Yesterland
D.U.H.
Department of
Untapped Hilarity
 

Hollywood Backlot Stage
11:30 a.m., 12:30, 1:30, 3:00, 4:00, 5:00 p.m.
Hollywood Backlot Stage at Disney's California Adventure

Photo by Tony “WisebearAZ” Moore, 2003

Hollywood Backlot Stage


Have a seat at Hollywood Backlot Stage. It’s an odd, scruffy theater, on the back side of the backlot facades at the Hollywood Pictures Backlot. There’s no backstage, so the performers ride to the stage on bicycles.

D.U.H. - Department of Untapped Hilarity at Disney's California Adventure

Photo by Allen Huffman, 2003

Performers arrive by bicycle

You’re about to see a show that includes these topics:

  • Grunion hunting with Tom Cruise in Paris wearing a bikini;
  • Horseback riding with Maleficent on April Fools Day with Ron Howard;
  • Bungee jumping off Mt. Rushmore, with Brad Pitt, Britney Spears, Johnny Depp, and Prince as the presidents on the monument.
D.U.H. - Department of Untapped Hilarity at Disney's California Adventure

Photo by Allen Huffman, 2003

The audience

If these off-the-wall concepts seem odd for a Disney theme park show, don’t blame Disney’s show writers.

Blame the audience.

D.U.H. - Department of Untapped Hilarity at Disney's California Adventure

Photo by Allen Huffman, 2003

D.U.H.

This is the Department of Untapped Hilarity, or D.U.H. for short. Audience members call out activities, locations, celebrities, and whatever else they are asked for. The four quick-witted entertainers use the resulting phrases for skits and comedic songs. It’s never the same show twice, although the show structure is often similar.

D.U.H. - Department of Untapped Hilarity at Disney's California Adventure

Photo by Allen Huffman, 2003

Never the same skit

It’s classic improvisational comedy…

Well, not quite classic improvisational comedy… the comedy here is family-friendly. That eliminates a lot of the easy laughs that other improv groups rely on.

D.U.H. - Department of Untapped Hilarity at Disney's California Adventure

Photo by Allen Huffman, 2003

Live music

D.U.H. - Department of Untapped Hilarity at Disney's California Adventure

Photo by Allen Huffman, 2003

No fancy props on stage

If you come back another day for another show, not only will the show be different, the performers might be different too. Although there are usually four performers on stage at each show, there are others in the troupe—which means there can be shows seven days a week.

D.U.H. - Department of Untapped Hilarity at Disney's California Adventure

Photo by Tony “WisebearAZ” Moore, 2004

Hands raised in the audience

D.U.H. - Department of Untapped Hilarity at Disney's California Adventure

Photo by Tony “WisebearAZ” Moore, 2004

A few props after all

D.U.H. - Department of Untapped Hilarity at Disney's California Adventure

Photo by Tony “WisebearAZ” Moore, 2004

Acting!

At its name suggests, D.U.H. can be hilarious. When the phrases from the audience trigger top-notch creativity from the performers—and you know they’re making it up on the spot—you may find yourself laughing uncontrollably. And when the performers are less than brilliant because they’re not on the same wavelength… that can be funny in a different way.


The Hollywood Backlot Stage at the Hollywood Studios Backlot (now called Hollywood Land) section of Disney’s California Adventure (now called Disney California Adventure) became home to the improvisational comedy of D.U.H. - Department of Untapped Hilarity around August of 2003. It replaced Goofy’s Beach Party Bash.

Wrong Brothers at Condor Flats, Disney's California Adventure

Photo by Allen Huffman, 2003

Wrong Brothers at Condor Flats

Although the venue was new for the improvisational troupe, the act wasn’t. Before moving to the Hollywood Backlot Stage, D.U.H. performances were at Condor Flats near Fly ’n’ Buy. And before that, the troupe performed a different show there as “Nelson, Charles and Riley, the Wrong Brothers.”

Drawn to Magic at Disney's California Adventure

Photo by Werner Weiss, 2006

Drawn to Magic at the Hollywood Backlot Stage

The final D.U.H. performances were on Monday, September 5, 2005—Labor Day 2005. The improvisational show had a run of more than two years at the Hollywood Backlot Stage.

A small musical show featuring three “animators” and a few Disney characters replaced D.U.H.. Drawn to Magic—not to be confused with the elaborate Drawn to Magic dinner animation show in the Animator’s Palate dining rooms on Disney Cruise Line—moved to the stage after getting its start as a street show on Disney California Adventure’s Hollywood Boulevard. Drawn to Magic ran until October 2010.


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Updated January 2, 2015.