I never thought I’d type this sentence, but here we go. On Oct. 10, a baseball field in Washington, D.C., hosted a performance of “Be Our Guest” and a ninth-inning set from the Jonas Brothers.
That is a real sentence about a real thing that happened, and I have been grinning about it ever since.
The event was the Banana Bowl, a Banana Ball showcase with the Savannah Bananas as one of the featured teams. If you haven’t seen Banana Ball before, it’s baseball with the volume turned way up, full of dancing, costumes, and over-the-top fun. And apparently, Disney decided it was the perfect stage for a little musical theater. The games and festivities were streamed on Disney+.
So here’s how it went down. The Savannah Bananas were joined on the field by the North American tour cast of Beauty and the Beast for a performance of “Be Our Guest.” Kyra Belle Johnson played Belle, and Danny Gardner played Lumiere, with choreography by Jennifer Rias. Picture a stadium full of baseball fans watching Lumiere take over the field. If that doesn’t sound like the most delightfully chaotic crossover ever, I don’t know what does.
Then came the ninth inning. Disney Legends, the Jonas Brothers, took the stage and performed “Burnin’ Up,” “Waffle House,” and “Sucker.” Three songs, in the ninth inning, at a baseball game. Let me say that again, because it still sounds slightly unbelievable. Honestly, what a sentence.
And look, it all fits together better than you’d think. The Savannah Bananas have been teaming up with Disney for a while now. Banana Ball has been coming to ESPN Wide World of Sports at Walt Disney World, and the Bananas have been seen mixing Disney magic into their games before, including an Aladdin mashup and a music video at Disneyland. So this feels like the next chapter of a partnership that has been building for a while. (I’ll admit I’m basing that on earlier coverage, not on any official announcement about what comes next, so don’t hold me to a future crossover.)
What I love about this is that it makes Disney feel like it’s everywhere. A Disney Legends act, a Broadway-style tour cast, a baseball team known for its antics, and a streaming platform all in one place. Disney has been looking for ways to show up where fans already are, and a Banana Ball game, a place built around fun, is a pretty clever one.
It also tells me something about how the company thinks about its brand. Disney isn’t only about theme parks and animated movies. Music, live performance, and sports are all part of the mix, and the Banana Bowl seems like a way to show that off. The Jonas Brothers being named Disney Legends makes their appearance feel especially fitting, because it ties a modern pop act back to the Disney story.
I’m all in. Not because I’m a huge baseball person (I am not typically, and my wife will mostly show up for snacks), but because this is exactly the sort of unexpected moment that makes people pay attention. Banana Ball is already built on the idea of giving fans an entertaining experience, and Disney is built on entertainment, so seeing the two collide just makes sense. The best part is how little it seems to take itself seriously. Lumiere on a baseball field? Sold.
If I have one wish, it’s that more of these crossovers pop up closer to the parks. A Banana Ball night at Walt Disney World with a character moment or two would be right up my alley, and since Banana Ball has been tied to ESPN Wide World of Sports, it doesn’t feel like a stretch. That’s just my wishful thinking, though, not news, so keep that in your back pocket.
So tell me, did you catch the Banana Bowl on Disney+? Which part was your favorite, the “Be Our Guest” number or the Jonas Brothers in the ninth inning? Let me know, and keep checking back with Theme Park Scope, because I’ll share more on how Disney and Banana Ball keep teaming up.
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