Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: "This is AMAZING!" the boy hero Hiccup exclaims as he rides on the back of his unlikely new friend, a supposedly deadly dragon he's dubbed Toothless and given a prosthetic tail wing, as they fly through fjords and swoop over the sea.
And it IS amazing, in that this dizzying scene is depicted with a live actor, an animatronic beast, animated footage unfurling on a massive backdrop and over the floor, and more.
5 comments:
It is too cool what shows can display to keep up with productions and wow audiences. The horse in War Horse was absolutely amazing. I had never known of such intricate puppetry. Each part of the horse was controlled by a different technician from above. This dragon, though not as intricate is just another awesome example of what can be produced onstage. The film itself was an adorable movie, i wish I could see it onstage.
I remember when I was little, the first Broadway show I had ever seen was "Little Shop of Horrors" and I got to go backstage and see the Audry II plant sand I seriously thought that it was the coolest thing in the world. I can imagine the kids seeing this show loving theater as much as I did that day. The power of LIVE theater really captivates young minds, which has always been something I love about it.
Just by looking at the picture of one scene, I could realize how much effort the company put on to make dragon puppet. I always thought those things were only possible through movie with some CG working. However, after reading this article, I felt like nothing is impossible for theatrical art to do that if movie has done that. I also felt it is very cool and unique to bring a famous animation movie into live theater with many operators of the dragons, elaborate sound effects, and animated background scene.
I have mixed feelings about shows as technologically complex as this one. It is indisputably a positive thing that theater-goers are able, nowadays, to witness such impressive combinations of projections, animatronics and special effects. The application of technology to theater is probably the fastest growing field in the performing arts industry, and for a good reason. In the specific case of “How to Train Your Dragon Live Spectacular” however, it seems that the difficulties and challenges that stemmed from the complexity of the show ended up taking away from it. Batz describes in his review the interruption caused by an issue with one the animatronic dragons; when I read about this kind of incident, I find it difficult to decide whether the special effects are worth the potential trouble and live failure. Regardless, I’m sure I would’ve been blown away by the show and its incredible effects.
This live action rendition of how to train your dragon looks like an excellent concept piece demonstrating how various technologies and art forms can come together and put on a show that hasn't been seen before. I think however that the execution could use some work. At the moment it seems that the tech is overwhelming and there are many possibilities for malfunctions.
I am unfamiliar with the story but it seems like a good one, relative to it's younger target audience. I would be interested in seeing this show, not because of its content, but instead because of the awesome fire breathing dragons. I would be curious to see one of them up close and examine its wondrous and mystical (I assume) insides. I am having trouble forming words due to my child like excitement. It does seem like it would steal the show and not really like a useful thing to have for theater. But the novelty of it would be extremely memorable
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