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Which H. G. Wells Do You Prefer?
LEFT:1890's
RIGHT: 1990's? |
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EFX Stage Show - Featuring The Time Machine
Hard
to believe that this is not an actual photograph
of the real H. G. Wells... but it is not!
It is
an incredible simulation of H. G. Wells, as
devised by the visionary stage show producers of Las Vegas.
Now, imagine the Eloi women as Las Vegas Showgirls... and you've got the most bizarre
incarnation of The Time Machine ever!
Below - A review.
EFX Stage Show, MGM Grand, 3799 Las Vegas Blvd. South
What opened as a $50 million dollar dud in 1994 - not even
the presence of "Phantom of the Opera" star Michael Crawford could overcome a
chilly show dominated by high-tech wizardry - prompted a major overhaul that included the
departure of Crawford, a revamped yet still taped music score and some semblance of an
actual story line to hold it together.
Enter former teen heartthrob David Cassidy in Crawford's
role. He's proven a determined and capable leading man with surprising vocal chops. The
show's technical wonders include a descending spaceship, a Merlin-like fantasy set with
two dragons (one-upping "Siegfried & Roy") and an underground cavern
inhabited by creatures straight from author H. G. Wells' "Time Machine."
It's still a bit unfocused, but the large cast moves well
and isn't overmatched by billowing fog curtains, a brief 3-D segment and no shortage of
eye-catching distractions.
Premise:
EFX is an enchanting and inspiring tale that repeats itself twice nightly at the MGM Grand
in Las Vegas. Starring in the primary role is Tommy Tune. Tommy, who took over the show in
1999, is following in the tradition of the "EFX Masters" before him David
Cassidy and Michael Crawford. Even though EFX is often accredited with raising the bar in
live theater special effects EFX has a memorable and enjoyable story line that captivates
the audience and seamlessly weaves in those famous special effects. So without giving away
too much of the story (and dancing around it a lot) I'll tell you the basic premise of EFX.
In the very beginning we're introduced to the EFX (said "effects") master.
Played by James Earl Jones this master explains what is about to happen. The master
summons four other masters; the master of magic, the master of laughter, the master of
time, and the master of spirits. Together they take Tommy Tune on a trip through time and
space. The serious master of magic is the first. Followed by the playful master of
laughter. Then the ominous master of spirits has his go. And finally, the master of time
takes him back thousands of years.
The serious master of magic played by Michael Piontek. The spirit is
the first on Tune's Journey. This spirit helps Tune remember some of his old childhood
fantasies. During this act the audience sees two million dollar a piece animatronic
dragons!
The playful master of laughter is played by Steward Daylida. This
spirit teaches him to be a little extravagant... just be prepared for the consequences. In
these acts we see everything from live space ships to an incredible Irish jig dance.
The ominous master of spirits is played by Lawson Skala. The spirit of
souls shows him how being extravagant without knowing what your doing can be dangerous.
Everything from flying to some of Harry Houdini's most amazing tricks!
The final spirit, the spirit of time is played by the ridiculously
funny Paul May. The final spirit shows Tommy Tune how to find what he is looking for and
leads us through time in a spectacular 3D movie.
The 90 minute spectacular is produced by the Landmark Entertainment
Group and the MGM Grand. This is the show that Las Vegas was built for with 15,000 watts
of stereo surround sound, over 6,000 lights, 250 eyepopping special effects, $15,000
costums, and an incredible soudtrack. It features performers from Broadway, London, and as
far away as Russia. EFX is an incredible 10 million dollar production.
 
EFX explores the world of
Sci Fi writer H.G. Wells
EFX, the high octane spectacle at MGM Grand does
more than dazzle.
This incredible stage show also tips its hat to
several historical and literary figures. Celebrated science fiction writer H.
G Wells gallantly rides again through space and time in an
effects-filled adaptation of his best known work. EFX takes audiences on a 3-D journey
through time to H. G. Wells’ land of the Morlocks. In the scene, inspired by
Wells’s 1895 classic “The Time Machine,” mountains move, the earth shakes
(even in the audience, where subwoofers rumble under theatre seats) and performers escape
an earthquake that rivals the adventures of Indiana Jones. Those are just a few of the 250
special effects enlisted by EFX to help transport audiences to inspirational worlds
“beyond reality."
H. G. Wells, one of the century’s most
imaginative writers, should feel right at home in EFX, a show that salutes the power of
imagination. Wells is called “the pivotal figure in the history of science
fiction” by Compton’s Living Encyclopedia, which credits the author with
charting the course of science fiction in the 20th century. Similarly, EFX is considered
live theatre’s cutting edge achievement - a mix of multi-media elements, special
effects and the traditional ingredients of live performance.
Wells's works include “The Island of Dr.
Moreau” and “War of the Worlds," which Orson Welles adapted for radio in
1938, panicking thousands who didn’t realize the chilling presentation was fiction.
His work continues to thrill readers and movie
fans as well as theatre-goers, who can visit the imaginative world of
H. G. Wells every
night in EFX.
The Time Machine figures in:
Act 12-
Passage
Master of Time: Paul May.
Act 13-
A Dream In Time
The Laboratory.
Adventure In Three Dimensions. "River In Time"
Music and lyrics by Andrew
Gold and Sue Shifrin.
Land of the Morlocks, Within the Morlock Temple, Revolt of the Slaves, Battle of the
Morlocks. The Rescue. HG Wells: Tommy Tune, Weena: Tanya Morgan, Slave Boy: Ottavio
Gesmundo, Morlocks and Slaves: The Company. |
Don
Brockway, April 26, 2003 (updated Juny 21, 2004)
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