My last visit to Dorney Park included one final stop at Center Stage for the Dance To The Music spectacular. I knew that the shows following their summer season, which ended in mid-August, would be scaled-down versions. I was there the last night that the live orchestra performed. I had not seen any of the shorter versions (they were using a tape of the orchestra and had thrown out a number or two), but wanted to for one last time. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I wanted to see some of the performers one last time. I was surprised by what I saw.
Let's set the tale of the tape for DTTM - Summer Season versus DTTM - Halloweekends.
Summer Season has a thirteen-piece orchestra, two female singers, three male singers, two male dancers, and three female dancers. Halloweekends version has a tape, two female singers, two male singers, and two female dancers. In total, that's twenty-three people versus six. That's a big difference. Not only does Halloweekends have a smaller cast, but only two were members of the original cast.
I shouldn't complain all that much about that, though. The new female singer was talented and the two dancers were both beautiful and talented. But it wasn't quite the same. It's like going to see the Temptations in concert. Even though they may be talented, none of them are Richard Street.*
However, I can't find as much positive to say about the new lead male singer. When I first saw the white-haired man who was trying to replace Gerald, I thought we had a chance. He looked like an entertainer from yesterday who was getting one more shot in front of a crowd. He had a good personality when he was introducing the show. At least, it should be said, he looked like he could have been a good entertainer back when he could remember the words. During his three numbers of the show, this guy forgot multiple words, skipped lines, and downright looked confused at times. It was tough watching the dancers and backup singers trying to stay with him, whether he had run ahead of the music or fallen behind.
The toughest part was watching God Bless The USA, which had garnered standing ovations on multiple occasions this summer, only to see this guy forgetting the lines. The looks on the people's faces in the crowd (and the looks on the backup singers) was similar to the people in the crowd of the Video Music Awards this year when Axl Rose came out with people he claimed to be Guns n Roses.
Anyway, it was something I would have been better off skipping and I prayed that nobody read my column, went to Dorney's Halloweekends event, and stopped to see Dance To The Music expecting the spectacular that I bragged about all summer long. They would have had to have asked themselves just what that 3:16 guy was talking about. Well, it wasn't this show. It was something special and different. And that is my last Dance To The Music story for this year...maybe.
*I'm well aware that Richard Street was not an original member of the Temptations, but he was my favorite member and fits into this analogy nonetheless.
TV Review - PCN Tours Hersheypark
Due to technical difficulties - technically, I can't find the video - I'm going to go out of order in this series. I'm sure we'll all get over it. If you recall, the Pennsylvania Cable Network had a nice set of their PCN Tours series surrounding amusement parks. I've covered the first five or six in previous issues of this column (check the links to your left for any that you missed). The purpose of my covering these shows in this column is to highlight some of the interesting comments and tidbits of information that may not have previously been common knowledge. The Hersheypark tour, hosted by park Public Relations Manager Kathy Burrows, was filled with such tidbits.
Kathy begins with a brief history of the park, noting the famous story that the park started as a grounds for the employees of the chocolate company. Ms. Burrows noted that the park has changed over the years (most notably the last six years), but that they have held on to the integrity of Milton S. Hershey. This is something I've personally noted here on many occasions.
The official tour began with the 1919 PTC carrousel. The carrousel first arrived in Hershey in 1944 and has resided in carrousel circle since 1974. The original carrousel, which opened in 1907, was the first mechanical ride at the park and was located just off the bank of Spring Creek. It also featured a brass ring. Hershey's carrousel is indeed an incredible work of art with its working band organ and beautifully maintained figures.
Kathy shilled the Hershey chocolate characters that roam the park, including plugging the Sweetest Parade On Earth, which I particularly enjoy.
The Chance ferris wheel was featured next. They showed the picture of the twin wheels that ran at the park in the 1950's. This same picture can be found inside the current whip building.
An interesting note about Hersheypark is that they have twenty-four children's rides, but they don't have a children's section. Ms. Burrows pointed out that they have kiddie rides in (nearly) each section of the park so that families can all enjoy themselves no matter where they are in the park. It is such a simple idea, yet one that so few parks have picked up on.
The next ride featured was the Comet (built in 1946), and she noted that it continues to thrill generations of riders. That must have been a slip of the tongue. They also showed pictures of Milton Hershey's gift to the town in 1923...the Wildcat. This coaster was located where the Comet is today and was the influence for Gucci's first coaster, also known as the Wildcat at Hersheypark.
The Great Bear, a 1998 B&M invert, was next. The Great Bear interacts with multiple rides in Comet Hollow. The park hollowed out a portion of Spring Creek in order to fit the Great Bear in the area. The surroundings of the nearby rides was done to enhance the intensity of the ride. According to the show, B&M has said that this was the most challenging installation they have ever done. The fact that there was so much interaction with other rides meant that the bolt placements needed to be no more than 1/16th of an inch off during installation. The paint on the Great Bear is done in such a way to make the structure look as if it is changing colors as it turns around. I've personally never noticed that.
They featured the Elk statue that is featured out in front of the Zoo America entrance. This statue was purchased by Milton Hershey in May 1913 and was originally located at the main entrance to the park, which at the time was near where the Kissing Tower is now.
Zoo America, it should be noted, is open year-round. The zoo once closed in 1942 because of the war effort and the animals were sold or lent to other zoos. The buildings within the zoo were used to raise chicken and ducks for the war effort. Other buildings were turned into housing for people returning from war. Zoo America did not reopen until 1978.
Back in the park, Kathy Burrows talked about the wide array of food choices at the park, including the new Chinese restaurant and the Kosher food mart that is located under the former sky ride building. However, with all that variety the most popular foods are still French fries, hamburgers, pizza and ice cream. Go figure. The foods department has more employees at Hersheypark than all other departments combined.
They had a great picture of what I'm guessing was the original amphitheater at the park. It's amazing to look at how people dressed at the early part of the century, wearing nicer clothing to the park than I wear to the office today. An entirely different world.
The park built the Intamin Kissing Tower in 1975, the same year they built the turnpike ride underneath. The base of the tower contains more than three million pounds of concrete. She did say that "fifty gallons" of paint were used to paint the tower. I'm going to have to believe that this was either amazing paint of just a mistake. The American flag at the top of the tower is twenty feet by thirty feet.
The original whip was added to the park in 1937 and was called the Whip-a-roo. At the time, the park referred to itself as "America's most unusual park". The new whip was added in 1997, and is not nearly as bad as some people say it is (my commentary).
The original mill chute ride was a PTC ride opened in 1929. It cost 10 cents to ride. Tidal Force was built in 1994, and was the tallest water ride at that time. The pool at the bottom of the ride holds a million gallons of water. I've only ridden Tidal Force once, personally, at a commercial shoot on a cold day in March 1999.
Kathy mentioned that clowns from the Ringling Bros/Barnum & Bailey circus at the media opening for the ride back in 1994. Trivia: What ride this year featured clowns at its media event? Paramount's Kings Dominion's Ricochet.
They took the time to film an entire ride on the park's monorail, which was a great touch. The monorail used to stop at Chocolate Avenue so that visitors could get out and walk around downtown Hershey for a while. That obviously was back in the day when the park was free admission and pay-as-you-go.
Ms. Burrows then went back to Midway America, which opened with the Wildcat in 1996. They purposely built the highest part of the ride on the highest part of the land it was built on, while the lowest part of the ride was built on the lowest part of the land, enabling the ride to maintain its speed. According to the tour, the Wildcat never travels at a speed less than forty miles per hour throughout the ride.
And there you have it. Lightning Racer barely got a mention, as did the Trailblazer. They, thankfully, completely skipped over the embarrassing Vekoma Boomerang Sidewinder.
Superman Comes To Great Adventure
Six Flags Great Adventure just announced their fourth B&M coaster, Superman: Ultimate Flight, for opening in the spring of 2003. The flying coaster will be the first in the Northeast and will be nearly identical to the coaster of the same name at Six Flags Over Georgia.
Even though the announcement was just made the day I am finishing up this column, there has still been some disappointment expressed by some in the enthusiast community. There are two types of criticisms that have come about. The first comes from people who travel to multiple parks and were looking forward to trying a B&M flyer with a different design. This is understandable, from where I'm concerned. Even though we are a small portion of the consuming public in this industry, it is not really selfish to hope for attractions that fit our personal tastes.
However, the second type of criticism, which states that Six Flags and other chains should cater to us by never building a clone, is wrong. Superman at Six Flags Over Georgia has been well received by the park's visitors next year and should prove to be a good addition to the park. This is not ignorance on Six Flags' part by any means.
It seems as if anytime somebody expresses their disappointment in a clone, there is another person there to run them into the ground explaining why clones are used in the industry. We have just as much right to complain that a "new" ride is the same as an old ride we've ridden elsewhere as much as a general consumer has the right to complain that the "perk" of a corporate season pass being accepted at sister parks is something that they will never be able to take advantage of, as long as we see the bigger picture. That is, the industry is bigger than any individual consumer...be it an enthusiast or a member of the general public.
So, the next time you see somebody complain about a clone, see if they are showing individual disappointment or if they are claiming that Six Flags has made a mistake. There's a big difference.
I'll be back in two weeks (November 7) with more PCN Tours and more good stuff. If you're nice, I might just tell the story of the Bangor Halloween Parade. Until then, take care of yourselves and of those around you. We all need it sometimes.
And, if you still can, take a back seat ride once for me...
Coaster 3:16
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