Why it’s always showtime!
Live shows may take second billing to the big thrill rides but they are first in the hearts of many theme park goers because, as Dan McEwen reports, they offer what no ride can – connectivity
“SINCE Silver Dollar City opened its doors more than five decades ago, live entertainment has played an integral part at all Herschend Family Entertainment parks. The number of original productions has increased over the years and we pride ourselves
Characters from the Lazy- town Live show at Butlins Resorts, UK. (Image courtesy of Oddpost Entertainment)
on shows that delight and surprise our guests. Dollywood alone has collectively won 17 Brass Ring Awards for its live entertainment, more than any other theme park in the world.” That’s Anthony Esparza, senior vice-president, guest
experiences, design and development for the Herschend parks, talking, but you’d hear similar sentiments about live shows from his colleagues throughout the industry. “Live shows have always been an important part of
Silver Dollar City’s original production of the classic Dickens’ tale A Christmas Carol plays to sold-out crowds during the park’s Christmas festival. (Image courtesy of Silver Dollar City)
our proud history as the world’s largest regional theme park company,” says Terry Overstreet, Six Flags’ corporate director of entertainment. “Our first live show was created at Six Flags Over Texas in 1961 and that park is now celebrating its 50th anniversary.” You get the idea. For theme park operators everywhere, show business
has always been good for business. Over at Knotts Berry Farm (KBF) where they’ve had a Wild West stunt show since
1973, “live shows are developed to entice guests to our park as well as enhance a guest’s visit,” reports Julie Owens, director of park shows. “Some might call that added value.” And some might call it simple business logic. While big-
ticket thrill rides tend to dominate the skyline at your typical theme park, down on the ground management is relying on the live acts to entertain all those kids and families too young or too old for coasters. For as long as anyone can remember, live shows have offered theme park operators the vehicle needed to drive attendance, refresh programmes and attract specific demographics, all for a fraction of the cost of a flashy new ride. And it’s the shows that have offered guests the one thing audiences all crave. “Ultimately,” says Terry Morrison of Oddpost
Entertainment, a UK theatrical production company that specialises in reaching family audiences, “live entertainment is able to offer something that other theme park attractions can’t - interaction with an audience, with reactions that are real and immediate, in the way that live performance always has and always will.” “Audiences love to be a part of the show,” agrees
KBF’s Julie Owens. “There’s nothing like seeing the joy on a parent’s face watching their child up on stage with (a character like) Charlie Brown or Lucy ... breaking down that fourth wall is a win-win.” But if the role of live entertainment in theme parks
hasn’t changed much over the years, the shows themselves certainly have. When Six Flags created its first live shows half a century ago, they featured an assortment of singing cowboys, Mexican minstrels, war-dancing Kiowa indians, a Charleston dance team and a marching band. Since then, says Terry Overstreet, “live entertainment has expanded beyond traditional music reviews to include shows that are interactive, often branded and that vary in size from traditional street entertainment to large scale spectaculars.”
28 InterPark May-June 2011
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