29yrswithaGApass Posted September 24, 2009 Report Share Posted September 24, 2009 Click here to see the whole Spotlight! Comments and discussions welcomed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chiller Posted September 24, 2009 Report Share Posted September 24, 2009 Nice, I have been wanting to see that spotlight for a while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29yrswithaGApass Posted September 27, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 27, 2009 Below are some of the celebrities and characters that were featured in the Fantasy Factory show from 1982 and 1983. You can visit the show producer's site by clicking HERE. The site mentions that there was a John Travolta humanette in the show, but I don't remember him in the line-up. From what I can recall, the following were part of the show: Betty Davis and Joan Crawford (they opened the show from stage left and right) John Wayne singing Yankee Doodle Dolly Parton (with balloons for breasts that were popped!) singing Thank God I'm a Country Girl Charlie Chaplin (with strobe light movie projector effect) Carmen Miranda Can Can Birds Judy Garland singing Somewhere Over the Rainbow Frankenstein (about four times the size of the other puppets) singing Putin' on the Ritz Liza Minnielli singing New York New York Libearce playing the piano saying "You like my rings? You should, you bought them for me." This was one of the few shows that would be performed to capacity crowds througout the day. It was very popular. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chiller Posted September 29, 2009 Report Share Posted September 29, 2009 I have a quick question, do you know how many seats are in the theatre? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Up_Up_and_Away Posted September 29, 2009 Report Share Posted September 29, 2009 I have a quick question, do you know how many seats are in the theatre? The theatre seats 1,162. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chiller Posted October 30, 2009 Report Share Posted October 30, 2009 ^ Thanks, that was a bigger number than what I thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29yrswithaGApass Posted May 19, 2010 Author Report Share Posted May 19, 2010 Below is an article from 1982 about the "Fantasy Factory" show from 1982. Click the black bar at the top of the image to view full-size. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunderbolt Posted May 19, 2010 Report Share Posted May 19, 2010 "The Chinese Golden Dragon Acrobats" certainly played to packed, if not capacity audiences during my trips to Great Adventure. It was a show my entire family looked forward to seeing. I could have sworn "Evolution" played 2 seasons, but perhaps my memory is foggy. I also believe "The Red White and Blue Revue" premiered in 1989 with "The Great American Scream Machine". Again my memory may fail me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobertDavid Posted May 20, 2010 Report Share Posted May 20, 2010 Red, White and Blue Review ran for 2 seasons, 1988 and 1989. I was in the 1988 show. I loved Fantasy Factory. It was a really fun show. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoasterPrince Posted May 20, 2010 Report Share Posted May 20, 2010 Industrial Movement looks like a very good show. Get that back and a stunt show on the lake and our entertainment line-up would be AMAZING. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29yrswithaGApass Posted November 15, 2010 Author Report Share Posted November 15, 2010 New air conditioning units have been installed at the Showcase Theatre! Maybe now we can have an indoor show next summer! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gafreak Posted November 17, 2010 Report Share Posted November 17, 2010 nice, the ac was staged for a while in the employee lot, i hope that this means that theres a show on deck and doesnt get cancled like dive did! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29yrswithaGApass Posted January 16, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2011 The producers of Fantasy Factory now have a promotional video on YouTube: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29yrswithaGApass Posted September 2, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 2, 2011 The author of the following article from September 1978 writes a humorous and insightful review of the Americana Music Hall's first musical production "Celebrate". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29yrswithaGApass Posted October 27, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 27, 2011 A question for our friends who were early entertainment workers... Do you recall if the addition of the Americana Music Hall in 1978 had a negative effect on the balance of the shows/entertainment department budget? I am wondering if they cut back on the number of street performers because of the new theater. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29yrswithaGApass Posted February 18, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 18, 2012 There have been so many Whitney Houston tributes this week that I sort of felt we were left out. This is video from the 2001 Showcase Theatre show RadioActive. Click image below. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Csogi Posted February 19, 2012 Report Share Posted February 19, 2012 (edited) I just noticed your question from October. I think that the park was really starting to expand in 78, in addition to the music hall, we had more street characters. I also remember popping into the music hall for a quick rest in the a/c. Edited February 19, 2012 by Csogi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29yrswithaGApass Posted March 4, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 4, 2013 This should bring back memories for anyone who saw the Warner Brothers 75th Anniversary show from 1998 at the Showcase Theater. Below is a listing of the music featured in the show. (Special thanks to Mark who worked at the show!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29yrswithaGApass Posted November 19, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 19, 2013 I was thinking while waiting for one of the Ghoulmaster's Ghost show last month.... The park had shows in Showcase when noisy rides surrounded the theater (FreeFall and Chiller) which could easily be heard from inside the theater over the stage productions. However, now that all that noise is gone and there aren't any outside audible intrusions to distract audiences, there aren't any shows in Showcase. The funny part is they probably won't use the theater again daily until another ride is installed outside that once again creates noise! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29yrswithaGApass Posted January 27, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2014 Discovered a vintage shot of the Americana Music Hall from April 1984. It is strange that they moved the two signs from the ends to be side by side in the center. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29yrswithaGApass Posted October 12, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 12, 2016 I heard this song while driving in the car today and it transported me back to the Showcase Theatre in the early 1990s. They always played (actually blasted) this song prior to the Fun Factory show. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29yrswithaGApass Posted December 28, 2016 Author Report Share Posted December 28, 2016 ^ This song has been playing a lot lately which still puts me right back in the Showcase Theatre! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdc12192 Posted December 28, 2016 Report Share Posted December 28, 2016 Heard this song today on a random Spotify playlist! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29yrswithaGApass Posted February 22, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 22, 2017 It is moments like this, when a "new" vintage Great Adventure image is discovered, that gets my GA-nerdiness meter kicked into to overdrive! How cool is this photo of the entrance to the Americana Music Hall (now Showcase Theatre) from 1978 shortly after the venue opened to the public?! Screen shot from video footage from the collection of Michael Bowman. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daved Thomson Posted February 28, 2017 Report Share Posted February 28, 2017 I don't ever remember that entrance. Was this actually located on the side of the AMH rather than the front where it is now located. I remember seeing the Mahoney Brothers perform in the theater in 1978 at the very start of the season and could have sworn that we entered the building on the side near Rotor and exited through the doors on the Garden of Eatin' side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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