The Dapper Dans

The Dapper Dans at the Magic Kingdom

The Dapper Dans are a barbershop quartet that performs at Disneyland in Anaheim, California (since 1959), at the Magic Kingdom at the Walt Disney World Resort (since 1971), and at Hong Kong Disneyland in Lantau Island, Hong Kong (since 2005). A quartet (from the UK) also performed at Disneyland Paris from the opening in 1992 until 1995 and were known as the Mainstreet Quartet.

Details

While the group usually performs as a quartet, they actually have up to twelve singers at each park, plus occasional substitutes. This allows them to have multiple quartets performing separately or to combine and form a larger ensemble. Membership has changed over the years as various singers have retired or died and new ones have been brought in to succeed them. Several of the Dapper Dans are members of the Barbershop Harmony Society.

You can be serenaded by the Dans at the Magic Kingdom in Florida while having your hair cut in a real, working barbershop on Main Street there. The Dans at Hong Kong Disneyland stroll up and down Main Street from Town Square. The Dans at Disneyland can be seen on their Schwinn custom 4-seater bicycle (commissioned by Walt Disney himself) and in various locations around Main Street.

In the Magic Kingdom, Disney World, the Dapper Dans perform nine sets a day, seven days a week. They can be found on the horse-drawn trolley in the morning, and all over Main Street USA during the afternoon. At 5pm, the Dans join the Main Street Philharmonic and the Magic Kingdom Security Color Guard for the Flag Retreat Ceremony.

Another unique part of Dapper Dans lore is the fact that they use Deagan Organ Chimes as part of the act. Each of the eight chimes has three octaves of a single note, comprising a C scale. The Organ Chimes were made by the J.C. Deagan Company in Chicago, IL around 1901.

History

As of early 2006 the Dapper Dans at the Disneyland Resort consisted of Shelby Grimm (lead), Bob Hartley (tenor), Jim Campbell (bass), and Bill Lewis (baritone), a group that had been together for over 10 years. In 2006 it was announced that a new group of Dapper Dans would be cast, to make their debut in May 2006 and auditions would be held each season for all four parts. David Marchesano (lead), Robbie Banner (tenor), Frank Romeo (bass), and Steven Arlen (baritone) can now be seen Wednesday through Sunday at Disneyland on Main Street, USA.

Now, the quartet normally consists of Jon Schoenherz (lead), Drew Tablak (tenor), Eulis Kay (baritone) and Jim Campbell (bass) with substitutions by Frank Romeo, Isaac James, Jim Graft (bass), Gabriel Oliva, Joe Sark, John Helms, Mark Donahue (lead), Jason Currie, Allen Everman (baritone), Nathan Shrake, Matt Sanchez (tenor).

Personal

The Dapper Dans lineup has changed over the years as various singers have retired or died and new performers have been brought in to succeed them.

• The Dapper Dans of Disneyland as of Fall 1995: Jim Campbell (bass), Bill Lewis (baritone), Shelby Grimm (lead), and John Heffron (tenor).
• The Dapper Dans of Disneyland, Summer, 2006: Brandon Brigham, David Marchesano, Steven Arlen, Frank Romeo.
• The first Dapper Dans of the Magic Kingdom at Disney World, Florida, in 1971: Dick Kneeland, Bub Thomas, Jerry Siggins, Bob Mathis. Tom Howe, originally a Dapper Dan sub at Disneyland, joined the Disney World group in 1972. Another long time favorite was Bruce Brann (bass, baritone) who began his career at Disneyland in 1972, traveled to Japan for Disney Tokyo's grand opening remaining there for several months and then aptly retiring from Disney World Florida in 1997.
• As of mid 2008, The Dapper Dans of Main Street USA, Disney World, had two full-time quartets consisting of: Tenors Dan Bullock and Kevin Souppa, Leads Ken Thiboult and Steve Culpepper, Basses Myron Whittlesey and Kevin Miles, and Baritones Jarrod Lentz and Chad Bennett

Media appearances

• The Bell Telephone Hour, airdate February 17, 1961. (Roger Axworthy, T.J. Marker, Ted Nichols, John Borneman).
• Mickie Finn's, 7 episodes in 1966 (NBC). (Jim Schamp, Ron Browne, Fred Frank, Tom Knox).
• Tony Orlando and Dawn, airdate January 7, 1976 (CBS). (Doug Scott, John Sherburn, Jerry Siggins, and Tony Orlando subbing for Creighton Hogan).
• The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, May 16, 1974 (NBC). (Creighton Hogan, Doug Scott, John Sherburn, Jerry Siggins).
• Children's Miracle Network Telethon, airdate May 31, 1986 (KHJ-TV, Channel 9 (KCAL-TV), Los Angeles). (Ron Browne, Shelby Grimm, Jim Schamp, Jerry Siggins).
• Blossom episode titled "Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men", airdate February 8, 1993 (NBC) (Jim Campbell, Shelby Grimm, Mike Economou, Dan Jordan).
• The Simpsons episode titled "Homer's Barbershop Quartet", airdate September 30, 1993 (1st episode of Season 5), as the singing voices of 'The Be Sharps'. (Jim "James" Campbell, Mike "George" Economou, Shelby Grimm, Dan "Don" Jordan).
• Home Improvement episode titled "Adios", airdate September 29, 1998 (ABC) as 'The Flannels'. (Jim Campbell, Shelby Grimm, Bill Lewis, Tim Reeder).
• The Haunted Mansion, released in November 2003, as 'The Singing Busts'. (Disney) (Jim Campbell, Shelby Grimm, Bob Hartley, Bill Lewis, Tim Reeder).