Travel back in time as this improv acting troupe transforms into the stars and starlets of yesteryear. Hit the streets, hop in the action and help the Citizens ring in Hollywood’s next Golden Age! (Walt Disney World Resort website)
Guests visiting Disney’s Hollywood Studios should keep their eyes peeled and their ears open for what some consider one of the most under-rated “attractions” of the Park, The Citizens of Hollywood. Stay in tune with your surroundings as you may encounter directors, utility workers, magicians, policemen, and many others whose hilarious interactions with each other and with Guests will have you doubling over with laughter. The Citizens of Hollywood, also known as Streetmosphere performers, are found, for the most part, on Sunset and Hollywood Boulevard. Don’t be surprised however if you see a starlet being driven around in a fancy car or utility workers scurrying about and doing “repairs” in other areas of the Park.
DIStracted Tip: If you have your heart set on seeing the Citizens of Hollywood, you can check with Guest Relations or one of the Cast Members that are usually found at the corner of Hollywood and Sunset Boulevards. They’ll be happy to find out if and when any characters will be performing on the day you visit.
Streetmosphere actors perform a variety of skits that are a great source of entertainment to Disney’s Hollywood Studios Guests. Because the performers interact with the crowds and sometimes ask for their participation, no two skits are the same. This past trip, we saw several different performances including the one in the video below. The director asked one of the members of the crowd their profession (a veterinarian) and one item that they used in their workplace (a stethoscope) and in a matter of seconds, the following skit was born.
Over the years, we’ve encountered many of the performers and have delighted in the fact that we’ve been chosen to participate in several. Not only did the performers help create lasting memories but my son also received a “real fake gold trophy” that he still has to this day. As you can see from these side by side pictures, some of the Citizens have worked at the studios for quite some time and it is nice to see them time and time again.
Should you see one of these Citizens on the street, feel free to interact with them as lots of good natured ribbing and hilarity are sure to take place right there on the streets of Hollywood! Francis Floot, Bucky Greenhorn, Jack Diamond, Sparky Sparks, Honey Darling and their fellow cohorts are always spot-on with their improv skills and never break character. In my humble opinion, the Citizens of Hollywood are the perfect touch for Disney’s Hollywood Studios, a Park which was originally intended to recreate Hollywood’s golden age!
DIStracted Trivia: Streetmosphere has been a part of park since it opened in May, 1989. C. McNair Wilson, who later became an Imagineer at Disney, came up with the idea of the Streetmosphere performers. Wilson was one of the directors of a street theater company, SAK Theatre, which performed at renaissance festivals throughout the country. In 1982, Disney Imagineers asked the group to perform in the Italy Pavilion in Epcot’s World Showcase. Soon thereafter, the group was extended to performing in the United Kingdom Pavilion and Future World. In 1985, they were brought into the plans for the upcoming Hollywood Studios Park as part of the planned 2-hour Backstage Tour show. Even though Disney decided to go in another direction, Wilson was inspired to make SAK part of this expansion. Wilson presented a collection of 40 characters that would make the guests feel like they were actually in Hollywood. The Disney executives were won over Wilson’s plans were brought to fruition! While some of the characters have changed or have moved on, the Citizens of Hollywood’s popularity has kept them as a park constant.
The Citizens of Hollywood is fun for kids, tweens, teens, and adults! Have you ever met or performed with The Citizens of Hollywood? Will you be on the look out for them on your next trip? Feel free to post your comments below!
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