Shows!!!

Definitely no DJ at Fire & Ice, no facilities for it, and vertical impact really isn't a dance party kind of a show, more like a sad carnival mash-up of All-Wheels and Skeleton Crew, in my opinion, but I haven't yet had the patience to stand and watch the whole thing.

Maybe someone has posted the entire thing on You Tube...

I didn't realize that the jazz trio has already been cut. I appreciate the ambition the park has shown this year in terms of having entertainment out on the midways. It seems that wanted to take the (likely considerable) resources that went into Luminosity and spread it around throughout the park and the day so that more guests will hopefully see some kind of live entertainment.

That said, I also really enjoyed the scope and energy of Luminosity. Summer evenings at the park do feel like something is missing now that the show is gone.

I’m all for shows too, but I think they need more unique shows. ALL of the shows at CP involve some kind of singing and dancing. The Ultimate Stunt Show is coming back to Kings Island, and I find that to be way more entertaining than anything CP has had in recent years. Same with Kings Island’s Cirque and Amazing Doberman shows. Whether you love them or hate them, at least all of their shows are unique. Heck, they had Evel Knievel perform there before. Even look at Knott’s. Their old west stunt show and their Native American tribute shows are fantastic and unique. If CP replaces 7 of their 8 shows that involve music and dancing with something with real comedy and some kind of unique feature, then they could have a hit.

Live entertainment has evolved a bit this season with more midway entertainment but I agree that they might want to consider some variety in the offerings since even the new midway acts are mostly in the singer-musician setup. It always seemed like All Wheels Extreme was the most well-received show in the park so perhaps that's the kind of thing guests want to see more. I wonder how guests are taking to Vertical Impact this year. Does the park survey guests specifically about the shows or do they tend to use attendance as the only metric for success?

! said:
can anyone confirm that there is no DJ anymore in either shows (Fire and Ice or Vertical Impact)?

No DJ at either of those shows, but they do have a DJ at the beach party in the evenings. I thought everything on the beach was incredibly well done this year.

With the setup for Vertical Impact and Fire & Ice, it seems like they're going for more "casual" entertainment options. It allows guests to come and go as they please, rather than having to get to their seats at a particular time like the theater shows.

I thought the 2018 shows were great. I went seven times last year and almost every time I saw all the shows, and they were amazing! Also the cast is amazing and so nice!

I don’t think 2018 was particularly great for the live e signature shows, this is an example of lackluster performance.

The midway entertainment was quite good and a nice change up from the ordinary as well.

I've found that my dislike for the shows throughout the entire Cedar Fair chain is the fact that most of them are just a music revue. Most of the performers can really sing and I appreciate that...but I'd rather not hear the same songs I hear walking through this midways and/or on the radio. Give us original shows with stories!

chugh43, not to sound mean, but if you don’t like the shows, you don’t have to go see them. Myself on the other hand, I love the shows. I think that they put lots of work into them, and it always shows when the performers are on stage. I still wish that they could bring back the Ice Show with the Peanuts characters though. That one seemed popular like All Wheels Extreme.

Story driven shows require far larger budgets, and people are not going to commit 90 minutes plus to a show at an amusement park.

I'm very surprised you have that opinion, Jeff. As much as I love riding everything, I would for sure commit to a 90 minute show, but with the expectation of it being a quality show. Live Entertainment is amusement in my opinion. I'm not saying it has to be on the same level as a Broadway show, but it most definitely isn't out of the question to have a caliber show with good vocalists and acting. And from what I have seen, many of the performers they hire each season show that they are capable of the singing part.

Jake10 said:

chugh43, not to sound mean, but if you don’t like the shows, you don’t have to go see them. Myself on the other hand, I love the shows. I think that they put lots of work into them, and it always shows when the performers are on stage. I still wish that they could bring back the Ice Show with the Peanuts characters though. That one seemed popular like All Wheels Extreme.

Going to the park and other parks frequently, it's a nice change to see a show..but I roll my eyes when I hear the same songs from the midway....having worked in entertainment and having worked on live performances (while not in amusement parks) I look for higher caliber entertainment. I know these folks put a lot of work into them...I have come to know several park performers from CP and other parks. Their schedules/rehearsals are insane. I appreciate the work they do...but I feel as if the park(s) could put more umff into em.

I am not wanting a 90 minute production by far...but I'd rather not listen to one song and then hear "now a hit that takes us all the way back to the 90s" as I've heard at Kings Island. I guess I'd be okay with a revue but at least have some kind of story with it. String songs together into a theme for a show...make a story from a group of songs....but don't just throw random songs together and call it a show.

I fully agree with TwistedWicker77.

TwistedWicker77 said:

I'm very surprised you have that opinion, Jeff. As much as I love riding everything, I would for sure commit to a 90 minute show...

So would I, but I can assure you were a minority. Those shows are expensive to produce and seasonal parks aren't going to attract the kind of quality, union talent you'd need to make it high quality.

I am now willing to watch any show at a Cedar Fair park or any other amusement park.

Nothing will disappoint me more than being trolled with "Sweet Victory" at the Super Bowl tonight. Even though the performers at the Super Bowl were good, I (and many other Spongebob fans) feel disappointed and will take any show of any form after that.

Okay, we can get back to the main subject now.

Ugh, don't talk about the Stupid Bowl, just thinking about the result makes me feel ill. =___=

Anyway, a light story woven into a short musical is very possible- I watched Lusty Lil's French Revue last year, one of the first times I actually attended a show that wasn't Luminosity since I was a tot watching an IMAX film in the old theater (and to my memory, the ceiling was falling apart even then O__o ).

It was a lot of fun- a series of musical numbers tied to the cute narrative that Lil's 'French Revue' was being filled with numbers that were not, in fact, French. A breathtaking Broadway epic? Hardly. A cute, funny show just right to watch and enjoy while taking a load off for twenty minutes or so? Absolutely.

I never did experience a show in Good Time Theater since I never once went in. Yet, I've heard good things about those shows. Maybe bringing some of them back would be good.

Sollybeast said:

Ugh, don't talk about the Stupid Bowl, just thinking about the result makes me feel ill. =___=

Anyway, a light story woven into a short musical is very possible- I watched Lusty Lil's French Revue last year, one of the first times I actually attended a show that wasn't Luminosity since I was a tot watching an IMAX film in the old theater (and to my memory, the ceiling was falling apart even then O__o ).

It was a lot of fun- a series of musical numbers tied to the cute narrative that Lil's 'French Revue' was being filled with numbers that were not, in fact, French. A breathtaking Broadway epic? Hardly. A cute, funny show just right to watch and enjoy while taking a load off for twenty minutes or so? Absolutely.

Exactly!!! Lusty Lil's shows are really the only that I can stomach at the park....though not a Broadway epic, it was entertaining and easy to see multiple times.

A couple years ago the show at Lusty Lill's won a national contest for Amusement Park shows sponsored by the New York Times. It even beat out Disney and Universal.