BLAST FROM THE PAST

August 26, 2010

The stadium floor was transformed into a prehistoric land Thursday night as the Vancouver audience was taken on a journey back in time 65 million years to when dinosaurs roamed the earth.

Walking with Dinosaurs the theatrical spectacle adapted from the award-winning BBC television series of the same name brought dinosaurs back from extinction for the captivating 96-minute show.

The narrative and dramatic music was speckled with shrieks of excitement and fright from the audience, as the mix of young and old enjoyed being transported back in time. Narrator, Huxley the Paleontologist, seamlessly blended the education with entertainment.

A collaborative effort between designers and scientists created 17 true to size dinosaurs, every minute fact accounted for. The enchanting show was visually extraordinary, every last detail painstaking developed including the movements and sounds.

The brainchild of Tim Haines, creator and producer of the BBC series, the idea was originally hatched in 1996 in the wake of the Jurassic Park movie.

Armed with ambition and determination, Haines set about reviving prehistoric creatures from the depths of extinction. The Arena Spectacular that rolled into Vancouver as part of its world tour, is the accumulation of his effort.

His vision to bring to life creatures that had been confined to history books took off and has become a world renowned show. Walking with Dinosaurs was ranked fourth in the top 100 worldwide tours in 2009, behind only U2, AC/DC and Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.

To bring the dinosaurs to life, a combination of science, creativity and technology are employed. A team of puppeteers control the creatures with new technologies created specifically for the purpose of the dinosaurs realistic revival.

The biggest dinosaurs, including the the fan favourite Tyrannosaurus Rex, require three people to operate. While 'suit performers' bring the smaller creatures such as the baby T. Rex to life.

The props, smoke, lights and sound effects intensify the thrilling experience at the family friendly event.

Thursday's show was the first of seven as the dinosaurs will be roaming around Rogers Arena until Sunday as thousands of Vancouverites take in the interactive, entertaining experience and spend an evening with dinosaurs.