What do we tell kids when they say they’re scared of dinosaurs? “They’re scary, all right, little Tommy — but they’re dead.”
Not so fast, know-it-all. Dinosaurs come to life – and we’re talking flesh-ripping, teeth-baring, primordial-roar action, right in front of your unbelieving eyes – in “Walking With Dinosaurs – The Live Experience.” The North American touring show, which comes to the Honda Center in August, is based on a popular BBC series and features 10 species from the giant reptiles’ 200-million-year reign — including the mack daddy of the pack, T Rex.
“There’s no bad seat because the dinosaurs are so huge you’d have to be blind not to see them,” said tour spokesman David Barber. “The largest is 36 feet tall and 56 feet long. It will come to you. It literally leans over the audience.”
To see video of the dinosaurs in action, click here.
Developed in Australia, where it was a continent-wide hit, the show required an army of 100 to create, and its handlers check in on it every three months to make sure it still looks the way they want it to.
The dino models in the show “are based on average-size fossil remnants,” Barber said. T Rex is built to this “average” size: 23 feet high and 42 feet long. The big dinos are moved by teams of three. “One person inside moves it to its place, then two puppeteers use a rig to provide movement from afar — about 75 feet away,” Barber described. Eyes blink; facial expressions can be seen.
Smaller reptiles are operated by single performers. “The models they wear are about 110 pounds,” Barber said. “The rig rests on their shoulders.” All the models move every three or four seconds — the right tempo, according to current scientific thinking.
The show is appropriate for kids as well as adults, but be warned: it might get a little intense for the younguns. “T Rex makes a big impression,” Barber said. “Sometimes it gets almost too close to the audience. There’s a lot of shrieking.”
Ticket info:
WALKING WITH DINOSAURS – the Live Experience
Where: Honda Center
Performances: Wednesday, August 20 – Sunday, August 24, 2008
Show Schedule: Wednesday at 7PM, Thursday at 7PM, Friday at 3 & 7 PM, Saturday and Sunday at 11 AM, 3 PM & 7 PM
Tickets: $22.50-79.00, on Sale June 22, can be purchased at the Honda Center Box Office (after 6/23) and at any Ticketmaster outlet, charge by phone 714-740-2000, 213-480-3232 or online at ticketmaster.com.
