PREHISTORIC ADVENTURE
DINOSAURS: Show intended to be educational
| Friday, Apr 03 2009 11:29 AM
Last Updated Friday, Apr 03 2009 11:42 AM
When dinosaurs walked the earth, the San Joaquin Valley was under water, according to Chevron geologist and Buena Vista Museum of Natural History supporter Tim Elam. Other parts of California had dinosaurs, he said. Bakersfield did not.
That was then, this is now.
Wednesday through Saturday, prehistoric giants will make the ground beneath mere humans' feet tremble at the Rabobank Arena, which will present seven shows of "Walking With Dinosaurs -- The Arena Spectacular," a $20 million animatronics extravaganza based on a popular BBC television series and produced by Australian-based The Creature Production Company.
Tickets range in price from $33.50 to $69.60, and there is a $10 discount coupon in today's Californian that can be applied toward the purchase of opening night tickets. There are plenty of seats still available for all the shows, according to the Rabobank's marketing department.
The magic of the show
Robotic engineering, remote-control wizardry, elaborate costuming and spectacular lighting and sound will transport viewers to the Mesozoic era, which lasted from about 65 million to 245 million years ago.
"It's like going back in time and watching a circus for dinosaurs," said Rabobank Arena spokesman Shawn Brandon. "Just the sheer scope and size of this show is mindblowing." He gave an example: "The front row in the upper level has probably some of the best seats in the house because the dinosaurs are so large, that from there you're practically looking at eye level at some of them.
"But there's really not a bad seat in the house at all," Brandon added, because the arena, which can hold up to 10,000 people, will be reconfigured for a maximum capacity of 4,900 for each show. "It's going to be nice and compact and you're going to feel like you're sitting there with the dinosaurs."
It takes an entire team of technicians to give life to each of the bigger dinosaurs, Brandon said, with one person driving it, another controlling eye and jaw movements remotely, and a sound effects artist using his control board to make the behemoth's blood-curdling roars, screeches and howls.
Bright House Networks is currently offering the documentary "Walking With Dinosaurs -- The Making of the Arena Spectacular," free on demand on digital channel 300, according to Colleen Dillaway, Bright House director of marketing.
Family friendly show
The show is educational, Brandon said, with a narrator explaining the different species of dinosaurs and the time period in which they lived.
Lots of kids and the adults in their lives are going.
Mike McFarland, 55 -- a volunteer at the Buena Vista Museum and a descendant of James Boyd McFarland, the man for whom the town between Delano and Bakersfield is named -- said he'll be going to Walking With Dinosaurs twice: once to help man a Buena Vista Museum information booth, and another time to see the show with his 7-year-old grandson Johnny Smith.
Also going is Kim Lawson, a member of Bakersfield First Church of the Nazarene who will be taking more than 20 kids from the church. "They've seen it on TV and were wanting to go," she said about her group, which is made up of second- to fifth-graders. "It think it's great entertainment for the kids and they love it."
Brandon said there is no minimum age limit for admission to the show.
"I'm bringing my 2-year-old and 4-year-old 'cause they both love dinosaurs," he said.
He's not worried about them getting scared when they see either enormous lifelike robotic beasts, or people in costumes playing 7-feet-tall baby dinosaurs -- "And that's small compared to the giant ones," he said.
Brandon had this word of advice for parents wondering whether their kids can handle the show: "Parents know their kids. If they get scared watching dinosaurs on TV, yeah, they're going to be scared coming here. But if their kids like dinosaurs and play with dinosaurs, they're going to love our show."
