Theme Park Apprentice 6.1: Live Show

Whose Quest Is It Anyway?
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If there’s one thing a good role playing gamer needs, it’s a sense of humor, and especially the ability to laugh at his/her own hobby. As such, a comedy show makes perfect sense in this setting.

Our troupe of improvisational actors take on the roles in a spontaneous tale of a motley adventuring party and the chalenges they face. At each performance, they act out a story based primarily on suggestions from the audience - everything from character personalities to plot points to random disasters along the way. It’s never the same show twice!

PRE-SHOW

In the staging area before entering the theater, in-character staff members explain that the show will be improvised on the spot and asks for guests to volunteer suggestions for the types of things that will occur in the story to be told. (Guests submitting suggestions may sign in with their XP band to get a bonus for a suggestion used in the show.)

On entering the theater, guests scan their XP bands to get “credit” for attending.

THE THEATER

The theater is located in the back of the Waterdeep area, and is themed from the outside to fit in with the surrounding buildings.

While the theater will be used primarily for this show, the venue needs to be large enough to host special events within the park as well. To this effect, there are two tiers of seating, with the upper tier closed off for performances of this show (unless overflow is needed). The lower tier is 1,500 seats and the upper tier is an additional 2,000 seats.

There’s nothing particularly out of the ordinary about the theater, given its multipurpose nature - its a full-size stage with a permanent sound and lighting configuration, with a sound/lighting control booth at the rear of the lower level. The stage area has a full curtain and even a projection screen that can be lowered, though neither of those features are used for this show.

The set dressing for “Whose Quest…” is very minimal, as it’s impossible to tell in advance what settings and situations will be required of the troupe. There is a neutral backdrop and crates of costumes and props in the rear stage corners; otherwise it’s a bare stage, and it’s up to the actors (and the sound and lighting) to inspire the audience’s imaginations to fill in the missing details.

SHOW ELEMENTS

An announcer (who also plays the part of the “Dungeon Master” for the other actors) opens the show by introducing the other actors, and assigning them each a character )both heroes and villains), based on selected suggestions, to play in the story. The actors/actresses rummage through a collection of costume pieces and related props to look that parts they’re assigned while the announcer sets up the rest of the story premise.

The story is defined by choosing some of the collected suggestions, though the announcer can also ask the audience for additional suggestions on the fly to flesh things out or add wrinkles. The actors then play out the story, with the announcer acting as both narrator and also breaking in once in a while to change things up, such as requiring everyone sing their lines, pulling in audience members to stand in as extra characters (or even props/scenery), or introduce a new situation that adds a “twist” to the story.

The sound and lighting engineers are part of the act, too, responding to the action on stage as well as being called on from time to time to set appropriate (or inappropriate, as the case may be) moods via lighting and music or other sounds.

At the end of 25 minutes, the audience will have been treated to (and possibly have even participated in) a completely original thrilling tale of high adventure and low humor. (Though intended to be “clean” enough for all audiences.)

EXAMPLE PERFORMANCE (EXCERPTS)

Announcer: Okay… I’ve been going through the suggestions, and Alice, you’re going to be the party’s muscle, a human fighter, who oddly enough, gets squeamish at the sight of blood.

(Alice nods, and heads over to the costume chest to pull out costume armor, grabs a sword, looks at it with a frown, and swaps it out for a warhammer.)

Announcer: Bob, you get to play the extra parts. We’ll deal with most of them on the fly, but that means you also get the main villain, which is… let’s see [reads card]… a surly wizard with attention deficit disorder…

Bob: I can do that.

Announcer: … who is also a halfling.

[Bob looks disgruntled, and rummages in the costume bin, putting on knee pads with furry “feet” on them, and starts waddling around on his knees.]

Bob: There had better be NO running involved in this story.

Announcer: Good luck with that.

[skipping ahead a little…]

Announcer: And your quest today: Retrieve the local mayor’s rubber duckie that has gone missing. [Pauses a beat, looks to audience] Who came up with THAT idea? [Continuing…] Ok, start the story!

[The actors begin acting out an adventure story, and run into a group of surly elves. The announcer pulls a few audience members out and gives each of them a set of comically oversized pointy ears to wear, while Bob (out of his furry feet and into pointy ears himself) acts out the part of the elves’ spokesman.

As things proceed, the announcer decides to spice things up a little, such as requiring the actors to sing their lines for the next five minutes. Later on, the party gets hit by a magical curse and Alice has to hop on one foot whenever she moves, Chad (the party thief) has to say everything in rhyme, and Danielle (the wizard) can only speak in sentences of one word (have fun casting spells like that!). At another stretch, the actors have to change up the current scene based on musical cues at the whim of the sound engineer.

Finally, of course, they have their epic confrontation with the naughty halfling, retrieve the rubber ducky, hopefully break the magical curse, and come home to a hero’s welcome.]

POST-SHOW

After the show, the cast will appear in the exit are to bid farewell to the guests, who are given the chance to order a video recording of the performance they just witnessed, as well as purchase attraction-themed merchandise.

I apologize for the delay. Due to unforeseen circumstances, Alan has withdrawn as a judge, hopefully to return again later in the competition. But for now, we will have to go on with 4 judges. So, it's time to tell you who has been eliminated. Parker, you have been voted off the island. I personally liked your concept of your park, but, you didn't give us enough description on your proposals. It is for these reasons that you have been eliminated.

The standings for the Rollercoaster round are as follows

1. 3-Way Tie: Blake, Jay, and Scott (21)
4. Brett (17)
5. Travis (13)
6. Kevin (12)
7. ELIMINATED Parker (7)

The cumulative scores are:

1. Blake (100)
2. Travis (86)
3. Jay (78)
4. Scott (71)
5. Brett (70)
6. Kevin (52)
7. ELIMINATED Parker (36)

Good luck to the remaining contestants!

(Note from the producer) "Get comfortable. This is a long proposal, but one I think you'll enjoy. Pop some popcorn, get yourself a cold bottle of sarsaparilla or ginger beer and get yourself ready for an evening's worth of entertainment as you discover the theatrical world of:

How about that for a title?! This is the kind of grandiose prose that a good publicist would use to draw audiences into theaters and music halls across America during the fifty years when vaudeville was the most popular form of live entertainment, roughly from the early 1880s to the early 1930s. For convenience sake though, let's just call it "Vaudeville!"

Vaudeville evolved from a wide variety of theatrical forms, including minstrel shows, circus, freak shows, and concert saloons. It was aimed at the "family" audience, and before the age of radio and movies with sound ("talkies") it provided entertainment for people of all ages across the country. A traditional vaudeville show was usually composed of eight or nine acts, totally unrelated to each other, and the performers would travel around the country on various professional "circuits", always hoping to work their way up from playing small theaters in small towns (the small time) up to medium-sized cities (the medium time) and eventually, with some luck and talent, finally make it big- the "Big Time"- performing in major cities in such famous vaudeville theaters as the Palace Theater in New York City.

Every community of any size in 1900 America had at least one vaudeville theater (which would occasionally include a silent movie in the billing), and Americana: 1900 is no exception. Along with the Americana Theater (where "A Trip to the Moon" is showing), Courthouse Square also is the home of the Orpheum Theater, the home of the "finest vaudeville entertainment to be found south of the Mason-Dixon Line." The Orpheum Theater (part of the Orpheum Circuit of vaudeville theaters that operated from 1886 to 1927) is an elegant structure of Beaux-Art design with tastefully fashioned terra-cotta ornamentation in shades of yellow, orange and brown, and a dramatic marquee welcoming guests to one of the five vaudeville performances given daily. Theater-goers enter the marble-clad outer lobby through four sets of double doors, and are greeted by ushers who direct them towards the inner lobby. Doors leading into the main auditorium are directly ahead, and on either side of the inner lobby marble staircases with brass railings provide access to the balcony and boxes upstairs.

The auditorium of the Orpheum Theater seats a total of approximately 1,000 guests in its orchestra, balcony and eight boxes that flank the stage (four boxes on each side, two up and two down). The decorative scheme of the interior of the theater is one of tasteful elegance. It is not nearly as ornate as the later "atmospheric" theaters of the 1920's, but the walls are painted with beautiful murals of a southern forest with its trees reaching to the sky painted on the shallow dome overhead. Attractive chandeliers, plush carpeting and comfortable seating all contribute to the elegance of the Orpheum.

Why is it important to describe the theater itself? Because the theater itself was part of the experience. Theatergoers wanted to be both entertained and pampered- entertained by a constantly changing roster of talented performers and pampered in a theater that made them feel special and important.

There are some aspects of vaudeville that will be followed, and some that will not. Modern society, morality and audience demands have changed significantly since 1900. Audiences of 1900 were strictly racially segregated, especially in the South. If African-Americans were admitted to the theater at all, they were relegated to the back of the upper balcony and usually had to use a separate entrance to the theater. Even the performers hired were segregated. African-American performers were never allowed to perform with white performers, and there were vaudeville circuits strictly for black performers to perform in black-only vaudeville houses. Such practices, while historically correct, would and should never be condoned by modern audiences or performers.

Technically theater has made major advances since 1900. Electric stage lighting was in its infancy then, with most stage lights coming from either directly over the casts' heads or from a row of light bulbs along the front of the stage, the "footlights". This gave the performers a very strange, almost ghost-like appearance, an effect which might be included in part of a modern performance for historical purposes but not for the entire show. Modern stage lighting will be used for a majority of the production, as will modern sound amplification to improve audience enjoyment of the show. However, no prerecorded music will be used. A live pit orchestra will be used for all performances and will provide accompaniment for all acts.

Vaudeville shows were variety shows, with no plot or theme running throughout the show. Each act was an entity unrelated to the others in the show (however, this production does use a very thin "story line" to make it more accessible to modern audiences). In the place of programs given to the audience members, placards or signs announcing each act in the show were placed on an easel or sign holder on one side of the stage, and someone (usually an attractive female wearing an outfit just barely within the rules of propriety) would come out and change the signs announcing each act throughout the show.

"Vaudeville!" merges the fun and variety of a traditional vaudeville show of 1900 with the tastes and expectations of modern audiences in a form that will "educate, edify, amaze and uplift" the thousands of theatergoers who will see it daily in the Orpheum Theater. Once the audience has entered the auditorium and found their seats, the house lights begin to dim as the footlights across the front of the stage illumine the beautiful red velvet theater curtain, trimmed with gold fringe. The musicians in the orchestra pit begin the Overture, a medley of such "popular hits" as "Bill Bailey, Won't You Please Come Home?" (1902), "Harrigan" (1907), "In the Good Old Summertime" (1902) and "Give My Regards to Broadway" (1904). At the conclusion of the overture, a lovely young lady comes out from off-stage right, goes to the sign easel standing on the down-stage right corner of the stage, and reveals the sign announcing the first act of the show:

Act I: "The Tintypes Quintet"

The curtain rises on a tasteful stage set of columns and hanging foliage. The Tintypes Quintet, comprised of three women and two men, perform a medley of music from the era, very reminiscent of this scene from the Broadway musical of the same name:

The Olio Curtain is lowered at the end of the act. This is a curtain set six feet back from the red velvet theater curtain, and is used to allow scenery and props to be reset behind it while another act that does not need much playing space performs in front of it, or to use theater jargon, "in one". Unlike the fancy and elegant theater curtain, the Olio (name derived from "oil cloth") is painted with advertisements for local businesses found throughout Americana: 1900. This is not a cheap gimmick invented for this park, but was a standard tool of advertising before radio and television existed.

The "Sign Girl" comes out and changes the sign, as she does with each act.

Act II: "Charlie Seersucker: Comedian Extraordinaire!"
(played "in one")

Charlie Seersucker is a rather ridiculous-looking performer, with clothes that are a bit too big, with patterns that don't quite match, and a routine that is just plain awful. He specializes in bad one-liners and even worse puns, but the jokes are just good enough to keep the audience entertained until the main sight gag of his routine, and the basis of the running joke throughout the show, can be established. He starts his routine:

"There was a beautiful young woman knocking on my hotel room door all last night! I finally had to let her out."

"I just got back from a pleasure trip. I took my mother-in-law to the train station."

(from stage right a long wooden hook, similar to a large shepherd's crook, reaches out to try to "hook" Charlie and try to pull him off the stage. This was a standard bit of stage business, especially to get really bad acts off the stage- the proverbial "getting the hook". Charlie sees it and continues his routine, moving stage left away from the hook while continuing with the bad jokes. The hook can only reach about half-way across the stage and can't quite reach him.)

"My wife and I went back to the hotel where we spent our wedding night; only this time, I stayed in the bathroom and cried."

"My wife was at the beauty shop for two hours. That was only for the estimate. She got a mud pack and looked great for two days. Then the mud fell off."

(Charlie has let down his guard and doesn't see another hook coming out from stage left. After his next joke:)

"A drunk is in front of a judge. The judge says, 'You've been brought here for drinking.' The drunk says, 'Okay, let's get started!'"

(the hook from stage left hooks Charlie and pulls him sputtering and objecting off stage. The sign is changed to:)

Act III: "The Contini Family Jugglers"

The Olio curtain rises and the Contini Family Jugglers are in their routine. The six members are talented performers, doing a wide variety of juggling routines using balls, clubs and rings, sometimes while balancing on large balls. Right in the middle of the routine, Charlie runs back out on stage to try to continue his routine in the middle of the juggling. He stands down center on the stage, in front of the jugglers and says to the audience (over the music from the orchestra and the protests of the jugglers):

"A doctor gave a man six months to live. The man couldn't afford to pay his bill, so the doctor gave him another six months!"

The jugglers switched their juggling from clubs and balls to knives, moved down stage to either side of Charlie and proceed to throw the knives back and forth in front and behind him, scaring him to death and causing him to drop to the floor, crawl to the edge of the stage and jump into the orchestra pit to escape the flying knives! They finish their act with a dramatic juggling demonstration and take their bows as the Olio curtain comes in.

Act IV: "Fredrick and Blanche Frederick: The Twin Tones"

This tastefully-dressed husband and wife act comes out to sing a medley of songs such as "In the Shade of the Old Apple Tree" (1905), "Let Me Call You Sweetheart" (1910) and "Shine On, Harvest Moon" (1907). In the middle of the medley, from the orchestra pit the audience hears Charlie still trying to tell jokes. He hollers from the depths of the pit, right on top of the singing on stage:

"A patient tells a doctor, "Doctor, I have a ringing in my ears!" The doctor tells the patient, "So answer it!"

The performers hear this, try to continue with their songs, but when Charlie starts to tell another joke Blanche, never missing a beat or a note, nonchalantly moves stage left, reaches off-stage and brings on a pitcher of water, and in the middle of the joke she carefully dumps the water onto Charlie in the pit. We hear him sputter and stop the joke in mid-sentence, apparently soaked by Blanche, who hands the pitcher off-stage, returns to Fredrick and they finish their medley. They take their bows and exit stage right as the Olio rises on:

Act V: "Gus and Gus"

Two huge body builders wearing tight outfits to show-off their muscles and physique proceed to perform acts of strength, both in lifting heavy weights and each other, and often "flexing" for the ladies in the audience (but always tastefully). As their act proceeds, we see Charlie climbing out of the orchestra pit, rather wet from the soaking that Blanche gave him but still trying to finish his terrible act. He goes center stage in front of the body builders, not noticing who or what they are. He gets ready to tell another joke when Gus and Gus see him and move down to flank him on either side. Without saying a word (which they never do during their entire act) they pick him up and carry him off stage left, and throw him off stage. The audience hears a crash and the sounds of objects falling, glass breaking, etc. as Charlie lands off-stage. Gus and Gus finish their act, take a muscular tableaux and the Olio comes down.

Act VI: "Diane Kramer's Tootsie Tappers"

A troupe of nine tap-dancing young ladies dance onto the stage, tapping to the tune "In My Merry Oldsmobile" (1905). These talented dancers "flap, ball change and shuffle" in a high-energy routine that fills the stage in front of the Olio, but suddenly they realize that there are ten dancers! Charlie has join in at the end of the line, tapping along with them (and doing a pretty good job of keeping up!) while saying to the audience:

"A bum asked a guy "Hey buddy, give me $10 until payday. The guy asked him, "When's payday?" The bum responded, "I don't know! You're the one working!"

The dancers suddenly go into a series of high chorus-line kicks and end up kicking Charlie right off stage left. They finish their number and "shuffle off to Buffalo" stage right.

Act VII: "George Sherwood's Performing Dogs"

With the Olio curtain still in and the dancers off stage, Charlie suddenly runs back on from stage left to center, desperate to finish his act (and looking the worse for wear). As soon as he get center, we hear barking from stage left and several dogs come charging onto the stage, chasing the terrified Charlie off stage right before he has a chance to say anything.

The dogs return to stage and join George Sherwood and the rest of the dogs in this high-quality act of dogs trained to perform, obey commands, and thoroughly entertain the audience. The Olio rises and the props needed by the dogs for their act are in place. Towards the middle of the act Charlie is seen trying to sneak onto the stage but one of the dogs spots him, starts to growl menacingly, and Charlie turns and escapes back off-stage, but not before the audience notices that he has a large portion of his pants torn off , including a large hole in his rear end showing his ugly-patterned boxer shorts.

The Olio curtain comes down and we see the dogs come back across the stage "in one", crossing the stage and taking their commands from Mr. Sherwood, stopping on command, rolling over, playing dead, etc. across the stage. Following them, and doing the same routine as the dogs, is- you guessed it- Charlie. The dogs exit stage left followed by Charlie, who instead of exiting hides in front of one of the downstage curtain legs, waiting for one last chance to finish his routine. The Olio rises on the stage, which has been reset for:

Act VIII: "The Marvelous Magic of Master Magisto!"

Magisto is a very talented magician, performing many of the traditional magic tricks so popular with audiences. He starts out with some simple card tricks, pulling rabbits out of hats, etc., then proceeds (with the help of his lovely assistant Thelma) with some more elaborate magic acts. Master Magisto and Thelma move upstage to where several large magic act boxes, trunks, etc. are located. As they move upstage, Charlie see his opportunity for one last shot a comedy stardom and rushed downstage center to tell the audience:

"A boy comes home from school and tells his father he has a part in the school play. The father asks, "What part is it?" the boy says, "I play the part of the husband." The father scowls and says, "Go back and tell the teacher you want a speaking part."

Magisto and Thelma see what is going on, look at each other, and grab a large burlap bag from a large trunk. Just as Charlie finishes his joke, they pull the bag over his head and his entire body, drag him over to the trunk and put him inside the trunk, making sure that they have tied the bag shut so that he can't get out of it. Charlie inside the bag is struggling to get out and loudly complaining, but it's of no use. He is in the trunk, the trunk is locked with a padlock, and Magisto asks an audience member in the front row to hold the key so that Charlie can't get out and spoil the rest of the act. Thelma takes the key to the audience member- preferably a male- and demurely but obviously flirts with him a bit before leading him up to the stage to hold the key in full sight of the audience.

Magisto and Thelma now do the classic magic trick where she is placed in an upright box, the door is closed, Magisto slides solid metal sheets through parts of the box and then rearranges the boxes. He opens doors in each box section to show that Thelma is now separated into four different pieces: her feet are now in the top box, next her torso, then her head, then her legs, then he closes the doors. He spins the boxes around to show all sides, then rearranges the boxes to put Thelma back together again. He removes the metal sheets, opens the front of the entire box- and Charlie is inside the box!! Charlie steps out, looking a bit confused, then is grabbed by Magisto angrily. Magisto holds him by his oversized lapels and demands "Where is Thelma?!" The terrified Charlie can't speak, but just points to the trunk. Magisto shoves Charlie aside, go over to the audience member and demands to know, "Did you ever give anyone the key?" The audience member denies it and hands it over to Magisto, who rushes over to the trunk, unlocks the padlock, throws the lid open and someone in the still-tied bag stands up from inside the trunk. Magisto unties the bag, and it drops open, revealing Thelma!

Magisto stands there stunned, then goes over to Charlie and demands to be told how he did that. Charlie, now looking rather smug, asks, "Will you let me finish my act?" Magisto, with a pained look, agrees and gestures to Charlie to go down stage and finish his act of bad jokes. Charlie moves rather proudly downstage center, the Olio curtain is lowered, the spotlight hits Charlie, and Charlie starts to open his mouth. Suddenly, with a look of horror, he realizes something. He tells the audience, "Oh, no! I'm all out of jokes!" (rim shot and blackout)

The Olio is raised, the stage has been cleared of the magic props and the entire cast of Vaudeville! has gathered on the stage. Charlie, now acting as the Master of Ceremonies, moves downstage as the rest of the cast joins him. He thanks the audience for their joining them in this celebration of the vaudeville theatre, and the orchestra breaks into a rousing rendition of "It's a Grand Old Flag" (1906). A large American flag of 1900 ( with 45 stars) is lowered behind the cast filling the stage, the cast starts waving small matching flags and begins to sing the song, then a signboard is flown in over the cast with the lyrics to the song on it. Charlie encourages the audience to join in with the cast, and to "follow the bouncing ball" of a spotlight on the lyrics (in case some don't know the words), and the show ends with a burst of red, white and blue streamers being shot out over and onto the now standing, clapping and cheering audience, an audience filled with a surge of patriotism and appreciation for this unique form of American theater- Vaudeville!

For this proposal, I’m introducing a new, all indoor mini-land called the Pokémon Center. For those unfamiliar with the Pokémon video game series, a Pokémon Center can be found in every in-game town and serves as a Pokémon trainer’s base of operations. Here, your pocket monsters can be healed free of charge, trainers can make Pokémon trades, and a PC can be accessed to track which monsters you’ve already captured and at what level they are. Players become intimately familiar with the functions of these centers early on as accessing them is a regular part of the ‘gameplay loop’; trainers rest their Pokémon at the center, venture out into the field to battle other monsters and increase the power of their own monsters, and eventually make for the next in-game town and, as a result, the next Pokémon Center. I mention this to reinforce the idea that, for regular Pokémon players, walking into one of these Centers is akin to walking into the game world.

Those who have visited major cities in Japan such as Tokyo or Osaka may have visited real life Pokémon Centers before, but these iterations aren’t but glorified retail spaces. The themed decor is there, along with the ability to wirelessly collect rare Pokémon on a timed exclusivity basis, but that’s about it. Still, these locations give us a good idea of the look and feel we’re going for in the full-scale version at Nintendoland…

In Nintendoland, the Pokémon Center is located along the path to Kirby’s Dreamland, but well before the theme elements for that land begin. As a result, players will feel as if they’ve come upon the Center through a dense forest- similar to encountering one in the game. The mini-land includes a feature complete Pokémon Center with cast-members portraying ‘nurses’ able to help young players select the Pokémon (plush) that best suits their play style. Players will also have access to several touch-screen PCs that function as they do in the game series. These PCs can be accessed to review general Pokémon data, or wirelessly linked with a player’s 3DS system to display info on collected Pokémon. Additionally, a Pokémon lounge area will serve soft drink refreshments and will be designated as a space for players to trade or battle their Pokémon. This area will regularly host tournaments and will have a special, rare Pokémon available for wireless download every day on a rotating basis, with holidays featuring ultra-rare downloadable monsters.

In addition to this game-space realized, the Pokémon Center will host two attractions: Pokémon Snap Safari and Pokémon Trainer’s Academy. Snap Safari is a dark ride/shooting gallery hybrid based on the Pokémon Snap video game. In the game, players go on treks through the wilderness attempting to photograph as many different wild monsters as possible. The attraction is much the same; players pile into four-seater safari vehicles, don 3D safari glasses, and ride through a series of 3D scenes featuring several audio animatronics while attempting to snap photos of as many ‘mon as possible. At the end of the ride, players can see who nabbed the high score and are treated to a slideshow of the best framed photos taken.

Today, we’re here to check out Pokémon Trainer’s Academy- a stage show featuring live audience participation and life-size Pokémon animatronics. Similar to Jedi Training Academy at Disneyland or Disney’s Hollywood Studios, young players can sign up to be initiated as new Pokémon trainers by visiting guest services upon park opening. Players that sign up early enough to receive a spot in the show will head to the Pokémon Center at a designated time- about thirty minutes prior to the start of the next show. There, a Pokémon Headmaster will give them a brief overview of what they’ll be doing in order to become full-fledged Pokémon Trainers. Trainer Initiates, as they’ll be called during the show, will be issued initiate hats and a Pokéball to trap and later summon their pocket monsters.

At the start of the show, the Trainer Headmaster (a role that can be played be either male or female cast members) will give a brief discussion regarding Pokémon, what they are, and how they’re captured/trained/battled. After the Headmaster’s primer, the curtain behind him/her will be drawn to reveal a colorful field projected onto a screen at the back of the stage with several real plant and rockwork elements in the fore of the stage, identified as a simulated wilderness. At this point, the first of at least a dozen volunteer initiates will be called on stage. Animatronic starter Pokémon from the game series will appear from behind the bushes, trees, and rocks on the stage one at a time, allowing each initiate to capture their own Pokémon. Again, for those unfamiliar with the game series, starter Pokémon are the ones available to players at the beginning of a new game. These Pokémon start off relatively weak, but can eventually ‘evolve’ into very powerful ally monsters.

The animatronic Pokémon will be hidden by scenery and will appear to emerge onto the stage, and the capture effect will be a combination of smoke and a strobe effect while the animatronic disappears back into the scenery. The Pokémon available to capture will include Pikachu, Squirtle, Charmander, Snivvy, Tepig, and several others. Once all initiates have captured a Pokémon of their own, the Headmaster will inform the audience that a basic battle simulation will begin. At this point, the lights go down in the house and a computer glitch sound effect plays. The back of stage screen now displays “/Begin TeamRocket Simulation”. Again, for the benefit of those unfamiliar with the world of Pokémon, Team Rocket are the ‘bad guys’ from the accompanying cartoon series based on the games. When the background ‘boots’ back to the simulation, the once sunny wilderness area now appears dark and stormy. Everything has gone… horribly wrong!

Our Trainer Initiates are now called upon to summon their Pokémon companions and battle the enemy monsters on the back of stage screen. Each Initiate is given the opportunity to call upon their Pokémon and execute a couple of their companion’s signature attacks (ie lightning from Pikachu). Initiates do so by casting their Pokéball, calling the name of the contained Pokémon, and then giving them clear, verbal commands that were rehearsed prior to the show. These attacks are made real by the action of the animatronics combined with the effects on the rear screen on the enemies. Enemies periodically fall and counter attack the onstage Pokémon, necessitating the next initiate to enter the battle. The final initiate to attack will be the one holding the Squirtle Pokéball- as after this Pokémon attacks, the Headmaster will declare the creature is evolving! The lights go down, the strobes light up, and the seats in the theater rumble. Once the lights come back up, the back of stage screen has been raised to reveal a massive Blastoise which playfully sprays our audience. The Headmaster concludes the show by congratulating our now fully-fledged Pokémon trainers and thanking them for foiling Team Rocket’s surprise intrusion.

After the show, newly declared trainers are given completion certificates and the lucky trainer whose ‘battle expertise’ resulted in an evolved Pokémon is given a special button to commemorate the achievement. Audience members are given the opportunity to come onstage for a photograph with their favorite Pokémon starter before filing out for the next showing. Shows last about 20-25 minutes with an additional 40 minutes between shows for Initiate rehearsal and audience photos. Enjoying the show, both as an onstage participant or audience member, really reinforces the rest of the Pokémon Center experience and makes engaging with the ‘nurse’ cast members and selecting a Pokémon of your own to take home a lasting memory.

Fantasia: The Live Experience
Land of Music

In the Land of Music, a massive theater is located near the center of the land. The show is a combination of Fantasia and Fantasia 2000. The show is 55 min. of music, color, puppetry, and magic. This will be one of the main shows in the park and will be more for older kids and adults. The Fantasia Theater is the biggest theater Disney has ever created. Wrapped around the sides of the theater is a mural of characters from both versions of Fantasia. This show is a ticket only show. At the entrance, there are six ticket booths where you can get tickets for a certain time of show. People would need to arrive 45-60 min to get their seats.

Lobby:
As you enter the lobby of the theater, a giant chandelier is overhead in a design of various musical notes. The musical notes are also seen in the carpets. Around the lobby are statues of many characters from the two Fantasia films that are represented in the show will be available for photo opportunities while you wait. There are restrooms in the lobby. There are three levels of seating, equaling 3,000 seats total. The orchestra level, which has 700 seats, is available for everyone but will be used for those who buy a package for the park that includes tickets to this and one other show. Also is used for people who cannot climb stairs. The Mezzanine, which can seat 1200 people, is the second level and the one most used. The Balcony level, with 1100 seats, will be used if there is no other room in the other two sections. The performers will go through the aisle in the orchestra level.

The Show:
The curtain is red with black music notes. You can hear the orchestra tuning and preparing to perform. Mickey’s voice comes over the speakers and gives the speech of turning phones off, where to leave if you need to, and no eating or drinking in the theater. Mickey then says, “Now on with the show!” As soon as he says that, the music to Beethoven’s 5th Symphony begins as the curtain parts to view a screen playing the intro to the scene as water falls from clouds. When the clouds part to reveal a “spotlight” to a bunch of butterflies on a rock, the screen goes up to reveal the butterflies are puppets, like the mechanism used for Zazu in the Broadway show of the Lion King. The movement is about multi-color butterflies going up against black bats, which also uses the same type of puppets. At the movement ends, the curtains close and Mickey, dressed for The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, comes from stage right while Donald, dressed for Pomp and Circumstance, comes out stage left. They welcome everyone to the show and explain the show was created to showcase the magic of music of Fantasia. They then introduce the next movement as the curtain rises.

The Nutcracker Suite, which is cut down to four movements instead of six, is presented in ballet form with the movements “The Russian Dance,” “The Arabian Dance,” “The Dance of the Flutes,” and “Waltz of the Flowers” in that order. The performers will dress as Russian Thistles for the Russian Dance and dress as goldfish, attached to a flying harness to have the sense of swimming. The flowers used in “The Dance of the Flutes,” will be vibrant and seem as they are floating. The finale to the section will be “Waltz of the Flowers” performed by fairies changing fall into winter and ending with snow falling from the ceiling as performers are dressed as snowflakes, ending the scene. Mickey comes out behind the now fallen curtain and introduces the next act as the curtain rises to a blank screen.

Rhapsody in Blue is a Gershwin classic and brought to life with Disney magic. A pencil line begins to draw the buildings of New York as a clarinet begins to play. As the screen rises, a room owned by a worker is shown as he gets ready to go to work. This is telling the story of a worker wanting to be a drummer, an unemployed man who wants to just have a job, a little girl wanting her parents to be with her, and a man who is married to a horrible lady who loves her dog more than him. It will include moving sets that resemble Al Hirschfield paintings and include the music by George Gershwin. In the middle of the movement, the performers don a pair of roller blades that look like ice skates and dream their dreams as they ice skate in Rockefeller Center. As each person is awarded their dream at the end, the curtain closes. Donald climbs up from a hole in the stage to introduce the next act, the most famous and recognizable segment from Fantasia.

The curtain opens up to showcase The Sorcerer’s Apprentice starring Mickey as the apprentice. The brooms come alive just as they do in the movie but their buckets are not full of water but full of material that is made to look like water. The stage will be covered in layers of the same material as the water builds up more and more and eventually turns into a whirlpool by the end. The layers of material will come together to make the giant vortex that sweeps up Mickey and almost finishes him off. The brooms, Mickey, and the book Mickey is on will be on flying harnesses as well so it as if they are moving with the vortex. The Sorcerer returns and the vortex break apart and are dragged off stage. As then sorcerer pushes Mickey offstage with a broom, the curtain falls. Mickey comes out from where he was pushed off from with a towel around him to “dry off.” He is in the middle of announcing the next segment but a broom comes out with a note stating Donald is not ready. Mickey goes off to find Donald and, just like in the movie Fantasia 2000, Donald is in the shower. The clip where Mickey finds Donald is the inspiration for this scene and the clip is being shown to the right of the stage. When Mickey gets back on stage, he announces the starting of the next segment as the curtain rises.

Pomp and Circumstance is usually thought about just for graduation but Disney has rethought the music as a way to tell the story of Noah’s Ark starring Donald and Daisy. As the curtain rises, a trumpet is heard calling for all of the animals to come to the ark. The animals come from every which way, out from the stage, from the sides of the theater, and from above the stage. The animals are created by Michael Curry, the same creator of the puppets for both Lion King on Broadway and Finding Nemo: The Musical. As soon as the animals arrive on the stage, Noah reveals Donald in a hammock when the rain starts and the animals boarding the ark. Thinking Donald drowned before the ark closed, Daisy is sad because she thinks Donald is dead. Donald is thinking the same thing about Daisy. The rain stops and Donald and Daisy do not know they are still alive. It is not until after the ark docks that they find each other and celebrate their new life together. Donald comes out from behind the curtain with Daisy and they introduce the next segment as the orchestra starts to play a foreboding type of song as the curtain lifts up.

Night on Bald Mountain opens with the gigantic Chernabog, in a puppet form, appears calling for his minions to come to him. The ghouls come from the back of the theater, the side of the stage, and even from the top of the theater. The performers are dressed as ghouls with some carrying puppets on sticks as they perform and worship their king. As he is about to summon even more minions, the church bells ring, announcing the new day, is heard in the background as the ghouls run away and Chernabog hides away as an elevator lowers him down stage. The music of Ave Maria begins as people in cloaks and holding candles walk from the back of the theater to the stage singing the song. As they all line up on the stage, their candles and the light go off except for one candle in the center. The soprano on stage sings the solo as the glimmer of light in the background becomes bigger and brighter as the choir comes back on to welcome the light as the song reaches its climax and the curtain falls.

Mickey and Donald peek out from between each side of the stage and say that there is more the Fantasia and tell the audience to sit back and relax and enjoy a medley of songs from both films. The curtain rises and scenes from each film are represented by live performers and puppeteers that include appearances from characters like Bacchus from The Pastoral Symphony, the cast of animals from The Dance of the Hours, the tin solider and ballerina from The Steadfast Tin Solider, and even the Spring Sprite from The Firebird. The show finishes with the strands of The Firebird as the curtain closes. The cast comes back to take their bows and then the guests will exit out of the theater and back into the park.

Thanks for reading my proposal and hope you enjoyed it.

MASTERS OF THE REALM
In the constant struggle between good and evil, the Realm of Imagination itself is the largest battlefield!  Heroes of light and shadow constantly clash for the influence and minds of all denizens of the realm of imagination. Masters of the Realm is an exciting, action-packed live show extravaganza which pits two sides of Heroes against one another.  The Heroes of Light, often paragons of virtue and honor, fight for the betterment of all realms of imagination.  Meanwhile, the heroes of shadow fight to wrest control of the realm from the heroes of light, who they view as tyrannical despots who have come to impose their own limited definition of freedom and justice upon the realm of imagination!  Masters of the Realm sees these two powerful forces clash in the struggle for control of imagination itself!
 
Location, Venue, and Show Information
Masters of the Realm takes place in the Kingdom Hearts Coliseum, a large open-air amphitheater style theatre (the seating is arranged in a “horseshoe” manner, with the seats enveloping a half-circle around the main stage) which sits rests on the border of the Kingdom Hearts realm and the Courage Cove Realm.  The venue seats up to 8,000 guests with standing room overflow of another 2,000 guests located on top and bottom levels of the venue.  The venue resembles a large coliseum, complete with roman-esque arches and columns, with a slight touch of the modern.  Guests can access the venue through one of three large bridges, each of which lead to an entrance which features a gigantic foyer where various statues and artwork of famous Disney heroes and villains awe the guests as they pass through the gates.  Upon passing through the gates, guests are given the opportunity to claim their allegiance to a side—Heroes of Light or Heroes of Shadow—by scanning their heroic spirit at designated spirit stones upon entering and before seating.  The stage itself is a large and open area.  In the background, a large ziggurat rises almost to the top of the venue, flanked on both sides by two massive Minotaur statues.  At the top of the ziggurat rests a large keyblade. The show itself is approximately 35 minutes in length and has one nightly showing on weekdays and two nightly showings on weekends and holidays. The show times are 8:45 PM and 10:15 PM respectively.

Concept art for the Kingdom Hearts Coliseum

Technology
The Kingdom Hearts Coliseum is equipped with the latest in high-tech sound systems, lighting, and pyrotechnics.  The stage itself is a large and open area and is equipped, unbeknownst to the guests, with a number of trap doors and exciting platforms which raise and lower certain props throughout the show.  The two large minotaur statues flanking the ziggurat are actually massive animatronics which come alive during the climax of the show.  The stage is also equipped with large high definition screens in the background, cleverly hidden between arches which maintain the illusion of a large Coliseum.  Lastly, the coliseum is equipped with large canvas awnings to keep the venue dry in case of inclement weather.

A Note on Variation
Certain scenes, and the climax of Masters of the Realm’s, will vary depending on the results of certain attractions throughout the park.  This is due to the nature of certain rides offering riders to “pick” a side to fight for during a ride.  Ultimately, depending on which side received the most “wins” on each respective “dueling” ride will determine the outcome of certain scenes and eventually the end of the show itself.

The Show
The house lights go out as the background of the stage begins to come to life.  The hidden screens begin showing what appears to be blue comet dancing wildly in the background while quickly approaching the coliseum.  Suddenly, in the center of the stage, a rift in the fabric of reality itself begins to open.  A large keyhole shape shines light as the blue comet comes crashing into what now appears to be a door made out of air itself.  A loud *POOF* is heard throughout the theater and a dark blue man appears emerges from the door.  He stands center stage with his back to the audience.  It’s Hades, lord of the underworld, and main antagonist of the Disney animated classic, Hercules.
HADES: Whew! Am I glad to be back home and away from those idiots!  He takes a moment to straighten himself before realizing he is surrounded by the audience.  He looks up to the Keyblade on the raised dais and begins to ascend the stairs. ”The Ultima Blade! Perfect! Any world in the realm will be mine at last! No more wailing souls and ravenous three-headed dogs and whining and pleas and blah blah blah!” As he reaches the top of the dais the two Minotaur statues come to life. They slam their axe heads down on the top step, blocking passage from Hades. Hades is surprised and recoils. He notices the audience for the first time and looks slightly embarrassed. He addresses the audience, and makes some humorous banter before telling the audience to ignore him. Just then, another set of flying comets can be seen flying towards the stage again. The keyhole opens once again and out from the door steps Maleficient, Jafar, Captain Hook, and the Queen of Hearts (The villains may change on a nightly basis to add to the variation theme). Maleficient and the rest of the villains are furious at Hades as they reveal to the audience that they had been holding off those “goody two-shoes” while Hades took the opportunity to escape and hunt the Ultima Blade for himself. After some humorous banter, the Minotaur statues interupt:

Minotaur 1: Silence! Why do you seek the Ultima Keyblade? The villains all give their own (bogus) reasons before one of them asks the inevitable question. ”Er. Just what, exactly, is the Ultima Blade?” The rest of the villains are appalled and shocked that such a dumb question could be asked. Hades explains (in a condescending manner) what Keyblades exactly are—powerful weapons which, depending on the Keyblade, may be used to open the heart of a realm and control the realm itself. The Ultima Keyblade is the key to the heart of all worlds and, subsequently, whoever controls the Ultima Keyblade controls the entire realm of imagination. The villains then notice the audience and ask them if they would like to assist them in obtaining the Ultima Blade. The villains again try to retrieve the Keyblade again, as the Minotaurs slam their axes again, lightning strikes the dais.
Minotaur 2: Only those with the strength and faith of the ones who imagine may retrieve the Keyblade.

The Minotaur Guardians

Just then, another set of comets can be seen approaching the stage once again. The door opens up once again and through the door step Sora, Donald, Goofy, Mickey, and (again, this can vary depending on day but Sora and Mickey are always present). They confront the villains, calling them cowards and cheats. They notice the Ultima Keyblade and attempt to retreive it. The villains, curiously, do not attempt to stop them. Mickey and friends stand defensively before beginning to wonder why the villains aren't trying to stop them as Sora climbs the stairway to receive the Ultima Keyblade. Once at the top, the Minotaurs again come to life as the dais shoots up fire around the Keyblade. Sora and the rest of the heroes are taken aback.

The Ultima Keyblade

SORA: “What is this? You know your weak magics won't stop us forever!”
HADES: “None of us are stopping you, kid. You may want to talk to Big Mac and Beef Supreme about what the heck's up their tenderloins!”
MINOTAUR 1: I am Faith.
MINOTAUR 2: And I am Influence.
FAITH AND INFLUENCE TOGETHER: And together we are the guardians of the realm of imagination.

Faith and Influence explain that in order to retrieve the Ultima Keyblade, the two sides must prove that the dreamers (i.e.--the audience) have more faith in their respective cause and personalities than the other side. Influence explains the power of influence on the world of imagination, explaining that even though the heroes of shadow may be perceived as forces of evil, it does not diminish their ability to influence the dreamers. Fear, coercion, force, and deception can be as influential as loyalty, hope, courage, or bravery. Some of the villains protest these allegations and make their case for why they aren't necessarily “bad”, just “misunderstood” (As an example, Ursula may explain that she had entered into a totally legal, mutual, and fair agreement with Ariel. It was Ariel who broke the contract and then tried to make her out to be the villain when Ursula was simply following the terms of the contact).

Faith and Influence explain that, if each side wishes to claim the Ultima Keyblade for themselves, they must prove to the dreamers that their respective side has more faith in their cause and exert more influence on the world of imagination. Faith and Influence then tell the two sides to prepare themselves to prove their worth in various tests of combat. The heroes of light and the heroes of shadow square off on opposite ends of the coliseum and rouse the crowd to their side, involving the audience in an appeal for cheers and applause. Faith and Influence again call for silence before beginning the first test.

Fight 1: Test of Strength
During this introduction of the first fight, the large screens in the background display images and animation to coincide with the action on screen. Faith and Influence introduce the first test—the test of strength. Two contestants, one from each side, must face off in combat. Sora is always a participant for light while the hero of shadow will vary between Scar, Riku, and other villains known for their strength and battle prowess. The fight itself is anything but normal, as pillars raise from the ground to spout gout’s of flame at the participants. Ultimately the winner of the fight is determined by the daily result of the Hero's Battlefield interactive walk-through attraction located in the Hero's Causeway realm of the park (Briefly, the Hero's Battlefield attraction allows guest to square off against various heroes and villains using their heroic spirit in an effort to beat them in various mini-games).

After the winner is determined the columns descend and Faith and Influence declare the champion of strength, riling up the audience in the process. The audience is encouraged to cheer for their respective champion in Medieval Times fashion.

Test of Wealth
Faith and Influence congratulate the winning and side as the two sides take verbal jabs at one another. Faith and Influence begin to discuss the next trial—the test of wealth, explaining that wealth is more than simply money or loot. Just then, in the background of the stage, another comet approaches. As it comes closer to the coliseum, the audience begins to discern that this comet has a distinct silouette—it's that of a large pirate ship! The pirate ship's bow comes crashing into the stage as Davey Jones swings onto the battlefield from a rope

DAVEY JONES: Did someone say loot? Har Har!

The Keyhole again begins to glow as the door opens. Captain Jack Sparrow comes sauntering out of the door.

JACK SPARROW: Not really sure what's going on here but if there's treasure or rum involved you can always count me in!

Faith and Influence are surprised at the arrival of the pirates but allows them to participate in the ensuing test. Jack will join the heroes of light and Davey Jones will join the heroes of shadow. Influence explains that wealth can obtained and used to exert extreme influence on the dreamers. A large treasure chest is lowered from the roof and dangles in the air enticingly. Faith and Influence explain that the contestants must work together to retrieve the chest. The test begins and the two teams try different methods of obtaining the chest in a trial-and-error manner while simultaneously fighting each other. Each side attempts various methods before one side achieving victory. The winner of this test is determined by the daily results of the Battle of the Black Pearl attraction (in this attraction, guest must pick a side to 'fight' for and board a unique pirate sloop). The winning method for the heroes of light involves bribing Davey Jones to help them while the winning method for the heroes of shadow involves the heroes of shadow convincing Jack Sparrow that their cause will lead him to further riches.

Test of Magic
Once the Test of Wealth is complete, the pirate ship and the pirates retreat back into the realm of imagination, forever seeking more loot. Faith and Influence explain the next test—the test of magic. In this test, the contestants must demonstrate their ability to manipulate the arcane and mystical arts. Mickey takes on this challenge for the light while either Maleficient, Ursula, or Jafar step up for the shadow.

The two contestants square off in the center of the coliseum while Faith and Influence dictate to the contestants how to prove their magical superiority. Influence explains that a wizards power is directly proportionate to the amount of influence the wizard exerts upon the minds of dreams while Faith explains that a wizard that truly believes in their magic is just as powerful as an influential wizard. Faith and Influence give the two contestants various tests of magic, including a test of illusion where wizards must have illusionary creatures face off in battle (this particular test will feature the hero of shadow summoning a powerful animatronic dragon which flies around the theater above and aroud the guests breathing fire while Mickey fights off the dragon by manipulating water in vein of the famous sequence in Fantasia!). The winner of the battle is determined by the Adventure Through Earthsea walk-through interactive game.

Test of Battle
The final test involves a full on fight between the two factions. This fight will feature all the high-tech wizardry the audience has already been exposed to including large scale projections, large scenes on the background screens, animatronics, and pyrotechnics as the two sides use their respective powers to force the other side to submit. This battle is determined by the winner if the Conflict Castle: Fight for Hollow Bastion! attraction for the day. Faith and Influence interrupt the fight to declare the winner.

The Test of Battle

Decision
Faith and Influence stop the fight and deliberate on the two sides. They again re-iterate the importance of Faith and Influence throughout the realm of imagination before declaring the winner. The winner of the fight is determined by which side achieved the most “wins” and “points” throughout the various interactive attractions in the park throughout the day. The loser is banished from the coliseum, reminded by Faith and Influence that control of the realm of imagination is always in flux. The winning faction is then allowed to ascend the ziggurat and claim the Ultima Keyblade before a large keyhole opens up behind the dais. Before departing, they remind the audience to keep dreaming, because every dream is important and every dream has influence. A small display of fireworks is set off as Faith and Influence declare the winners as masters of the realm. The keyhole opens and the heroes disappear in a large puff of smoke. The house lights go up

Spirit-Stone Opportunities
-Pick the side of light-Unlocks the achievement Good Guys (should) always Win
-Pick the side of light-Unlocks the achievement They're not bad, just misunderstood
-View Masters of the Realm when the side of light wins and you picked them to win-Unlocks the achievement As is Tradition As well as Faith and Influence for use in the Disney Infinity Toy box
-View Masters of the Realm when the side of shadow wins and you picked them to win-Unlocks the achievement Upset the Balance as well as the Kingdom Hearts Coliseum for use in the Disney Infinity Toy Box.

Chad H

Edited: March 1, 2015, 9:31 AM

Kevin Krom - Who’s quest is it anyway

I know Kevin that Show can be a really hard round.., But I can’t help but be disappointed in what is just a improvisational show with a thin DnD Facade. There are so many “tales from the table” you can go with or so many things in theme that can be used., but you gave me a cheap 1990’s TV show.

This isn’t to degrade Improv as an artform or the show (I loved Who’s line is it anyway in both the US form, and the original UK incarnation), but when we ask for a themed show, I really don’t think this is it.

It breaks the theme immersion that you were going for in the other experiences, actually playing the quest… this takes me right out of it and back into the real world. A comedy show is one thing, but you need to keep it in theme, rather than take me back to the real world. I’d have gone with some sort of show you could expect to happen in game.

I can see you put a lot of work into it, and I’m sorry I can’t be more positive, but I really don’t think this works.

——

Scott E - Vaudeville.

Damn, you reminded me I’ve been meaning to go to an old music hall that's around here.

Maybe a little too long explaining the concept of Vaudeville… but not going to mark you down for that, as maybe some others need the detailed description. I definitely would have missed out the paragraph about segregation, I think it goes without saying that any performance today will not be 100% time period accurate because we wont accept these things.

A live pit orchestra is a grand idea, but I worry about how feasible that is going to be. That seems like a lot of bodies, I’m guessing its not a full orchestra at 90, but even at say 20 per performance, that's a lot of people just for an orchestra, as you’ll need at least twice that number to account for days off.

You’ve done a lot at keeping the classic style, so that even if Great Grandpa comes, he’s going to feel at home in something he would have grown up with.

Charlie I like, especially with the stereotypical jokes and hook. For some reason in my head I hear Alan Alda telling those jokes… I like how he invades the other acts, its comic brilliance.

Your other acts seem like classics for the day too, this show I think really captures your parks theme perfectly.

Encore, Encore!

———

Travis M - Pokémon Trainer’s Academy

I really hope that this is a Trojan Horse for a greater Pokemon land, as the Phenomenal success of Pokemon deserves more than just a building with two attractions. There’s a lot, and I mean a lot that can be done with Pokemon in the Theme park space - arguably enough to fill a park on its own, so just a shooter and a show connected by retail is going to be a letdown if that's all it is… Basically what I’m saying is put this building in a bigger Pokemon area .

I’m not sure if it fully counts as a “show”, but your… Interactive experience would clearly be a hit with guests I would suggest making participation an upcharge experience to be the trainer, and let the contestant go home with their pokemon (well, a plush version of it, maybe with a special alteration that you can only get from the trainer experience.

Your attraction is good, but hasn’t blown me away

———

Brett Angwin - Fantasia: The Live Experience

An hour beforehand to get tickets, and then an hour show… This strikes me as too long. Looking at wikipedia at other shows in Disney parks, 15-30 mins seems to be the “normal” show length. You’re asking a lot of families who are going to have kids eager to get around the park to stick around that long. You have 3000 seats, given you’ve allocated 1/3 of them to overspill (and thus don't expect to fill them) do you need timed/ticked entry?

Your show itself does appear to be quite an event, being the “best of” Fantasia/Fantasia 2000. I do like the idea of using puppets, and this is something I’m sure Disney could pull off well. The effects would be well worth watching the show for.

But I’m left thinking this might actually be better extended to 90 mins, and then taken on the road, rather than expect a distracted theme park audience to commit so much time to it.

———

Blake Meredith - Masters of the Realm

8k Seats with 2k overspill… You’re really planning for a hit on your hands. It seems huge…. There are moderate sized stadiums with that kinda capacity. I think this risks overtaking the theme park.

I suppose this can be kinda understood given you’re only planning on two shows a day, but that leaves a huge asset that is going dormant during Peak/daylight hours, that's asking a huge commitment for a small payoff.

I do like that you’re making it interactive, and therefore each show being slightly different. However, be careful, you said in one paragraph that the statues come alive during the “climax” and then have them moving in scene 1.

Your show is a masterpiece, bringing as many popular franchises together as possible and can be easily kept with the times with the introduction of newer, more relevant characters, or could easily have an extra themed sheen on it for seasons (add Santa and Jack frost or something for Christmas, etc). However, whilst that is certainly a “pro” point reuse, you’d either have to submit a proposal for what you’re going to do with the stadium during the rest of the day in order to make the attraction make financial sense, or retool it as a traveling arena show at 90 mins or so length.

Also, please check your HTML code. You seem to be missing an end-italics tag (I had to put one in at the top of my response to stop your italics).

Scores

5. Vaudeville
4. Pokemon Trainers Academy
3. Masters of the Realm
2. Fantasia: Live Experience
1. Who’s quest is it anyway

First, I would like to say that judging these proposals is by no means easy, and is getting harder and harder each week. All of your proposals this week are fantastic, and I would like to congratulate you all on your hard work and determination for getting you this far. So, without further ado, I present to you: My Critiques!

Whose Quest is it Anyway?
Kevin Krom

Your show sounds hilarious, interesting, and original. One major issue here is that the success of your show will depend greatly on the quality of the audience’s suggestions. It seems like it could always be possible that the suggestions are not good, and in that case, perhaps have some “suggestions” that are already made up. Also, your show will depend greatly on the skill of the actors. You will need to have some excellent talent for them to be able to work with anything on the spot. And, well, I’m not sure this show will appeal to the masses. You have no awesome special effects, no fire-breathing AA dragon, and no set at all. While I appreciate this, I worry that too much would be left to the audience’s imagination. While I’m pretty sure this is what you’re going for, I’m not sure everyone could appreciate it. But, overall, I think I would definitely laugh (hard) at this show.

Vaudeville! A Dazzling Display of Heterogeneous Splendor Designed to Educate, Edify, Amaze, and Uplift!
Scott E.

Ok, so maybe I just got a kick out of writing the full title. However, this title surely sets the mood for the show to follow. While I wouldn’t call myself a “Vaudeville” fan (the type of show, not yours in particular), I really enjoyed this. There is a variety of acts, and the Charlie Seersucker bit really just adds so much to it. However, I wonder if Charlie would take away from any of the acts, which in and of themselves seem spectacular. For example, would “The Twin Tones” sound nearly has good with Charlie talking over them? Your rousing finale is a perfect end to the show. This show manages to mix comedy, awe, music, and time period appropriate fun into one show.

Pokemon Trainer’s Academy
Travis McReynolds

Well, I’ll begin by saying this reminds me of the Jedi Training Academy, which I think is what you’re going for. But, I think your special effects are almost completely impossible. What you haven’t considered is that by having guests on the stage, you also have to hide the AAs from those people too, in order to preserve the “magic” of the show. Based on the amount of explaining you have to do in order for me to understand, I think you have a problem here. Now, you’ve done the explaining, but you wouldn’t in the real show. What if I’ve only used the cards? Will I understand “Team Rocket”? But, overall, you have a fun, interactive show here that young ‘uns will love to experience.

Fantasia: The Live Experience
Brett Angwin

Well, I love this show. However, there are a few places it could be improved. First, I worry that you have far too much material here for a 45-minute show. The segment of Fantasia average 10-12 minutes. Even 4 movements of The Nutcracker is longer. This puts your show at about 60 minutes. This was within your range, but still seems long for a theme park show. Also, I think The Firebird Suite should definitely replace one of the other ones. It would work well as a finale, and in my head, it has the most potential to be good with puppets. Also, you have a very expensive show on your hands here. But, putting all of this aside, your show has the potential to be beautiful. In my head, it’s Lion King-esque, in that the puppets don’t necessarily look exactly like the cartoon, but you can tell who everybody is, and it’s absolutely beautiful.

Masters of the Realm
Blake Meredith

Well, you have an original show on your hands here. It seems a little like a revamped “Fantasmic”, but is still original. The biggest problem I have here is the possibility for a villain win. I get where you’re coming from, where the show will change, but if I’m at a show in Disneyland with my five-year-old (this is just an example), my kid does not want to see Mickey lose to a bunch of bad guys. However, the idea of different heroes and villains competing each time is a good one, and should allow for enough variation. I think the part where the villains claim to be “misunderstood” is very funny. Finally, was the achievement “VIEW MASTERs of the realm” an inside joke? Or did I just read it that way? If it was, you are very clever.

Rankings:

5: Vaudeville!
4:Fantasia: The Live Experience
3:Whose Quest is it Anyways?
2:Masters of the Realm
1:Pokemon Trainer’s Academy

Great Job to everybody, and good luck!

Another very hard round! I was actually very impressed by everybody's proposals. Shows can be hard because you really really need to describe well!

Who's Quest is it Anyway? (Kevin): While this seemed to have turned off some of the judges, I actually thought it was a little clever. Who's Line is it Anyway was a very popular ABC show and surprised it has never been used before. I will admit that it seems a little bit similar to the World Showcase Players at EPCOT, I actually think your show is one of the better fits to your theme.

Vaudeville (Scott): Once again, it shows that you have thought very hard about your park and its attractions. This is no exception. I feel that this is one of the top shows this round because it is something different and something that could be used at the park!

Pokemon (Travis): This seems to be a "new land" that was created solely for this show. While I agree that Pokemon is an excellent IP, this show seemed a little short for a larger show. Plus, I am not a fan of the standing shows.

Fantasia (Brett): Well done! I thought this one was excellent and a great way to introduce everybody to Fantasia. Loved it! However, I think 45 minutes might be a little too long (and boring) for the kiddies. I would like it too!

Masters of the Realm (Blake): While I like your out of the box thinking, I think this is another confusing attraction that might cause the guests to scratch their heads. I am afraid that guests would not be able to follow.

Rankings

5. Fantasia (Brett)
4. Vaudeville (Scott)
3. Who's Quest is it Anyways?(Kevin)
2. Pokemon (Travis)
1. Masters of the Realm (Blake)

Due to time constraints, my critiques this week are a bit shorter than usual. If you would like any clarification or additional information, just ask.

Kevin (Who's Quest is it Anyway?): Your idea for a show based purely on suggestions is not something I would have expected, but I'm not so sure it is a good choice. I would much rather have seen a show with a fixed storyline and certain elements requiring audience participation rather than a show that is nearly 100% improvised. Depending on the suggestions, I worry that the audience could either get a bad show or something totally unrelated to the theme of the area, both of which would be unacceptable at a theme park. I will give you credit for coming up with a unique idea that would display some very good acting talent, but I think the concept would be better suited to a 10 minute street show than a 25 minute performance in front of 1,500+ spectators.

Scott (Vaudeville!): A Vaudeville show is the perfect fit for your park, and you have done an excellent job of modernizing it. Your theater sounds great and it is an appropriate size for your park. As for the show itself, you have a great collection of acts representing the wide variety of talent that could be seen in an actual Vaudeville show. I only have two concerns about the show, and both are relatively minor. First, you never mentioned a length, and with eight acts I could see this being a little too long for the average theme park visitor. You may want to cut one or two of the acts, especially if they are repetitive. The other issue is Charlie fatigue, as while I love the character, having him appear in every act makes the show about him and distracts from the other action. Treat Charlie like a circus clown and have him appear in a few acts designed to revolve around him while the others are undisturbed. Other than these issues, you have a great show here and this is definitely one I'd want to watch.

Travis (Pokemon Trainer's Academy): I'm just going to say it: Other than the theme, your show feels like a carbon copy of the Jedi Training Academy show. It's also a little too much of an interactive experience in my opinion, as the show is simply watching others participate in the experience. I'm sure kids participating in the show will enjoy it a lot, and their parents will get a kick out of watching, but I've got a feeling the rest of the audience will probably find it boring, especially if they have to watch a dozen kids individually catch a Pokemon and then battle with it. I think a Pokemon battle show is a great idea, but your execution of the concept misses the mark a bit. I will say that you have a great idea for a Pokemon mini-land, but I have to judge this one based on the show alone.

Brett (Fantasia: The Live Experience): If you have a music land in a Disney park, a Fantasia show is essential. I like your theater design, from the facade to the interiors, though at 150% the size of the Hyperion Theater it might be a tad big. I'm a little confused about your ticketed entry...if you don't expect the theater to be full, why are tickets required? Furthermore, why do guests with a ticket need to arrive at least 45 minutes early to be guaranteed a seat? You'd be better off doing tickets for one level (probably Orchestra) and then first come, first served for the rest, as very few families will be willing to invest two hours into a show like this. Speaking of time, your show is a bit too long...most theme park shows are in the 20-30 minute range, and I don't know of any longer than 45 minutes. I'd suggest cutting your show to three or four segments and rotating them occasionally, just as Fantasia was originally intended. Length concerns aside, your show sounds great and would definitely attract a crowd. Every sequence fits perfectly, and for fans of the films it would be amazing to see some of them live.

Blake (Masters of the Realm): I'm assuming this is intended to be the nighttime spectacular for your park, and if so it is a great idea. You have all the high-tech toys necessary to pull off a show that is visually impressive, but you've also given it a story that will keep it entertaining. I like the variation in the show, however I am not a fan of the different endings. Having different characters, different tasks, and different results for those tasks is great, but the overall outcome needs to be consistent with good defeating evil (this is Disney, after all). The explanations about faith and influence determining the outcome are a little confusing, as they don't seem to be shown in the tasks, but perhaps guests used to the interactive elements of the park will understand it. Overall, you've got a good show that satisfies all the requirements of a nighttime spectacular but doesn't quite excel in the same way a show like Fantasmic does.

Ranking:

5: Scott (Vaudeville!)
4: Brett (Fantasia: The Live Experience)
3: Blake (Masters of the Realm)
2: Kevin (Who's Quest is it Anyway?)
1: Travis (Pokémon Trainer's Academy)

The results are in, and the tally for the live show round is as follows:

Vaudeville:19
Fantasia:15
Quest:10
Realm:8
ELIMINATED: Pokemon:8

Blake: 108
ELIMINATED: Travis:94
Scott: 90
Brett:85
Kevin:62

Therefore, NintendoLand is eliminated. You had an original idea that could interest fans of all ages, but your show just didn’t live up to our expectations. It was a little too much like existing shows, and simply wasn’t as entertaining as it could have been. We’re sorry to eliminate you, but there can only be one winner.

Speaking of winners, we seem to be eliminating people at nearly twice the proposed speed. Between drop-outs and eliminations, we are now down to only four contestants. Because of this, some changes will have to be made to the game. We have decided to keep eliminating people, and cut the game short. The restaurant round will go on as planned, and there there will be only one more round before the final round. The prize will still be awarded, and you will still be crowned champion. We are sorry we have to do this, but it is the only way to account for such massive drop-out rates.

We have not decided what the round following Restaurant will be, but we will decide as a group, and the game will continue. This being said, PLEASE try to avoid a drop out if at all possible!

Good luck to all of you!