7:30 4/2/06 - Festival Of The Lion King Stopped In Middle Of Performance

[sunking]

Just got back to Saratoga Springs from Animal Kingdom and thought I would see if anyone knew anything about this.

We were seated for the 7:30PM showing of The Festival Of The Lion King this evening. As the floats were brought out and the gymnastic equipment setup for the tumble monkeys, the music stopped suddenly and the show was stopped. An pre-recorded announcement that the show had been cancelled was made and then a live voice asked for everyone to please leave the theater.

We have seen this show dozens of times and this has never happened before. Anyone know what was up?

BTW...The weather is great and the crowds are heavy. Having a great time and being wise in our visits to the parks. Going to Epcot tomorrow morning for rope drop....

Sunking

 

[ANTSS2001]

Just got back to Saratoga Springs from Animal Kingdom and thought I would see if anyone knew anything about this.

We were seated for the 7:30PM showing of The Festival Of The Lion King this evening. As the floats were brought out and the gymnastic equipment setup for the tumble monkeys, the music stopped suddenly and the show was stopped. An pre-recorded announcement that the show had been cancelled was made and then a live voice asked for everyone to please leave the theater.

We have seen this show dozens of times and this has never happened before. Anyone know what was up?

BTW...The weather is great and the crowds are heavy. Having a great time and being wise in our visits to the parks. Going to Epcot tomorrow morning for rope drop....

Sunking

same thing happened to us last Sept 06 they had to ask us to leave and apologize for the inconvenience and it wont be shown again till the next day.... ours was electrical problem .. so they says...

 

[TwitterMouse]

That happened to me, after the tumble monkeys. All anyone would say was technical problems. I've never gotten to see the whole show.

 

[SorcererDonald16]

A similar thing happened to us at AK on March 15th of this year, except it was the Finding Nemo show. I think it was almost midway through, the song ended normally, the scenes were about to change, and then poof! "Due to circumstances beyond our control, this performance has been canceled. Please exit the theater..." Asked CMs outside and they had no clue, although 1 said it was possibly a "technical issue." Sadly I never did get to see the full show; that was my last full day in WDW, and I had an ADR in Epcot at the time of the next show. Sorry it happened to you at FOTLK!

 

[disneycruise05]

A similar thing happened to us at AK on March 15th of this year, except it was the Finding Nemo show. I think it was almost midway through, the song ended normally, the scenes were about to change, and then poof! "Due to circumstances beyond our control, this performance has been canceled. Please exit the theater..." Asked CMs outside and they had no clue, although 1 said it was possibly a "technical issue." Sadly I never did get to see the full show; that was my last full day in WDW, and I had an ADR in Epcot at the time of the next show. Sorry it happened to you at FOTLK!

The exact same thing happened to us on March 16th!!! It was the first show of the day right after Bruce, Anchor, and Chum sang "Fish Are Friends, Not Food." We stuck around as the theatre was clearing out to talk to a CM. She said that all shows were postponed. We went back for the next showing and it was also canceled. We talked to the same CM later and she said something about the wires that the actors hung from for "Just Keep Swimming" were reversed or something like that. It's a real bummer when it happens.

 

[SorcererDonald16]

The exact same thing happened to us on March 16th!!! It was the first show of the day right after Bruce, Anchor, and Chum sang "Fish Are Friends, Not Food." We stuck around as the theatre was clearing out to talk to a CM. She said that all shows were postponed. We went back for the next showing and it was also canceled. We talked to the same CM later and she said something about the wires that the actors hung from for "Just Keep Swimming" were reversed or something like that. It's a real bummer when it happens.

Oops, no, it wasn't the 15th that happened to me. It was the 16th. My brain is still muddled from vacation, haha. We were at (I think) the second show of the day, although I'm not certain. Either the 2nd or the 1st. The day before all afternoon performances were canceled, although they would not tell us why. So, we came back the morning of the 16th, and then that happened. Sorry you had to miss it too! I know I was very sad.

 

[beattyfamily]

Happened to us in August 2004.

I think once the music is screwed up there's no fixing it for that particular showing so they just clear the place out and hopefully fix it for the next performance.

 

[mickaholic4077]

I saw FOTLK on the 31st(3pm show) and the tumble monkeys didn't do their routine on the trapeze.

 

[Scot-n-Michelle]

Sorry to hear that you did not get to see all of FOTLK - it is an AWESOME show - we just loved it when we were there.

 

[Robo]

I saw FOTLK on the 31st(3pm show) and the tumble monkeys didn't do their routine on the trapeze.

Wow!

Did they cut ALL of the monkey's number, or did they just use the trampoline and TIGGER-BOUNCE for the whole time?

It seems so strange that they will simply CANCEL (stop) the show DURING the performance sometimes (due to tech-difficulties), but in THIS case, they RAN the show but without the full-effect of one of its biggest acts!

I can see that they might have had some reason to not want to use the rigging, or even that they might have had a "rookie" set of T-Monkeys for that show... it just seems strange that they wouldn't just cancel the show, because that's what they tend to do if there's any real "problem."

 

[Allison]

I guess with that kind of show there are a lot of things that can go wrong.

I know someone else reported the tumble monkeys didn't perform at a show they were at in February. It was just a few days after the show we saw.

The strange thing about the show we saw in February is that one of the performers wasn't there. The older of the two women in the show wasn't part of the performance. It was too bad because she is my favorite performer and it really felt like something was missing.

It's such a great show. It's a must see for us on each trip.

 

[taximomfor4]

When I was there mid-march this year, my sister insists the blue bird was pregnant (kept saying she won't be flying for much longer). I was not so sure, thinking she had padding in her costume to look more like a bird, and thinking if she were pregnant, no way would she fly!!

IF that is true, it could be as simple a "technical difficulty" as her having an issue with pregnancy.

Also, if they had a tummy bug strike part of their cast or something.

In the mid-March we saw, the fire-trick-guy had a chunk fly off his flaming stick-thingy and land on the stage, still simmering and red-hot. Well, when the animals rush up onto the stage and crouch by him at the end of his routine, one woman (a hyena?zebra??) crouched right onto it. The animal behind her punched and pounded where her costume started simmering. (I had been watching closely, because the chunk that flew off looked so dangerous). Luckily, that show continued on, but I bet SOMEBODY had a sore spot.

So any number of things can happen to cancel a show or postpone it.

Beth

 

[Robo]

The strange thing about the show we saw in February is that one of the performers wasn't there. The older of the two women in the show wasn't part of the performance. It was too bad because she is my favorite performer and it really felt like something was missing.

Well, THAT's not really such a "strange occurance."

They can run the show with 3 of the 4 singers and I have seen it that way many times over the course of several trips.

I, like you, love to see the FULL show with all the performers.
But its, I'm sure, more of a "scheduling thing" rather than a true on-the-spot "tech difficulty" to run with 3 singers.

We love to go with the hopes of hearing new (or favorite) singers in those roles. Some are so GOOD as to make me "get something in my eye" just from their spectacular performances.

 

[carol-lamb]

When I was there mid-march this year, my sister insists the blue bird was pregnant (kept saying she won't be flying for much longer). I was not so sure, thinking she had padding in her costume to look more like a bird, and thinking if she were pregnant, no way would she fly!!

IF that is true, it could be as simple a "technical difficulty" as her having an issue with pregnancy.


That's funny - because when I saw the show last December for some reason I was really watching the blue bird and she looked pregnant to me too!! Then I figured it must be some type of padding because they would never let a pregnant woman fly, or for that matter what mom-to-be would ever put herself in that danger.

 

[Mecha Figment]

There could be many reasons for this to happen. some very simple, and some more serious. would they ever tell the guests. NO.

 

[DisneyGirl4188]

Last year the Tumble Monkeys almost didn't do their routine, because the set up wasn't right. One of the monkeys was talking to a member of the crew and motioning that the it wasn't right. They kept working on it and they did do their routine.

 

[Allison]

Well, THAT's not really such a "strange occurance."

They can run the show with 3 of the 4 singers and I have seen it that way many times over the course of several trips.

I, like you, love to see the FULL show with all the performers.
But its, I'm sure, more of a "scheduling thing" rather than a true on-the-spot "tech difficulty" to run with 3 singers.

We love to go with the hopes of hearing new (or favorite) singers in those roles. Some are so GOOD as to make me "get something in my eye" just from their spectacular performances.

Yes, I meant strange in the sense of seeing it with just 3 of the 4 as we are used to. Not strange that something had happened.

I assumed it was a scheduling thing or someone got sick or something like that.

Still a good show without her but you are right about how your "favorite" performers can really make a difference.

Now, I just have to get to the Nemo show next time.

 

[Robo]

Now, I just have to get to the Nemo show next time.

I don't know how that one works.

We went on several days last Dec. and it was always the same cast.
It appears to be the same cast's voices on the "Cast Album" (iTunes).

I'm guessing that in the earliest days, they only ran the show on selected days and gave the full cast days off on other days when the theater was "darK' (no shows.)

http://pages.prodigy.net/stevesoares/index.htm

doesn't list any days as "closed" so I guess they must have a couple of casts and understudies available now.

The first cast was very, very strong in the roles.
I'll be anxious in TWENTY DAYS, or so to see how the show may have changed (if at all) or if we see some new actors/puppeteers.

 

[mistyt]

I used to work at FOLK and will say that sometimes the stages don't come together properlly and the show has to be cancelled because it is unsafe for any of the performers to use it. That is what I would guess happened.

In all honesty when a cast member tells you that a show has been cancelled due to technical difficulties, that is honestly the only thing they know. Many times the cast and crew of the show are still trying to figure out what went wrong, and the cast outside of the theater may not even know that the show has been cancelled.

 

[Joanna71985]

I don't know how that one works.

We went on several days last Dec. and it was always the same cast.
It appears to be the same cast's voices on the "Cast Album" (iTunes).

I'm guessing that in the earliest days, they only ran the show on selected days and gave the full cast days off on other days when the theater was "darK' (no shows.)

http://pages.prodigy.net/stevesoares/index.htm

doesn't list any days as "closed" so I guess they must have a couple of casts and understudies available now.

The first cast was very, very strong in the roles.
I'll be anxious in TWENTY DAYS, or so to see how the show may have changed (if at all) or if we see some new actors/puppeteers.

I agree, there are some really talented people in Finding Nemo. But I don't think it can be people from the CD of the show.