Pittsburgh walks with the dinosaurs

There are many childhood fantasies that will never come true. People don’t grow up to be pirates… There are many childhood fantasies that will never come true. People don’t grow up to be pirates or princesses, and they can’t fly through space or walk with dinosaurs. Or can they? ‘Walking with Dinosaurs’ is a theatrical production at Mellon Arena featuring 15 animatronic dinosaurs and more than 200 million years of evolution, from the deserts of the Triassic period to the prairies of the later Jurassic period. The character Huxley, a paleontologist, guides the audience on a prehistoric adventure. Based on a BBC television series of the same name, the show depicts interactions among the dinosaurs set against the backdrop of the environmental changes that shaped ‘mdash; and ultimately ended ‘mdash; the lives of the prehistoric giants. ‘This has been six years in the making. Quite a lot of time was spent doing the research and development to bring these creatures to life,’ said Mundi Ross,’ the associate tour manager for the production. The Creature Production Company, working in conjunction with BBC Television, is responsible for the creation of ‘Walking with Dinosaurs.’ The production premiered in Australia and toured there before coming to North America. The Creature Production Company’s CEO, Carmen Pavlovic,’ spoke of the unique blend of ‘special effects, escapism, excitement and information,’ that the BBC television series captured. Pavlovic, as quoted in a ‘Walking with Dinosaurs’ press release, said, ‘Our show brings together all of that, plus something extra: It’s live!’ The production received critical acclaim, has been featured on ‘The Today Show,’ ‘Good Morning America’ and ‘Live with Regis and Kelly’ and has been written about in the Wall Street Journal, the Christian Science Monitor, Newsweek and The New York Times. The show also won a THEA Award in 2007 in the Outstanding Achievement in Touring Event category, a distinction recognizing excellence in the creation of educational entertainment. While the show’s educational slant is geared toward younger children, Ross said it is definitely an experience that all ages can enjoy. ‘We all remember learning about these animals in science class when we were younger, and to actually see them and be taken back to that is pretty exciting for anyone. I’ve definitely seen people on first dates come to the show.’ A show as unique as this comes with unique challenges. Ross remarked on the nature of the show’s stars. ‘In most theatrical shows, you’re working with a lot of actors. Well, our actors are dinosaurs. And as much as we maintenance them, they can be unpredictable. Not being able to communicate with them poses a challenge.’ Despite the four engineers who travel with the show to provide daily tuneups, the dinosaurs sometimes malfunction or even cease working altogether. Ross assured that this is a rarity and that the majority of shows go without hitches, which is impressive given the complexity involved with staging the production. A team of three people operate each dinosaur: one driving the reptile and two voodoo puppeteers controlling head and tail gross motion and minor movements, like the mouth and blinking. Actors in suits portray the other smaller dinosaurs. ‘The large dinosaurs are moved on a go-kart type thing, but it’s hidden so you can’t see it clearly. Once the show starts and you’re lost in the story, you don’t even notice it,’ said Ross. A 45-person crew is necessary to get the show up and running: the 15-person on-stage cast, including these puppeteers, as well as the actors portraying the narrator Huxley. The show represents 10 different species, the largest being the 36-feet-tall, 56-feet-long Brachiosaurus and the Ornithocheirus with a wing span of 38 feet. The Plateosaurus, Stegosaurus, Allosaurus, Ankylosaurus, Torosaurus, Utahraptor and Liliensternus species, and of course the beloved Tyrannosaurus Rex, also make appearances. The unusual height and floor space requirements limit the venues able to host ‘Walking with Dinosaurs,’ but Ross says neither this nor the atypical subject matter hinder their show. ‘We’re doing really well, and we’re really excited to come to Pittsburgh. Almost $1 million in tickets have been sold for the Pittsburgh performances. It should be a great week.’