Has anyone seen it yet? Do we have any info other than it is a 60 minute musical production in Red Gold?
I've seen it. It's a pretty good show. I want to know what you all think about it before saying any more than it's just how they bill it in the Pathfinder...Broadway come to SDC.
Love the movie, watch it every year...Just curious as to how Bedford Falls circa 1940s fits in, I guess under the Christmas category A Christmas Story, or Scrooged would fit in at Old Time Christmas huh?
If we are cold, we might give it a try.
I am looking forward to seeing the production. They have produced some good stuff in the past ( and some duds).
The only hating I do not look forward to is watching a broadway style show from circus bleachers.
it was pretty good,
i suggest if possible sit to the front of the bleachers.. they dont have much angle and the further back, the mre people to look over. AND be CAREFUL walking to you seat, those folding chairs reach out and will trip you!! I was in the front 1/4 oif seating and saw 6 people fall!!! BAD DEAL!!..
The Show: I thought was very good! great effects and the stage is pretty simple... They are using a back screen and broadcasting images on it for different scenes,.,,, very cool idea,, works great..and look to me to be "3D"..of course part of that may be my trifocals...
Not going into the story line, but it all flows very well..
Make sure you see it, BUT get in line early!
So does this mean there is no Nativity show this year or has it moved? Or am I just confused . . .
The Nativity has moved to Riverfront Playhouse! :)
Oh good! I would have been very surprised if they had gotten rid of it.
Read on the 1branson board that the lines were long and that the doors were opening 45 minutes early. I know it can get clogged up with people waiting in line for Red Gold and with folks going to and from the Grand Exposition.
Quote from: DollarCityBoy on November 09, 2012, 11:30:50 AM
The Nativity has moved to Riverfront Playhouse! :)
Speaking of the Nativity, why did they stop having Red Gold decked out like an old Bible times town with shops and such. I always used to love walking around in there.
Oh man, we went and saw It's A Wonderful Life this Friday night. OMG. It was amazing! I LOVED it! Everything was perfect--the sets, the backgrounds, the effects, the singing, the song choices, the actors.... WOW.
Also, we used Show Lovers Passes for the first time ever, and it was actually a great deal. We got 4 for $30 because they have new family package deals. We got to the park after 4pm, and we were all starving, so we ate at the Mine and then headed toward Red Gold. We were able to catch the parade as it started at 6pm, then got seated immediately after with our passes. We were a few rows up from the front, and they were great seats: close enough to see, but just far back enough that we weren't a part of the "audience participation" (*wink wink*).
I loved identifying the different songs they used, particularly "Journey to the Past" from Anastasia, "Money" from Cabaret, and their altered version of "Taylor the Latte Boy."
Oh, and the end made me cry. It was all just so spectacularly beautiful!
We really liked "It's a Wonderful Life" and my husband and I are not fans of the movie. Although we have enjoyed Dickens in the Opera House over the years, we were disappointed this year. Thought that IAWL was the superior production this year.
Biscuit: I'm not a big fan of the movie, either. Not that I hate it, but after seeing it once, I've just never been all that interested in watching it again.
But, man oh man, I loved the musical!!!
And, I felt just the opposite. I love the movie and thought the play was okay - not a show stopper, but def worth seeing once. I wasn't planning to see it until Fri., so maybe it was just my mood. We were heading to the bathroom and a worker steered us to the play telling us there were still seats available, so we jumped on it. Walked right in! I'm still using a wheelchair, so I had to sit in from row. Hubs wasn't allied to sit with me. He sat in bleachers behind me. That spoils the fun. We were also tired, hungry, and remember heading to the restroom. Maybe all that added to our "it was okay" review.
We both enjoyed it. Of course we were freezing and the heated Red Gold was nice. We actually sat in the very last row. That was still OK. We seen everything even way back there. It was a simple stage but the backdrops made it all look the part good.
I'm also not a fan of the movie, so I didn't plan to see the show this year. But all your reviews have changed my mind! If we make it back in December I will try to drag the hubby to see it.
Ozarks, tell the hubby to try it! ;D ;D
If i can watch it and "enjoy" it, anyone can...LOL!!! ;) ;)
And I am going to see it again this weekend...
Well, I feel bad posting that it was just okay; but, honestly we were both getting cold, hungry, and looking for the bathroom after several cups of coffee. So, maybe we just weren't in the right mood to see it. I will definitely see it again next year, and give it another shot.
Quote from: Gilligan on November 26, 2012, 02:51:15 PM
Well, I feel bad posting that it was just okay; but, honestly we were both getting cold, hungry, and looking for the bathroom after several cups of coffee. So, maybe we just weren't in the right mood to see it. I will definitely see it again next year, and give it another shot.
Gilligan, dont sweat the small stuff! if you didnt care for it, its fine.. thats why we post what we post..
Nobody here is going to run you off...!~!!! ;) ;)
I know; I just wish we had been in a better mood to enjoy it.
I loved it! My sister hates the movie but loved the musical. The movie is one of my favorites, and I think the play did it justice. I know it's hard to compare with the two being different, but the musical still did a good job at telling the story. And yes, I cried.
I didn't like the seating. There isn't much slant to the seats, so it's kinda like standing in the back of a crowd trying to look over people's heads.
You're right, Tiff - maybe if they offset the chairs it would be easier to see. I had the privilege of sitting in the disabled section, but I was on the left side facing the stage. A really funny thing happened: When the drunken bridge guard spit out his drink while talking to Clarence, he spit it really hard - all over me! And, it shocked him as much as it did me. He didn't miss a beat, but he looked over at me a couple of times. I was slightly grossed out, but when the shock wore off, I was laughing so hard I nearly fell out of my chair!
I saw this the weekend right after Thanksgiving. There was SOOOO many ppl there watching the shows. The seating in the Red Gold building is terrible. My boyfriend and I were almost at the very top. All I could see was the top half of the stage. I was very disappointed in the seating. From what little I saw of the show it was great. Story line was still moving and the musical numbers were great. It just sucked that I couldn't see. I'm going back with my kids this weekend and I want my family to see it but we'll have to waste park time standing in line to get a seat where my little guys can see. Wish there was a better way. I think it's a waste of money to get the show stopper package when everything there is already a little over priced. We'll make do though. Won't stop our excitement in seeing this show!
http://midwestinfoguide.com/silver/2012/iawl/
Our special report on the show. Filled with spoilers, don't visit if you are afraid of knowing everything about the show
Thanks for the review, Swoosh!
I loved the pics!!! I can't wait to see the show again this Saturday!
It really is a great show... though they got "Always Look On the Bright Side of Life" stuck in my head. Happens every time I watch Monty Python's Life of Brian too.
I went and saw this yesterday and my wife was singing that song all the way home!!!!! After 5 1/2 hours, I was going a little nuts...
it is a great show...
I am hoping to see it 1 more time NYE weekend...
How busy was the park/ I read they were busy on sat., but have not seen any numbers yet..
We went to the 6:30 show last night. It was just as great the second time around. I was particularly amused by the fact that when Clarence pointed out that the Ghost of Christmas Past was over in the Opera House, he got a full nearly 10-second applause from the audience. I swear he was just a few more seconds away from a standing ovation if he hadn't finally started talking again so the show could move on. LOL!
Man, I love this show so much! I do kinda wish it was in a building more like the Opera House, seating-wise. We didn't get Show Lovers Passes this time around, so were several rows up from before... And yeah, the seating just isn't steep enough with how far back it spreads.
Very good show, exceeded my expectations. It will return
Oh yeah it will return. It has been receiving very favorable guests scores on exit surveys
oh, yes it will be back.... along with the new stunt show in the fall
SDC did a good job this year, next year will bring more..
We weren't quite as awed by "It's a Wonderful Life" as some of the rest of you. The production did have it's good qualities; the singing and dancing was good, and the technical aspects were pretty cool. But we felt it was too much spectacle, the development of relationships between characters being sacrificed for big production numbers. It wasn't the fault of the actors, there simply wasn't enough "story" to move those relationships along. Rather than music moving the story along, it seemed that dialog and story were merely there to tie one production number to the next. Consequently, we were not able to make that emotional connection that every show should try to make with the audience. On the other hand, the "Dickens' Christmas Carol" show has a nice balance between the music and the story. We're glad we saw the show, and we may see it again next year to see if any issues are corrected by a re-write, but it will not become that "must see every year" show for us.
QuoteWe weren't quite as awed by "It's a Wonderful Life" as some of the rest of you. The production did have it's good qualities; the singing and dancing was good, and the technical aspects were pretty cool. But we felt it was too much spectacle, the development of relationships between characters being sacrificed for big production numbers. It wasn't the fault of the actors, there simply wasn't enough "story" to move those relationships along. Rather than music moving the story along, it seemed that dialog and story were merely there to tie one production number to the next
I can consider IAWL to be a review of a story most of us know. Its a nice clean retro Christmas feeling that is missing from modern day story's.
You almost have to know a little about the movie to follow so I understand your review and your opinions have merit. I did enjoy the show. On past trips to Dollywood I saw shows that were award winning and thought that SDC Christmas shows beat them. We are lucky they seem to be continuing to pour money into the entertainment.
Wonderful Life scripting, I'm sure, will continue to develop. My wife and I enjoyed it, but noticed holes in the storyline that probably could have been filled in better. We both loved Christmas Carol. However, SDC has had several years to tinker with it and get it down good. Wonderful life will come along, too. Give it a season or two.
I agree junior, Give it a year or 2 it will come around.....'
And jump back to last festival, it will beinteresting to see them rework the stuntman show also.
Maybe they will cut back on the Wail Scream crud....
Quote from: MissinTheGreenTrams on December 23, 2012, 08:15:29 PM
Maybe they will cut back on the Wail Scream crud....
LOL!!! your right of course!! That screaming got real old, real fast!!!.. ;D
Wail scream Crud???? You lost me
okie... the mayors daughter was running around screaming ALL the time.. AND she has a very shrill scream.....LOL.... WOW!! very nerve racking..
The show was good, I loved the set design using the catwalk for several scenes , most notably the bridge scene. I do agree that there were holes in the story, and time should help fill those in. What can you do to fit a full movie into a 60 minute show?
Quote from: sanddunerider on December 31, 2012, 11:21:39 AM
okie... the mayors daughter was running around screaming ALL the time.. AND she has a very shrill scream.....LOL.... WOW!! very nerve racking..
Yup!
I think the most unbalanced part of the storyline in IAWL is that there isn't much time spent at all in the "Life Without George" section. I felt like there wasn't quite enough of an impact of just how much of a difference it was without him there. Otherwise, I didn't have any real probs with the show.