I sometimes take time to search the web looking for comments and feedback on our show. Here are some interesting excerpts from comments posted on DLRP Review, one of the top results for the search "Buffalo Bill Mickey Review":
Have seen this show about 5 times over the years and have to say that this visit was the most disappointing one of all. There were a lot of empty seats whereas previously each show has been packed.
The addition of Mickey and friends is completely pointless and spoils the show as the whole thing is disjointed, there were only 2 races which were over in the blink of an eye so not much chance to get into the spirit of backing your team. Certainly not the enjoyable dinner spectacle it once was.
And another:
The atmosphere is nice, such as waving your free hat around and shouting ‘YEEHA!’ and some of the food is ok, but it can get a bit tedious at times. Nobody really knows what’s going on and it can get quite boring. The animal parts are quite exciting though.
Another negative excerpt:
...on the show front everything was going along nicely (atmospheric Red Indians etc.) until Annie Oakley came out. Her part has always been a bit hokey, but the inclusion of Mickey and Minnie to hand over the medal for the best shot was completely unecessary and just slowed things down.
As expected the characters came out during the campfire singsong and led us in a few choruses of “If You’re Happy and You Know It” amongst others. Needless to say this went over real well with the 9:30pm crowd of mostly adults. This section went on far too long.
When the games began the characters stuck around and kind of acted as unofficial mascots for the different ranches, but their purpose on stage was never really explained. During this part the Rodeo Clowns did their best to keep the half-empty arena enthuised and they did a good job, but I don’t remember them being so mean-spirited before. The Green Clown took my Dad’s hat and stomped on it. I was not impressed...
Ultimately, the show was lacklustre. The best bits were the atmospheric moments with the Red Indians and the finale (read: the bits they left alone), but ultimately the characters killed any kind of atmosphere that could have been present. This was only made worse by two things; first, the shows small audience and second, the fact that some of the performers seemed like they were going through the motions. There was no sense of excitement like there had been before. I could barely care if our medicine ball made it to the stage let alone into the basket. What enthuisiasm there was seemed forced and unnatural.
This coupled with the mediocre food and poor service made this show the lowlight of our trip. I really feel like we wasted the chance of a good meal elsewhere.
Fortunately these negative comments were balanced somewhat by very positive reviews:
Definitely my favourite attraction, absolutely loved it! The horses were superb, well trained. You really got the feel for western life. Crowd participation was required, everyone cheering for their team and booing the others. Food was okay, although I didn’t manage to eat all mine before they came to take the plates away. Too busy watching the show.
Well worth the money. If you take a package, get this as an extra and you get a discount. Yeeeeeeehaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!
Another:
YEEEEEEEEEHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!
This is worth going to see and worth every penny, I took my wife and daughter to see it last year 2007 and my wife can`t stand anything to do with Westerns, but to my astonishment she loved every minute of it..
I was sat beside her and watching her from the corner of my eye and I could see just how much she was enjoying the feeling of being part of the Wild Wild West….
The atmosphere was ELECTRIC you could see just how much everyone was getting involved in the show, and the Rodeo Clowns what can I say FANTASSSSTIC….
And what made it all worth while my wife made a comment saying that even though we were having our food they didn`t stop the show, but hey the stars of the show The Horses, Buffallos how well trained they were..
This show I would deffinately agree for everyone to see and we will be going again this year 2008 providing its open as last year it was only open for two nights before closing down for some time, so we timed it right at going at that time of year to get the show in….
I would say the highlight was when the Rodeo Clowns got you roped in to boo and hiss your rivals (As there are 4 sections) Taking your hats off and waving them in the air when your team in the arena wanted support, it was a total laugh and very enjoyable…..
A CREDIT TO ALL STAFF INVOLVED IN THE SHOW AND THE ANIMAL TRAINERS…….
And another:
I have seen this show many times before now, and i know the plot off by heart (and in fact some of the words) but i still keep going back for more on each of my visits!
The show is breathtaking! Some of the stunts that they perform are incredible! The food is average, they dont give you long to eat! The audience participation makes the show really exciting, parents be warned you may be sent down into the ring!!!
So grab those cowboy hats and give a big “YEEEEEEEEHAAAAAAAAAAA”
And finally:
A must see show. The main attraction is not the food but the show. The food is a bit of a distraction really. It is good quality if somewhat lacking on the portion size. Unlimited beer? Only if you can grab a waiter to top you up. The show is outstanding. The audience is involved from start to finish and the storyline keeps you entertained the whole time. As I said at the beginning, a must see show.
Not one to remain silent, I signed on to dlrpreview.com and give my own two cents worth. Here's my comment on our show:
I am one of the actors who plays Buffalo Bill in the show (that’s an older photo of me to your right). I thought you might want to hear my thoughts.
It pains me to read the negative reviews, especially knowing that they are honest and accurate. And it thrills me to read the positive ones, which I also know are honest and accurate. The truth is some performances are better than others.
I can guarantee when I’m playing that Buffalo Bill will be energetic, dynamic, and fun, and the show will probably be outstanding. I can’t vouch for the other performers. The food and service I have no control over.
Your best bet, honestly, is to email me from my blog, http://www.thecasualreporter.com and find out when I’m working. Feel free to do so. (There’s a link from there to “Buffalo Bill’s Blog” my other blog, although the content is nearly identical.) Come when I’m playing if you have a choice. You’ll be glad you did.
Then later I added:
My post (above) needs updating. It’s true I’m frustrated that some of our performers have behaved on stage in a way that would warrant descriptions like “tedious, boring, going through the motions, no sense of excitement” and so on. It’s unacceptable.
I stand by my guarantee that my performances will be consistently of the highest caliber but I add that I CAN vouch for a whole lot of the other performers as well, many of whom are excellent and put their heart into their performances. I won’t name them here, but they are in their own right worth coming to see our show.
I just can’t vouch for ALL of the performers all of the time. Check out my blog for more from me: http://www.thecasualreporter.com
I challenge all performers who read this blog to step up to the plate and make the same guarantee to their audience, to themselves, and to their fellow performers, that I did. Many things we have little or no control over, but our own performances, how we work on stage together, is completely within our control. Do your own thing right before you criticize others. We all depend on it.
