Mention the word "dinosaur" to most folks in Rochester and the tantalizing thought of mouth-watering barbecue comes to mind. Come Wednesday, June 10, that might all change, at least for a couple of days.
Walking with Dinosaurs-The Arena Spectacular, based on the award-winning BBC television series of the same name, is set to roar into the Blue Cross Arena for eight performances June 10-14. Life-sized, realistic dinosaurs will mesmerize as they stomp, fight for survival and ultimately bring to life a period never seen by human eyes. This journey back in time serves as a timeline of the world's transitions and changes, as well as a depiction of how the evolution and eventual extinction of the dinosaurs played out within that history.
Ten species of dinosaurs - some terrifying, some gentle, and some actually very funny - are featured from throughout three different periods of history. The carnivorous Liliensternus and the largest land animal from the Triassic period, Plateosaurus, will both make an appearance, as will Stegosaurus, Allosaurus, and Brachiosaurus from the Jurassic period, and Ornithocheirus, Torosaurs, Ankylosaurs, Utahraptor, and Tyrannosaurus Rex from the Cretaceous period. The only visible human in the show - "Huxley," a paleontologist who narrates with the channeled spirit of Indiana Jones - gets dwarfed by the giant creatures.
Encapsulating 200 million years into a 96-minute-long show is no small feat. Doing it on such an enormous scale, however, was a gargantuan task that took a team of 50 engineers and creative artists (who incidentally have a collective resume that reads like a "who's who" of theater.) Consulting with dinosaur experts, they took over a year to construct the group of complex, life-like creatures, each which takes three people to operate and weighs about the same as a standard small car (1.6 tons). Just to give you an idea, the largest of the bunch is the Brachiosaurus, which comes in at 36 feet tall and 56 feet long. The Ornithocheirus has a wing span of 38 feet, and the terrifying T-Rex is 23 feet tall and 42 feet long. No word yet on how big each of his teeth are.
The show's producers claim Walking with Dinosaurs has been written with no violence, but instead with "a fair amount of realism." This means earthquakes, volcano explosions, and loud roars will take place in addition to the epic dramatic music, fog machines, and theatrical lighting. The show is officially recommended for ages 3 and up, but parents should use their personal judgment on if it will be appropriate for their kids.
Walking with Dinosaurs runs Wednesday, June 10, through Sunday, June 14, with several shows each day. Tickets cost $21-$71, and can be purchased through the Blue Cross Arena box office, 1 War Memorial Square, 758-5300, or through Ticketmaster at ticketmaster.com. For more information check dinosaurlive.com.