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Photo by Tony “WisebearAZ” Moore, 2001 Now appearing at the Hyperion Theater |
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Welcome to the fake front doors of the 2,000-seat Hyperion Theater. The real entrances are around the side. |
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Take a seat for The Power of Blast!—an abbreviated version of the high-energy Broadway show Blast! |
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Photo by Tony “WisebearAZ” Moore, 2001 Amazing percussion |
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Instead of the Broadway version’s repertoire of 16 musical numbers in two acts, The Power of Blast! has five musical numbers in a single, half-hour act:
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Photo by Allen Huffman, 2001 Two drummers pausing for much-deserved applause |
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Don’t expect an ordinary concert. These aren’t musicians who sit in chairs staring at their music stands. This is a highly choreographed extravaganza, with 40 highly skilled performers. Trumpets and trombones blare. Sabers fly above the stage. Banners swirl in the air. Drumbeats radiate energy throughout the theater. |
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Photo by Allen Huffman, 2001 Dramatic lighting and costuming in the dark theater |
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The Power of Blast! is based on the tradition of drum and bugle corps pageantry—but this is not a traditional drum and bugle corps pageant. |
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Photo by Tony “WisebearAZ” Moore, 2002 Crash! Bang! Thump! |
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Photo by Tony “WisebearAZ” Moore, 2002 Lots of brass |
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The deceptively simple stage takes on different looks and colors throughout the show. |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2002 Land of Make Believe |
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The staging of Land of Make Believe is colorful and eye-catching. |
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Photo by Allen Huffman, 2001 Banners swirling |
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Photo by Allen Huffman, 2001 The finale |
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The rousing finale, with swirling and flying flags, is Lecuona’s Malagueña. |
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Photo by Allen Huffman, 2001 The end |
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At the end, the performers spill into the audience. |
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Photo by Allen Huffman, 2001 Blast merchandise |
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Don’t forget to buy some Blast merchandise so you can remember the show in the future. After all, theme park shows don’t run forever. |
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The Power of Blast! was presented at the Hyperion Theater at Disney’s California Adventure from November 22, 2001, through September 2, 2002. When Disney’s California Adventure opened on February 8, 2001, the official opening show at the Hyperion Theater was a song-and-dance musical, Steps in Time. Even before the park’s grand opening, the reaction from preview audiences was so negative that Disney executives quickly approved funds to rework the show. Unfortunately, the reworked show still failed to impress audiences, despite (or perhaps because of) the addition of a storyline involving a weird, mini-skirted Fairy Godmother and two little boys. Steps in Time limped along until October 14, 2001. At least the talented cast worked hard, and the theater was air-conditioned. |
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Photo by Allen Huffman, 2001 Better reviews than for Steps in Time |
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Meanwhile, on the other side of the continent, Epcot audiences were applauding wildly for The Power of Blast! which ran at the outdoor America Gardens Theater from June 16 through August 23, 2001. California Adventure desperately needed a new show for the Hyperion Theater. With some tweaking for the indoor theater, The Power of Blast! moved west. Because The Power of Blast! would be in a fully enclosed theater, the dramatic lighting effects and creative staging could be even better than at Epcot. California Adventure audiences applauded wildly. The Hyperion Theater had a hit. Sure, it was a costly show purchased from an outside company. And, at a Disney park that was lacking enough “Disney” as far as many guests were concerned, the show had nothing to do with the creative legacy of Disney or Pixar. But it was a terrific show, and it gave Disneyland Entertainment enough time to develop a new musical that would not suffer the same reaction as Steps in Time. |
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Photo by Tony “WisebearAZ” Moore, 2002 Last Chance! Daily through Monday, September 2, 2002 |
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After running more than nine months, The Power of Blast! closed to make room for Disney’s Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular. |
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Photo by Tony “WisebearAZ” Moore, 2002 The elephant in the room during Disney’s Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2007 Disney’s Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular |
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The stage musical based on the successful 1992 Disney animated feature Aladdin opened at the Hyperion Theater on January 16, 2003, and closed January 10, 2016—a run of almost 13 years. The next show at the Hyperion Theater would be based on Disney’s 2013 megahit Frozen. |
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Photo by Allen Huffman, 2017 Frozen — Live at the Hyperion on the marquee of the Hyperion |
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Photo by Allen Huffman, 2017 Puppets and people |
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Frozen — Live at the Hyperion opened May 27, 2016, for what is expected to be a very long run. After all, in the world of Disney theme parks, there’s no such thing as too much Frozen. |
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© 2007-2018 Werner Weiss — Disclaimers, Copyright, and Trademarks Updated June 29, 2018. |
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