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Live entertainment: a dash of slime, a side of vegetables, with a few falling hairpieces thrown in.
By Kevin Moffett
"Slime Time Live"
Paramount Parks
Running through the 2003 season
Again this year, Paramount’s four North American parks are giving their guests the chance to get messy in front of a live audience. “Slime Time Live,” an all-new version of the two-year-old show, will open this season with all the ooze and slime that young fans of the popular Nickelodeon show have come to depend on.
“The goal of the show is to bring the hands-on fun and activities that kids are used to seeing on the Nickelodeon television shows to life in an amusement park experience,” says David Mandt, a spokesperson for Paramount parks. “The ‘Slime Time Live’ production has always been a big hit. It’s very interactive. Kids from the audience get to be a part of what’s going on onstage. In some cases, even the parents are involved. It’s got a lot of energy and is very colorful.”
“Slime Time Live” is one of Paramount’s many new live entertainment offerings this season, which also include a karaoke show, a magic show called “Spellbound,” and a show featuring characters from Scooby-Doo. Most of the shows, especially “Slime Time Live” heavily involve audience participation, an element Mandt sees as important to a successful live event.
“Over the years the format of the live entertainment we have offered at our parks has evolved,” Mandt says. “We have tried to make our new shows more interactive. You want to involve the audience in the show experience when you can.”
Mandt also sees live entertainment as a prime way to diversify what a park offers from season to season. Shows are brought in for two weeks or all season long, depending on the park’s needs.
“For instance, at Kings Island this year, we’re going to be having the ‘Slime Time Live’ show, as well as the walk-around characters whenever the park is open. In the summer, we add a ‘Spellbound’ on the main stage, as well as a music show,” he says.
“One of the things we are doing is blurring the line between entertainment and special events. Typically, special events are short run, something to give guests a sense of urgency to come to your park. We’ve taken the opportunity to look at the entertainment program with an eye on what’s going to keep the guests coming back. A new show program can be another reason for people to visit regularly, instead of just once or twice,” he says. “Most of our shows are all new from one year to the next. Once you build a roller coaster, you have a roller coaster, but the show program is one that you can change from year to year and use as a new reason to visit the park.”
“Slime Time Live” is comprised of a competition between two teams. The contestants compete in three games, cheered along by the audience, as well as an appearance by SpongeBob SquarePants, another character from Viacom-owned Nickelodeon, “the number one network for kids.” Paramount Parks, also owned by Viacom, has added Nickelodeon Central areas to its facilities, which feature an array of licensed entertainment from Nickelodeon, as well as related attractions like the Flying Super Saturator at Paramount’s Carowinds.
“Relationship is the key when doing licensed products, so, in general, figuring out how each party works is important, but it’s not too difficult,” says Stan Morrell.
Morrell, the newly hired director of entertainment for Paramount Parks, describes himself as “the conduit from the parks to the corporate level.” He ensures that brand quality is maintained in the relationship between Paramount and Nickelodeon. Paramount Parks include Carowinds in North Carolina, Great America in Northern California, Canada’s Wonderland in Ontario, Kings Island in Ohio, and Kings Dominion in Virginia.
Morrell says the main advantage to using an existing brand with a show like “Slime Time Live” is its instant recognizability. The majority of guests know what to expect from a Nickelodeon show—goo, ooze, and gack. And what does the winner of “Slime Time Live” get? That’s right—slimed again.
“It’s actually an honor to be slimed,” says Morrell.
“Aladdin”
Disney’s California Adventure Anaheim, Calif.
Premiered January 2003
After the Broadway success of both “Beauty and the Beast” and “The Lion King,” Disney decided to try its luck with an in-house production. “Disney’s Aladdin—A Musical Spectacular” was unveiled at Disney’s California Adventure’s (DCA) 2,000-seat Hyperion Theater in January of this year.
The new show is based on Disney’s animated movie, and includes the maidenly Jasmine, the sinister Jafar, and the frenetic Genie. Free to paid park guests, “Aladdin” runs approximately 40 minutes and is presented three times a day during the week, and four times a day on weekends.
Disney enlisted a team of Broadway professionals to create the show, including Anne Hamburger, who was hired on as executive vice president for creative entertainment. According to Jay Rasulo, president of Disney Theme Parks and Resorts, “the production marks the beginning of what we call ‘destination entertainment’ for our theme parks and resorts around the world. As Disney’s California Adventure approaches its two-year anniversary, we believe our guests will discover that this show, like other great Disney attractions before it, sets a new standard.”
Live entertainment has, of course, always been a staple at Disney and is a crucial element of Disney’s California Adventure as well, according to Joe Aguirre, a spokesperson for Disneyland. Though he says “Aladdin” is “head-and-shoulders above our other shows at California Adventure,” he also points to other productions at DCA, including “A Bug’s Land” and “Playhouse Disney—Live On Stage!” set to premiere in April. “We also have a number of atmosphere groups that perform around the park,” says Aguirre. “There’s an a capella group that’s out there daily and they do a lot of California-related tunes. Because California Adventure is about California, where there is a lot of cultural diversity, that’s why you’ll see different groups that reflect that—bands that do Eagles tunes, as well as different Latino performers.”
Spotlight on . . . Melissa Van Pelt
At IAAPA Orlando 2002 Melissa Van Pelt was awarded Best Female Performer at the Big E Awards for her performance in “America Rocks” at the Red Garter Saloon at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio.
Hometown: Memphis, Tenn., born and raised.Performing background: I have been singing all my life in school, church, and various talent shows. Dancing came in junior high with show choirs; acting came when I went to school for musical theater.
Favorite part of live performances: It’s great because you can’t start over or keep doing it until it’s right. It has to be right the first time.
Least favorite part: Some people let how they are feeling offstage affect how they perform. It’s upsetting when you are giving 100 percent all the time and someone else only does it when they’re in a good mood.
Most memorable incident during performance: That would have to be when my hairpiece came off onstage and I didn’t even know it. My castmates told me, I looked down, and there it was: my ponytail looking like a small animal. (Laughs). It was quite memorable.
Dream job: Any job I get to perform onstage and get paid is a dream job. My ultimate goal is Broadway!
Current job: I am currently performing at Theatre Memphis in a production of “Ain’t Misbehavin,” the Fats Waller musical. Because it is community theater, there is no pay but it is so much fun. I get to be a vixen!
What are audiences like at amusement parks? Overall they are very complimentary and receptive. I was nervous about “America Rocks” because for one, I was replacing a beautiful blonde. Here I was, this tiny black girl singing rock and country. But no one seemed to care. I enjoyed singing and performing the music and I guess they enjoyed watching. A person working in an amusement park could quickly become a diva: five or six times a day people are telling you how great you are. It’s very flattering.
Where do you keep the Big E award? Currently it is in the live entertainment office at Cedar Point in a display case. I don’t know if I get to have it or if I have to leave it there. If I did have it, my mom would put it on her mantle with all my other awards.
Dollywood Kidsfest
Dollywood
Pigeon Forge, Tenn.
June 20 to August 10
“We really are a live entertainment park,” says Dollywood’s Pete Owens. “There’s an energy to that much performance. With all the stages we have around the park, there’s music almost everywhere you go. Dolly is obviously known for her talents as a performer and that’s definitely reflected in the park.”
In June, Dollywood will kick off its two-month-long summer Kidsfest with four different live events. Like Paramount Parks, Dollywood will be bringing an already recognizable product onstage, including characters from VeggieTales, Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber, who will be headlining a live action show in Dollywood’s Showstreet Palace Theatre. A turnkey show produced by Big Idea productions, “VeggieTales Live” is an exclusive to Dollywood and Silver Dollar City. “Garfield Presents: Happy Birthday to Me,” another stage show, will celebrate the comic strip character’s twenty-fifth anniversary.
There will also be a dog show presented by Ralston Purina and an extreme sports show featuring a combination of skateboarding, roller blading, and BMX biking on a full-sized half pipe.“It’s going to be pretty amazing, with something to offer all ages of kids,” says Owens.The festival will also feature street performances, hands-on activities, and seasonal food. All of the activities are included in the price of a one-day Dollywood admission.
During its peak season, Dollywood runs up to 40 live shows a day. Owens says that he, too, sees a trend toward increased audience participation in live entertainment. Many of Dollywood’s newer shows see audience members getting up onstage to entertain other audience members.
“It makes the performance so much more fun, both for people who get to be onstage, and for the audience to be able to see someone who is not a performer perform with the professionals that we have onstage.”
The park opens for the season on Saturday, April 5, with its annual grand opening weekend and third annual Festival of Nations, which will feature performers from around the world, including the Dragon Legend acrobats from China, Russian and Irish dancers, and more than 100 new performers from Germany, Brazil, the Czech Republic, and Ukraine.