The Country Critters Jamboree

The Country Critters Jamboree was a Creative Presentations animatronic show produced in 1985. It was an expanded, ten-character version of The Country Critter Revue, which utilized two turntables on one stage to present different character acts throughout the show's duration. The show's name and variety acts may have been loosely inspired by Disney's Country Bear Jamboree.

Characters

Bob Wire

(Voiced by Larry Moran) A country coyote with a "downhome growl," Bob Wire serves as the host and lead guitarist for the Country Critters Jamboree. Although he can be a straight man, Bob tends to get off-course, especially when singing about being a Ramblin' Man. He is the only character (besides the B.O.Y.S) to remain on stage from beginning to end (meaning he doesn't disappear in favor of another character's presence).

Tommy Traildust

(Voiced by Mark Brink) A cattle-playing steer, Traildust (a.k.a. Tommy) is the initial pianist and straight man of the show. Being no-nonsense in nature, Traildust is not afraid to point out to others the true experience of trail driving (through singing Rawhide), or criticizing the egos of noble figures.

Lester

(Voiced by Frank Gaughan) A dimwitted but well-meaning mule, Lester is the secondary guitarist who owns a goldmine, but only got the shaft (figuratively and literally) as he explains through singing She Got the Goldmine (I Got the Shaft). Lester has also explained in passing how he had to spend a night in jail with Wild Bill Hiccup, describing his encounter with the "crazy deputy sheriff" as being the worst part of the personal events mentioned.

Traildust's Chicken

(Vocal Effects by Martha Webster) Although she doesn't speak, Traildust's pet chicken clucks on-key in time with the music performed.

Butch, Oakley, & Yancey (The B.O.Y.S)

A liter of prairie dogs, the B.O.Y.S accompany the chorus in songs and comment on other characters throughout the show's duration. Like Bob Wire, they are the only characters to remain on stage from beginning to end (not disappearing in favor of another character's presence).

(Deputy) Wild Bill Hiccup

The "hammer of the slammer" and "fastest drummer of tombstone," Bill Hiccup is a sheriff chimpanzee that can't refrain from being vain. The song, It's Hard to Be Humble perfectly describes the Deputy's out-of-touch, high opinion on himself compared to the perspectives of others in the show (particularly Bob Wire and Traildust). Despite his arrogance, Hiccup does express some compassion and interest toward others (though very briefly).

Bearly Manenough

(Voiced by Lee Pelty) Bearly is the secondary pianist who is self-proclaimed to "write the songs that make the whole world sick." His name is a pun on singer and songwriter, Barry Manilow. As Bearly tours with Dolly Porker, he tends to find a fascination in the simple life (whether it be a wild west ghost town or Rocky Top, Tennessee), being calm and collected compared to his piggy partner. Despite his calmness, Bearly is not above sarcastic remarks, especially at Dolly's expense. Bearly's appearance is modeled after P.T. Bearum from Sgt. Singer's Pizza Circus, also produced by Creative Presentations.

Dolly Porker

(Voiced by Martha Webster) Dolly is a prissy piggy who can be very particular with her venue of performance. Her name is a pun on Dolly Parton, though doesn't resemble her namesake besides that. Despite physical attributes, Dolly sings the iconic 9 to 5 song (albeit a parody to describe the miserable life of an "1895" wild west). Dolly Porker previously appeared in the Sgt. Singer's Pizza Circus animatronic show, also produced by Creative Presentations.

Stage Composition

Similarly to Disney's Country Bear Jamboree and other animatronic shows, Country Critters Jamboree consists of two turntables to host a variety of character acts throughout the show's runtime. However, unlike the three-five stage configurations of other shows, the Country Critters Jamboree has one sole stage with just one set of curtains (Austrian-styled lift at Ghost Town). As a result, guests can view turntables spinning to reveal characters in real-time (as they are not hidden by curtains nor given enough time by the show's soundtrack to do so). From left to right, the character arrangements are as follows:

Left Turntable

Tommy Traildust + Chicken
Bearly Manenough & Dolly Porker

Main Center

Bob Wire
Butch, Oakley, & Yancey (B.O.Y.S)

Right Turntable

Lester
Wild Bill Hiccup

Known Installations


Location	Address	Installed	Removed	Whereabouts
Tommy Bartlett's Robot World	Wisconsin Dells, WI (560 Wisconsin Dells Pkwy)	July 18, 1985	July 25, 1985	Unknown
Ghost Town in the Sky	Maggie Valley, NC (16 Fie Top Rd)	1988	2009	Abandoned