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Young Reporter's
Story Ideas
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Thrills and chills on a gigantic scale are on their way as full-size
dinosaurs take over U.S. Airways Center in downtown Phoenix next month.
The terrifying roar of a protective mama T-rex is only outdone by the delighted shrieks and squeals from the audience in “Walking with Dinosaurs—The Live Experience.” This monstrously fun show magically transports kids and families back some 200 million years to when dinosaurs began their rule.
If you thought Shaq is big at the U.S. Airways Center, you ain’t seen nothing yet! (That’s showbiz talk.)
From Sept. 10–4, amazingly life-like dinosaurs will invade the arena. Add to that the dramatic lighting of a Broadway play and awe-inspiring music, and you have a show that you’ll never forget.
A New Age of Dinosaurs!
Originally, the BBC (British Broadcasting Corp.) created the TV series, “Walking with Dinosaurs.” This award-winning show used computer animation so that a paleontologist (a person who studies fossils) could narrate while walking among those giant wonders in their natural habitat.
“The Live Experience” uses the latest in Hollywood animatronics and incredible puppetry design to bring 15 dinosaurs to life!
The live show got its start in Australia. After negotiating with the BBC to do a stage version of “Walking with Dinosaurs,” the show’s producers needed to come up with an entire cast of dinosaurs. A small army of robotics experts and artists spent a year creating the dinosaurs, which are so enormous that the workshop where they were built is big enough to house a 747. In all, it cost $20 million to create everything for the live show.
The effect is amazing. The stars of the show look like, move like and sound like the real thing! One even makes a dino-sized poop!
“Everything moves on these dinosaurs—it’s very realistic,” says Jake Berry, production director for the show in the United States and Canada.
“When I first saw the show in Australia, I stood there with my mouth totally wide open for the first 40 minutes.…(They) look so real,” he says. “The first time the T-rex growled at me, it pushed me back in my seat!”
165 Million Years of Learning
Seeing these life-size dinosaurs in action is the big draw. The show, however, also packs an unforgettable punch when it comes to teaching about dino times.
Dinosaurs ruled the planet for about 165 million years, and the show tries to re-create that dramatic story in about 90 minutes. “Our show is not very long—it’s only 170 million years long from the Triassic to the Jurassic to the Cretaceous,” Berry jokes.
As in the TV show, the live version has a paleontologist narrator right there with the dinosaurs. He talks about the three dinosaur periods, dinosaur behavior, and interesting dino facts, and even touches upon how the land masses drifted apart and what plants were like when dinosaurs ruled the Earth.
“It’s a very theatrical show, but most importantly, it’s very educational,” Berry explains. “But it’s not just a kids’ show—it’s a show for the whole family. We cater to people from 2 to 102.”
The Cast
Young dinosaur fans will recognize some of the big stars of the show right away. T-rex, with its mouth full of dagger-like teeth, makes people jump in their seats when it makes its big entrance.
“Tyrannosaurus rex! The ultimate predator, perfectly evolved to kill. It’s a female. Normally a T-rex wouldn’t attack the heavily armored Ankylosaurus, but she’s fiercely protective of her young,” the narrator exclaims as the dinosaurs square off.
The cast is a spectacular mix of plant eaters and predators. There’s even a giant Ornithocheirus that soars above the audience. Some of the dinos may be new to you, especially the ones from the Triassic period, like the Plateosaurus and the pesky Liliensternus.
“We have 10 large dinosaurs and five smaller ones,” Berry explains. “The large ones take three people to operate them. The biggest one is the Brachiosaurus at 35 feet tall and 75 feet long.”
One person drives them around the arena floor. Animatronic puppeteers operate the body, the head and neck, the eyes and
the mouth.
“Then we have five smaller dinosaurs—three Utahraptors, a Liliensternus and a baby T-rex,” Berry continues. “We have people inside them who do everything.”
These smaller predators are very quick and agile. When the three Utahraptors come out, they’ve just taken down another dinosaur. Listen to their sounds. These dinosaurs are intelligent enough to communicate with one another. Raptors are smart, working as a team in the pursuit of food, the narrator explains.
Beware: Dinosaurs at the Wheel!
After selling out in Australia at the beginning of 2007, “Walking with Dinosaurs—The Live Experience” packed up and headed to North America—three months after its opening.
The dinosaurs have traveled to dozens of major U.S. cities and have performed in more than 350 shows in the states. The baby T-rex is bigger than any of the Jonas Brothers despite its bad attitude. It’s been on “The Today Show” and “Live with Regis and Kelly” and even has been spotted terrifying crowded malls!
“The whole show fits in 26 (semi) trucks, and we travel with 66 people,” Berry points out. “It’s no small feat here—the dinosaurs are so large, each dinosaur has its own truck.”
There will be nine shows in Arizona. The dinosaurs and crew arrive in Phoenix a day early to set up—Sept. 9—which takes about 10 hours. “We program and focus our lights and video during the late evening and early morning. The next morning at around 8 o’clock, we test the sound system for the whole show and do the last checks on the dinos. Then we go straight into a full run-through. Then at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, it’s opening night!” Berry explains.
Working so much with the show has led to a few very strange dinosaur dreams for Berry, but he claims he hasn’t had a dino nightmare yet. His favorite of the ginormous cast? “I’m very partial to the Ankylosaurus. With spikes all over the body and a club tail, I just think he’s a cool-looking creature,” he shares. “Everybody likes T-rex, so you’ve gotta be a little different.
To purchase tickets or for more information, go to www.usairwayscenter.com. Tickets range from $32–$70 for everyone over 2, and can also be purchased at all Ticketmaster locations.
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