CHINA GOES POP! Time Out London: East meets West in a big, brash new Edinburgh Fringe show
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Marvel Universe Live! at The O2 Arena in London – London Theatre Guide
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Q&A with director Shanda Sawyer on ‘Marvel Universe LIVE!’
Craving some action and adventure? Marvel Universe LIVE! brings some of the most iconic heroes and fearsome villains to life like never before during a live-action arena spectacular that will tour an astonishing 85 North American cities over the next two years. Produced by Feld Entertainment, the show launched last month and seeks to redefine the live show experience by merging Marvel characters with state-of-the-art special effects, pyrotechnics, aerial stunts, martial arts, and more.
SPECTACLE MAGAZINE: “…we hired Shanda Sawyer [as director] because we felt she was the most talented and the best person to bring our idea to life and conceptualize it in the circus.”
It all started with the Chinese calendar. The year 2012 is the year of the dragon. That simple fact proven to be the inspiration for the new Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Blue unit. “We decided as a company that we wanted to celebrate the Year of the Dragon,” Alana Feld says, by way of beginning our conversation. “Once we had that concept we hired Shanda Sawyer [as director] because we felt she was the most talented and the best person to bring our idea to life and conceptualize it in the circus.
Shanda Sawyer Helms Marvel Universe Live
Emmy-award winning director Shanda Sawyer brought her sense of spectacle to the fore in creating and directing Marvel Universe Live for Feld Entertainment. “Feld had brought me in to re-imagine the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus for them in 2006,” she says, “and we forged a wonderful relationship.”
METRO.US ENTERTAINMENT REVIEW: “Marvel Universe LIVE!” is sheer fun. You don’t need any knowledge of the Marvel universe to enjoy yourself, and you don’t need to be a child — but you may need a giant popcorn to kick back and take in a show that’s pure, unadulterated entertainment.
Kids aren’t the only ones who are going to get a kick out of “Marvel Universe LIVE!” They do make up a huge portion of the attendees, but their parents, older siblings and other adult comic fans have plenty to look forward to if they’ve snagged tickets to the sold-out show, which only runs through Aug. 17 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: “…undeniable nerdy fun.”
Spidey is joining forces with the Avengers for a live arena tour, and EW had prime seats. Is it worth the cash–and the headaches?
NY DAILY NEWS: “…eye-popping video technology.”
Kid-favorite characters like Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Spider-Man and Wolverine come to life in this a new live arena show that lands in Izod Center on Thursday and follows with four-day stints in Barclays Center and Nassau Coliseum.
ABC7: Buckle your seat belts ’cause it’s going to be a wild ride!
Given unprecedented backstage access by Feld Entertainment, host and WABC-TV’s meteorologist Bill Evans takes viewers on an incredible, thrill ride as Marvel Heroes and Villains do battle to save the world. With movie-like stunts performed right before their eyes, audiences are catapulted into the world of Ironman, Captain America, Spiderman, Wolverine, Thor, Hulk, Loki, Green Goblin and Red Skull, just to name a few.
Chicago Theater Beat: “Dragons!…one of the most bountiful extravaganzas to play either Chicago-area venue. Run off to see this circus! “
The rigging is ready. The popcorn is hot. Celebrating the Year of the Dragon with as much Chinese fervor as Cirque Shanghai ever mustered, this year’s edition of the greatest show on earth pulls out the stops to dazzle and delight–even more so than in past Chicago tours of this unashamedly complete circus spectacular. Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey have come to town(s)—Rosemont and Chicago to be precise. It’s Halloween, Christmas and New Year’s Eve all in one splendid setting.