Trio of Terror CANCELLED

It is an absolute shame regarding the downsizing of the Live E deparment this year. I agree that the midway is not Broadway, but it was an excellent opportuntiy for college students, locals, and whoever wanted to perform to gain expierience in their shows. The LIVE Halloween Red Garter show has become one of many signatures to Halloweekends. I can not imagine them pulling off a Halloween rock show with canned music. I'm thinking with the Palace, that they may have another venue this year? Regardless, they could have Trio of Terror back at its original location.

The department has been getting downsized for the past 4 or 5 years...it's just now finally gotten to that point where it's obviously noticeable.

"If it runs on 4 wheels, try 3. If it runs on 3 wheels, try 2. If it runs on 2 wheels..." well, you get the point.

I doubt that Live E got downsized this year. I just think that Starlight took a significant portion of their budget. Funds were shifted, not pulled away, from that department.

If that were the case, they're doing it wrong.

Gotta disagree, Touchdown. Live E got downsized...most notably in the Palace Theatre. It went from a cast of 8 to a cast of 2. Don't quote me on this but I'm pretty sure that Starlight would have been considered Capital which shouldn't have affected Live E's day to day operating budget (with the exception of maybe staffing one or two additional techs to supervise it) Going from a cast of 8 down to 2 is definitely an Operational cutback.

Wow. Major disappointment for me. It's the one show I've always attended, especially being a huge Poe fan, and the Tell Tale Heart has just been "tradition" for me for so long. I've talked many into the show who previously had no interest only to see them converted and willing to wait for the next tale.

I certainly hope the cancellation is for this year only and returns next year.

This is really sad. The shows may not have had as big of crowds as the coasters, but the experience was mesmorizing for anyone who went. This was my favorite part of Halloweekends (and given budgets contraints, might (probably won't be, but might) be the nail in the coffin of going up there this Halloween).

Without the monsters of rock and the trio, I may make only make one trip out this year instead of the 4-5 I usaly make.

I think I am gonna check out universal studios haunt this year instead.

I was actually thinking the same thing... I usually come out and stay for a weekend, but may only do a day and check out some of the other Halloween stuff in the area.

No one can be sure exactly what happened to the band, but logic dictates a few things

1. 6 people on stage cost exactly the same amount as 6 people on stage.
2. Anyone who saw the shows in 2008 throughout the season saw significant changes in cast and crew throughout the season, indicative of trouble on the homefront with live e employees.
3. Budgets have been cut, just look at the bottom line for CP. Attendance is down, costs have gone up, of course they're gonna start trimming some fat, and from a park like this, they're not gonna start shuttin down coasters.

A few things could be goin down.

-Gradual phasing out of LIVE E department, in favor of outside contractors. Over the years, slowly but surely, each new show added has been outside contracted, and it's only gonna continue. Just watch all the outside contract shows in other cedar fair parks. They're less expensive, and normally higher quality.

-The band disappearing has probably less to do with budget, or lack of hire-able talent, and more to do with ease of maintaining the show. Having a band on stage makes finding fill ins difficult, more so than singers. They went with easy this year, after gettin scared with last years change in cast. No department wants to get a show held hostage by a band, and the band could probably do that.

Moral of the story is, if you like the shows, go out there and support them, they'll get better. Maybe this year was a down year, with outside contracts looming, you could see a band in the garter in the next couple of years. Give it some time

I dunno... supporting sub-standard shows doesn't seem like an effective way to indicate that you don't find them entertaining.