Jurassic World Live roars into the Schottenstein Center Sept. 26-29, for tickets and showtimes visit www.schottensteincenter.com
Since its debut in June 1993, Jurassic Park has captivated the minds of dinosaur lovers across the world. The newer Jurassic World films continue to tell the stories of John Hammond and InGen’s cloned creations, and this fall, those dinosaurs are coming to Columbus.
Jurassic World Live Tour brings together an unparalleled arena production as iconic movie dinosaurs from the films, new fan-favorite velociraptor Blue and Tyrannosaurus Rex, take center stage.
This live story takes place the day after the events of Jurassic World and follows Dr. Kate Walker, a researcher at Jurassic World, who is working with a troodon named Jeanie.
She uses a dino decoder to understand the emotional state of Jeanie, who is believed to be one of the smartest dinosaurs ever.
“Through Dr. Walker’s research, she has been led to believe that it will be used to better care for the dinosaurs,” Chris Nobles, producer of Jurassic World Live, says. “Unbeknownst to her, the bad guys in our story are using the research to make them better military weapons.”
Buckle up folks, the show is one wild ride.
Meet Dr. Kate Walker
Madison Embrey is the main protagonist for the Jurassic World Live story. Embrey previously has worked on the Marvel Universe Live show, but her newest role as Dr. Walker is a lifelong dream fulfilled.
“My parents told me by 18 months, I would go over to my grandparents’ house and they had the VHS of Jurassic Park. I knew how to hit rewind and hit play,” Embrey says. “I still remember every time a new movie came out, going to the theater with my family. It’s been a canon of my life.”
Dr. Walker is a scientist, a researcher and has a background in martial arts. Embrey’s experience is in dance, so learning the stunts for this show was a perfect marriage of the two skill sets.
“I didn’t want to look like a dancer, nor did I want to be graceful with my stunts,” Embrey says. “That grace definitely helps with the coordination. My teachers did not denounce my dance training and looked for things they could use from that background instead.”
The preparation for this role has been filled with countless hours of training, flying, fighting and everything in between. During one of her first workouts on set while preparing for a scene, Embrey quickly realized what she was getting in to.
“I was trying so hard to push through the end of the workout and off in the distance, I hear John Williams’ Jurassic Park score,” Embrey says. “When I heard that, it gave me this fire and fuel. … It was wild to think this is my life now.”
Nowhere to Hide
Since day one of production of this show, Nobles and his team were well aware of the momentous task at hand in bringing this story to life on stage.
“We are taking CGI dinosaurs and portions that had been puppeteered in the past and bringing them full scale and to life,” Nobles says. “It’s an arena; we don’t have the luxury of CGI or tight shots. There’s not much you can hide, so we have to build the whole dinosaur and not make it feel robotic.”
“Large” would be an understatement when speaking about the dinosaurs on stage. The T-rex alone is 15 feet tall at the hip and more than 42 feet long.
“Every time I walk in and see the dinosaurs… It’s just… so big,” Nobles says.
Rehearsals take place at a smaller set at Feld Entertainment Studios in Florida and from there, the show moves to a large arena to make the finishing touches.
Audience experience is the utmost priority for the Jurassic World team.
“Whether you are sitting in the three hundred level or right by the curtains, every audience member has a great seat and sees the exact same show,” Nobles says. “There is something for everyone.”
Nobles’ team has worked hand-in-hand with several entities including NBCUniversal, Amblin Entertainment and consulted with director of the Jurassic World films, Colin Trevorrow, on the story, direction and overall design of the show.
Steven Spielberg gave his blessing to this show; Nobles even adds that Spielberg was blown away by their full-size T-rex. “He told us that was always something he wanted to do and never was able to.”
“We want to make sure we are staying true to the brand and being authentic as possible,” Nobles says. “If you are a true fan of the franchise or just love dinosaurs, it’s a great show for you.”
Beginning in Columbus
Jurassic World Live begins its tour across the U.S. on Sept. 26 for a three-day stint at the Schottenstein Center.
This is a show crowds of all ages are sure to enjoy even for those who may be apprehensive about bringing their kids around the show’s lifelike dinosaurs.
“If you bring your kids to a Jurassic World movie, you should feel really comfortable bringing them to this show,” Nobles says.
With the follow up to 2018’s Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom still a couple of years out from release, the live show is sure to cure your dino blues.“We are going to take the audience through the awe, the wonder, the thrill and the terror of the franchise,” Nobles says. “It’s a roller coaster for all that the movies embody.”
Rocco Falleti is an editor. Feedback welcome at rfalleti@cityscenecolumbus.com
