The group first performed at Disneyland in 1988 as part of the first "Blast to the Past." Members of the theme park's marketing department had seen Fratelli Bologna on stage in San Francisco, and discussions between the troupe and the park started soon after. But because most of Disneyland's so-called "atmosphere entertainment" is tightly scripted, the idea of a renegade improv group known for sometimes-risque material made some park officials nervous.

Fratelli Bologna came to Disneyland for a weekend audition and quickly got into some hot water with the operations department. One set of stock Fratelli characters, a team of elderly Jewish acrobats, managed to violate unwritten rules against both ethnic and geriatric humor-and besides that, it drew such crowds that pedestrian traffic stopped.

Fratelli Bologna group gets on stilts to do its routine of the Bobcats basketball team-all members named [Bob]-in which group forms "Tunnel of Bob" for visitors at Disneyland to walk through. Group is part of Disneyland's salute to the 50s.; Dressed for high school skit, Fratelli Bologna are, from left, [William Hall], [Drew Letchworth], [John X. Heart], [Richard Dupell]. / HENRY DiROCCO; Fratelli Bologna member John X. Heart performs in Disneyland's "Blast to Past.'