Meet the Team Behind the Upcoming Country Bear Musical Jamboree
As we get closer and closer to the opening of the Country Bear Musical Jamboree, Disney is beginning to pull the curtain back on what the new show will entail.
The all-new Country Bear show will continue to pay tribute to the Opry-style shows of Nashville, albeit with a Disney twist. Utilizing styles of country music, including bluegrass, pop-country rockabilly, and Americana, the new Country Bear Musical Jamboree will feature a blend of original songs and Disney classics.
![Country Bear Jamboree New Show](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Country-Bear-Jamboree-New-Show-1024x573.png)
![Country Bear Jamboree New Show](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Country-Bear-Jamboree-New-Show-1024x573.png)
Photo: Disney
“It was an honor to work on a show with such a legacy. It’s a show that means a lot to a lot of people, including myself,” said Jake Ellis, Principal Audio Media Designer, Walt Disney Imagineering. “One of the first memories I have at Walt Disney World was sitting on my mom’s lap in the back row at Grizzly Hall and watching the Country Bears perform.”
Counting the Country Bear Legacy
The goal for the Country Bear Musical Jamboree team, then, was to keep the soul of the original show while updating it for a new generation.
![Country bear jamboree update](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/376819448_682594897230669_4569044291351382968_n-683x1024.jpg)
![Country bear jamboree update](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/376819448_682594897230669_4569044291351382968_n-683x1024.jpg)
Photo: Disney
“We knew that we wanted to keep the ethos of the bears, but we also wanted to rethink the songs in a way that was more diverse and had multigenerational appeal. Where better to look than the Disney catalog for those songs?”
To make the new show a reality, Disney turned to some of Nashville’s finest musicians. Among those performing in the new show are Mac McAnally (“The Bare Necessities”), Emily Ann Roberts (“Try Everything”), and Allison Russel and Chris Thile (“A Whole New World”).
![Country Bear Musical Jamboree](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/2024-wdw-Country-Bear-Musical-Jamboree-2.jpg)
![Country Bear Musical Jamboree](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/2024-wdw-Country-Bear-Musical-Jamboree-2.jpg)
Photo: Disney
“Y’all can tell by the way I talk that I don’t sound anything like Shakira,” Roberts said. “When I was approached to record the song for Country Bear Musical Jamboree, I thought, ‘OK, we’re going to really have to put our East Tennessee into this.’ When I heard the new [country arrangement], it was so easy for me to get in the zone. I was so excited when I got into the studio and everybody told me to just sing it the way I would. I got to lean into my Appalachian and country music roots and just let her fly.”
![Country Bear Musical Jamboree](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/2024-wdw-Country-Bear-Musical-Jamboree.jpg)
![Country Bear Musical Jamboree](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/2024-wdw-Country-Bear-Musical-Jamboree.jpg)
Photo: Disney
“It’s been so neat being able to work with all these other incredible folks who are lending their voices and their talents to the Country Bear Musical Jamboree,” Roberts continued. “Everybody brings something different to the table, and that’s what makes it so cool. We have our own influences, and we’re all coming together to make something really special.”
Creating the New Show
To create the new arrangements of the song, Brett Swain, Director of Music Production for Disney, worked with each artist individually.
![Country Bear Musical Jamboree](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Screenshot-2024-05-30-at-08-46-35-The-Power-of-Music-We-Call-It-Imagineering-Episode-2-Debuts.png)
![Country Bear Musical Jamboree](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Screenshot-2024-05-30-at-08-46-35-The-Power-of-Music-We-Call-It-Imagineering-Episode-2-Debuts.png)
Photo: Disney Parks Blog
“He spun them up in this really fun way,” Ellis said. “I’m excited for my 3-year-old son and 4-year-old daughter to sit on my lap so I can introduce them to the Bears in their new form, and we’re excited for guests to experience the show.”
For Roberts, getting the chance to voice a Country Bear was a surreal experience.
![Country Bear Musical Jamboree](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Screenshot-2024-05-30-at-08-46-44-zasdftgyhujikjhgfdsdfgyhujiko.jpg-AVIF-Image-900-×-600-pixels-1024x683.png)
![Country Bear Musical Jamboree](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Screenshot-2024-05-30-at-08-46-44-zasdftgyhujikjhgfdsdfgyhujiko.jpg-AVIF-Image-900-×-600-pixels-1024x683.png)
Photo: Disney Parks Blog
“It’s so crazy seeing Trixie singing with my voice coming out,” Roberts said. “It’s something that I never, ever dreamed would be a reality in my life. And she just looks so cute! I could not be more thrilled with how everything turned out, and I’m so honored to be a part of it.”
![Mac McAnally Country Bear Musical Jamboree](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Screenshot-2024-05-30-at-08-46-24-The-Power-of-Music-We-Call-It-Imagineering-Episode-2-Debuts.png)
![Mac McAnally Country Bear Musical Jamboree](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Screenshot-2024-05-30-at-08-46-24-The-Power-of-Music-We-Call-It-Imagineering-Episode-2-Debuts.png)
Photo: Disney Parks Blog
The Country Bear Musical Jamboree will open on July 17.
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