Critter Folk Follies
Worked on by @Sharon&Susan
Introduction
The turn of the century approached and a bunch of miners of all shapes and sizes decided to create an inn that welcomed all during rain or shine. At this inn they've created a variety act based on all the ones that they used to watch far back home before they left for the Gold Rush here and even more importantly the stories and songs that they heard back from their places of origin all over the United States.
This 11 minute musical audio animatronic show will delight all with it's cute animal designs, it's wonderful songs, and even a few tales are spread inside.
Exterior
The theater is housed in an inn located at the edge of the town located closest to Klondike River Expedition, both serving as the last point before no return for those traveling into the Alaskan wilderness and also the first thing travelers will see coming back from such a dangerous path. The Inn has a more exaggerated look to it, while not contrasting sharply from the Frontier style of the buildings. Above the sign advertising the show, there's signs of wildlife living in the rooms on the second floor such as carrots, a line of drying clothes of different sizes, bones, etc. A small sign outside advertises room available... as long as you don't have allergies.
It's almost the time for the critter's show! Guests continue inside into the lobby.
Lobby
Lobby has a very woodsy, but upscale vibe functioning both as the lobby for the (inaccessible) inn and the lobby for theater. It showcases portraits of all the actors in the show (except for a certain fox as he is not an actor). Along with some Knick knacks representing them like a banjo from the host Cornelius Gator or a Lasso from Root-Tootin' Rattler.
There's also a 19th century arcade in the lobby to give guests some fun while waiting. All the games are custom builds, but made to look like they are from the turn of the century. They're also free to all guests who visit the park. This area includes Mutoscopes, plunger only pinball, a fortune teller and other fun gimmick machines like ones that involve Hockey or Baseball. None of these machines will include humans and will be replaced by animal counterparts playing the same role.
When it's time for the show to begin guests are escorted into the main theater by a Cast Member.
Theater
Guests enter the theater under wooden balconies located on the (inaccessible) second floor. The theater is inspired by that of a saloon hall and is much more rougher than what many animal troupes have considering the makeshift accommodations they made setting up here rather recently. There's plenty of benches with back support for guests to watch the show and relax.
There are multiple stages in this show. First is the main, central stage which has three backdrops along with 6 animatronics that rise up from below when they are needed. There's two side stages to the left and right of the main stage which both rotate with a performer on each side. Overall there's 2 animatronics on the right stage and 3 animatronics on the left stage. There's also two hidden stages (to the far left and right) which blend in with the rest of the wall until they are needed where the walls covering them slide out and reveal the stage. They function just like the visible left and right stage giving a total of four animatronics (two per stage) on the hidden stages.
Just like the Stretching Room in the Haunted Mansion there's a fake ceiling that reveals the real one that is used throughout the show. Most prominently is the Possum Posse made up of around 20 animatronics that hang from the ceiling. There's also a certain fox that makes his debut up there in the show in an alcove above the main stage.
Overall there's 36 animatronics in the show, giving this show a large cast of animal characters to watch throughout the show!
Show Experience
Scene 1 - Introduction (Cornelius Gator only: right stage and main stage)
The curtains open on the main, central stage and the right stage. On the central stage, there’s a window outside that shows a nice, sunny day. On the right stage is the alligator host for the show Cornelius Gator. He welcomes us to the show when suddenly a snow storm starts outside! Cornelius notes that we’ll be in here a while due to the violent snow storm, so we may as well watch the first act, appropriately based on a Native American legend.
Scene 2 - Coyote and the Columbia (Blooper Coyote and the Mine Canary: Left Stage)
In this act, a legend about how a wantful Coyote who asked for too much and subsequently creates the Columbia River in the process is retold in a way where everything goes wrong. The Coyote (holding an umbrella) keeps waiting for a water effect that will never come and has to contend with a parakeet (playing a buzzard), instead of listening to the Coyote’s command to ask him if he’s dead, just repeats random phrases until the curtains close where he can be heard getting drenched in water. Too little, too late.
Cornelius then gives an introduction to a bunch of sea-bearing pelicans from New England who will sing a classic sea shanty.
Scene 3- The Mermaid (Pelicans of the Sea: Main Stage)
The Curtains open on the main, central stage. Pelicans dressed as sailors rise up at the center of the stage around a table near the fireplace where they start drunkenly singing an abridged version of the sea shanty The Mermaid. Occasionally glancing at a picture of a mermaid with the head of an albatross hung on the wall, they sing the tale of how disaster nearly struck when they saw a mermaid on the high seas. At the end of the song they give a toast as the curtains close.
After finishing the song, Cornelius then introduces the next act, a retelling of the folk tale of John Henry.
Scene 4 - John Henry (Elenora Elk: Main Stage)
As the curtain opens, a new backdrop showing a railroad map of West Virginia is seen. An Elk dressed with a bonnet and nice dress sings on the stage an original ballad about the story of John Henry beating the machine that threatened to take the job of many a working man. As she signs the map lights up at certain locations to follow the story. After she reveals his fate, the room becomes dark for a second when suddenly an upbeat tune comes from above!
Scene 5 - Going To Shout All Over God's Heaven (Possums Posse: Ceiling)
Previously unseen possums hanging from the ceiling sing a portion of Going To Shout All Over God's Heaven and give a moment of levity and celebration after a low moment in the show.
Cornelius’s curtain opens once again where he briefly reinforces the sacrifice of many hardworking railroad workers and jokes about how it’s taken over by people who don’t know how to run them before introducing the next fun song.
Scene 6 - To-Morrow ( Ticketmaster Turtle and York Bison: Main Stage)
Another new backdrop is seen as the curtain for the main center stage opens up, representing a train station. In this music number a bison is attempting to get to the city of Morrow, Ohio. But due to a series of misunderstandings with the train’s ticket man (played by a fast speaking Tortoise) is unable to get to Morrow, today or tomorrow.
After the song ends and the curtains close for the main Cornelius introduces the next tale as coming from the tip of the Rio Grande:
Scene 7- Dancing with the Devil (Grandmoo: Left stage and projection on main stage curtain)
A grandma cow with giant horns knits in her rocking chair and tells the story of her lone gone daughter, who disappeared one day. She describes a party she had where she danced with a kind gentleman (with a shadow projection on the main stage’s curtain to match). She went outside with the mysterious stranger, saying she was hot, with the mysterious stranger and was never seen left. The silhouette of the handsome gentleman with horns and a pitchfork (a hellhound) appears on the curtain and laughs evilly.
Cornelius begins to introduce the next act, but is interrupted by the lights turning off, when a song kicks in..
Scene 8 - The Ballad of Zorro (Fox Zorro and Possum Backup; Hidden Ceiling, both Hidden Side Stages)
A Z suddenly gets cut on the curtain, as the Ballad of Zorro kicks in. A masked fox appears above the center stage in a full Zorro outfit. At the end of a every two verses, he disappears (which causes the room to darken) and reappears in one of three places within the theater: Hidden Ceiling, and both the Hidden Right and Left Stages making a big letter Z (through a projection effect) wherever he goes.
At the end, the lights come back on and Cornelius announces (through voiceover) that he can’t be on stage right now due to circumstances with the mysterious goon that will require him to stay in his dressing room for a while, but in the meantime there will be a ghost story from his dear friend, Root-Tootin’ Rattler.
Scene 9 - Tommy Knockers (Root-Tootin’ Rattler and ghosts: Right stage and both hidden side stages)
The curtains open on the right stage showing a snake in mining gear. The snake recalls hearing a hard knock in the mine- but it was probably nothing. Then his pick axe was missing- but it was probably nothing. Then weird sounds started coming from the far reaches of the mine- and it was probably nothing. As the snake says all of this he gets more and more anxious sounding (with a distinctive hiss). Until the lights turn off again and on both of the hidden side stages ghosts are playing musical instruments. This causes the snake to scream and rattle “off the stage” when the room darkens again as that curtain closes. The ghost on the piano then plays a quick musical sting.
Scene 10 - O Genevieve (Blooper Coyote and the Mine Canary: Left Stage)
The left stage's curtain opens and the coyote from earlier still holding his umbrella sings O Genevieve to his canary located near by. The song goes well until he mentions "dew impearled", when it starts raining inside (through a projection effect). The curtain starts closing and he tries to quickly finish the song, but just as he mentions a "blast" a bolt of lightning can be heard striking him!
Scene 11 - The Belle of the Klondike (Most animals except for Grandmoo, Rattler, and one of the ghosts)
The right curtain opens up again, this time with Cornelius behind him. He explains that he came all the way from Florida to the Klondike as he realized as many others did (including all the other animal performers) that there was more opportunity for them up here. Not everyone is successful as a miner here, but many are. And Cornelius starts singing a song about a particular lady who owned a gold mine.
It starts out as a slower song, but gradually curtains open and more performers come out of the woodwork speeding up the song until everyone in the show (except for a few exceptions like the grandmother cow, Rattler, and one of the ghosts) are all singing giving the show a rip roaring finale.
At the conclusion, all except for Cornelius’s curtain closes. He gives a final farewell noting that the snowing outside has stopped, but to visit again some time and to keep safe out there as you never know what you’ll find out there in the wild world of Alaska, maybe you’ll see something unusual that you don’t see everyday out there!
After exiting through a hallway that has the doorways to the stars of the show's dressing room (all appropriately shaped for the animals the doors are for), guests exit back into the exciting wilds of the Frigid Frontier.