When given the opportunity to attend opening night of the Jurassic World Live Tour at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, I knew that my 4-year-old would be elated; I didn't quite expect how much the rest of us would thoroughly enjoy the evening, as well! The story begins with some of the same dinosaur characters you know and love (or fear) from Jurassic World: Blue the Velociraptor, Tyrannosaurus Rex, and Indominus Rex. While there was mention of human characters such as Claire, Owen (sorry, no Chris Pratt sightings), and Dr. Wu, the characters in the live performance were new and well-developed. Dr. Kate Walker, an Isla Nublar scientist who created the Dino Decoder, is the human lead character. Set some time after the Indominus Rex rampage in Jurassic World and before the events of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Jurassic World scientist Kate Walker is working on better understanding the thoughts, emotions, and feelings of dinosaurs. To help her research, she studies Jeannie, a Troodon. Jeannie, however, is part of a corrupt plan to weaponize dinosaurs in a desert InGen Facility located in Chile, with the most recent project being the Desert Raptors. Eventually, the story concludes back on Isla Nublar.
From a plot standpoint, the story was engaging and believable within the context of the movies' storylines. However, what was truly captivating was the special effects! From realistic-looking dinosaurs, both mechanical and costume, to state-of-the-art pyrotechnics and stunts, the show was truly immersive. I'm fairly certain there was not a bad seat in the entire venue, as the stage occupied the entire court/rink area. The performance literally breaks the fourth wall (any maybe even the fifth if we think of the stage as a 3-dimensional space), as actors and action infiltrate the aisles and even the ceiling above. While the dinosaurs are realistic and the effects impressive, in my opinion the performance wasn't too scary for young children.
If your little one is a dinosaur-lover, I would definitely recommend trying to catch a show before it ends Monday afternoon. The following Philadelphia shows still remain:
Sunday, February 16 - 12 PM, 4 PM
Monday, February 17 - 1 PM
Click here to order tickets. For more information, visit the Jurassic World Live Tour website.
