Today we bring you news of three new shows that are new at Knotts Berry Farm this summer.  First up is the all-new Blockbuster Beagle Ice show in the Charles Schultz Theatre.  A summer tradition., the ice show delivers all that you expect from Knotts and the Peanuts gang.  Next we have another brand new offering in Calico Square with Vertical Impact.  This high-flying acrobatic and dance show is entertaining aside from one fatal flaw.  Finally we have the wonderful night time version of the same Calico Square show called Vertical Impact: Geared Up. Let’s see what’s new down on the farm!

Blockbuster Beagle

Snoopy is back on the ice in a brand new ice show!  Blockbuster Beagle is the latest summer spectacular that holds strong in the tradition of Knott’s summer ice shows.  Cleverly tying into the release of the new Peanuts movie due out this November, our favorite, bi-colored beagle has gone Hollywood.

There is very little narrative to speak of.  It is an ice show after all and all that it really needs is a theme that lends itself to interesting music and skating numbers. Hollywood certainly does that and the set designs exert themselves to make the point clear.  Vibrant, cartoonish versions of iconic Los Angeles locations populate the backdrops as a gigantic cast swerves and skates around the stage.  Costume changes are non-stop too with the garden variety assortment of stock costumes that evoke everything from classic Hollywood to contemporary California.

Corny Hollywood references abound here.

There is even a diversion over to Venice Beach.

Something must be said for the lighting and set design as they are all visually interesting and keep the feeling of the show whimsical and fun.

There is a fly in the ointment though.  The musical selections tend to lag a bit in the first two thirds of the show.  When depicting a Hollywood theme it is far too easy to use stock music that harkens back to the golden age of cinema.  Some of the pieces from the beginning of the show never seem to hit the audience with the full force and energy we are accustomed to.  The spectacle is there, it’s just that the music doesn’t really pick up until the final third of the show. But it’s still a great show.

Make no bones about it, Blockbuster Beagle is a worthy effort and one that can stand next to the other entries into the Snoopy Ice Show pantheon.  The performers, every one, are on point and deliver, when allowed, the most amazing ice skating and acrobatics one can see, much less see 4 times a day.  The sets and lighting are up to snuff.  Overall it’s a good show and a great escape from the summer heat.

Vertical Impact

Also new show for the summer is a daytime acrobatics and dance show called Vertical Impact.  This is a high energy show filled with catchy dance music, driving beats and wonderful talent that is saddled with very awkward staging.  Presented in Calico Square, the lighting rigs and scaffolds encase the stage with a formidable army of illumination.  But try to ignore that as it is not usable during the day.

The show has a brisk pace.  Never for a second did it seem to lag or take a dip.  This is thanks to the talented cast and the sagacious choice of songs that keep things fast and loose.

All of this would be wonderful except for one, fatal flaw . . .  the set.  Everything feels as if it’s leaning to the left a little.  This is because the proscenium of lights around the stage doesn’t center with the backdrop of gears, metal, metal and wood.  This is further punctuated by the yellow framed structures at the base of the lighting rigs to the left and right of the stage. Not everything needs to be center, for sure.  So let’s look beyond that, if we can, to the two story towers that stand center stage.  These two monoliths function as repelling platforms for the trampoline acrobatics during the show.  The problem here is that they all but block the half pipe upstage on which the bike stunts are performed.  Why would you put something so large in front of something smaller.  If this were theatre in the round it would be fully understandable, but it is not.  Audiences for the most part will view this head-on, from Calico Square.  Hence, you only see the bike stunts when they are dead center and in the air.

Thankfully for the guests viewing the show, the performers knock it out of the park with energy and keep this show afloat.

Vertical Impact Geared UP

Our advice is to skip the daytime version of Vertical Impact and wait for the far superior night time version, Vertical Impact: Geared Up.  This is, again, a high energy show with more great music and an avalanche of acrobatics, stunts and dancing.  This time though the set is overcome by the forgiving blanket of nightfall and the stunning lighting design that bathes the stage in a riot of color.

At one point during the show, a particular lighting effect produced an audible gasp from the crowd.  The dance number that followed produced unbridled cheers and a roar from the crowd.  Yes, it was that cool.

 

Vertical Impact: Geared Up was certainly a surprise and what we would call the one must-see of the  entertainment line up this summer.

The park is also filled with wall-to-wall entertainment.  Krazy Kirk and the Hillbillies play in the Birdcage Theatre, the wildly entertaining OPA OPA plays infectious salsa music in Fiesta Village, and The Big Fat Steve Band plays in Boardwalk Circle.  What’s more, on Sundays, Swing Dancing has returned to OC with Big Band Swingin’ Sundays at 7pm and 8pm every Sunday. There is plenty of fun and entertainment on the farm this summer.  Get out there and catch these shows!