Featuring the sounds of a saxophone, trumpet, guitar, drums, upright bass, and one powerful voice, this group commands attention across Buena Vista Street, drawing visitors to circle around and enjoy their 15-minute show, with some guests even pulled into the show to join the group for a tune or two. And Goofy, sporting a bright green zoot suit, also joins in the toe-tapping fun. Of all the new live entertainment added to Disney California Adventure, Five and Dime fits the 1920s theme the best, offering the feeling and vibe of the early 1900s. The official debut performance of Five and Dime took place on the morning of June 14, 2012 during a special press preview of Buena Vista Street and the rest of the “new” Disney California Adventure theme park. That performance, including some entirely amusing facial expressions from one of the guests who somewhat unwillingly became involved, can be seen below.