Pirates Adventure Dinner Theatre - Calif.

[Rumba Rue]

I'm going on April 22. Interesting, the only seats left were the Captian's seating, the first three rows (there's an extra 10.00 charge for those), so of course I said yes!

Will let you know what I think of it.

[JoshuaRed]

Yeah the Dinner Theatre pirates are more "World Wrestling meets Disney's Aladdin"

[Bloody Bill Flint]

Hmmmm....then maybe it's not the same place. The coat she showed me looked VERY cool! She mentioned Buena Park tho.....hmmmm.....

Most likely it is Christine. Capitain Sebastian the Black (the head pirate who also doubles as the court magician during the pre-show) is one well turned out pirate, but Petee's right the rest of the pirates are more Pirates of Penzance than Pirates of the Spanish Main, probably because they need costumes that are easy to move in due to all the aerial stunts in the show.

[Bosun Carmina]

We had a thread going on this on Keep to the Code and Jolly Roger, one of the Captains, posted this:

Well,…as it so happens…I’m very familiar with the Pirates Dinner Adventure. I’ll bet most of you mates were unaware that JOLLY ROGER was at one time Captain Sebastian the Black. –or at least, one of several.

It was a part-time gig that I had on top of my normal 9 to 5 job at Disney World. I joined the cast in 1998. It was a chance to earn a little extra spending cash for my upcoming wedding/honeymoon, and to fulfill my own personal boyhood fantasy. (Always wanted to be a swashbuckler.) The Pirates Dinner Adventure had just taken off in 1997, and was significantly changed to what it is today from it’s original conceptual design.

A lot of you may not know this, but originally, Pirates was supposed to be an almost full-day event. The title was actually “Pirates at Colossal Studios”. Your day was to be a look inside the making of movies. You would start off with a backlot tour going behind the scenes of a new Pirate movie that 'Colossal Studios' was in the middle of shooting. On the tour, you would mingle with the actors & stunt performers as they rehearse for an upcoming shoot. Then as the evening progressed you would take a break at the bar for a few more presentations and then be escorted in to watch the “dailys” on a screen located on the main soundstage. (Where the dinner is served around the huge pirate ship set.) The screen was located at the far end of the ship and the movie began with a ship at sea being overthrown by pirates. –But then something unexpected happens. The pirates begin to come off the screen, and take over the set as their newly acquired ship. The audience is held as prisoners/guests of Captain Sebastian’s crew and the story goes on from there. The plot and songs are pretty much what they are today. Princess Anita is being held for ransom, and the captain’s son falls in love with her and turns against his father. Another scene that was later cut from the show involves the spirit of Davey Jones. After the love song between Benjamin the Blue & Princess Anita, a squall begins to arise. Apparently Davey Jones believes the love between a pirate and a princess is an abomination to the ways of the sea. He appears in human form (A large pirate donned in red from head to toe –kind of like the Phantom of the Opera’s Red Death costume) and a battle ensues. Benjamin wins against Davey Jones, but his father is outraged and accuses Ben of mutiny. Another fight breaks out and Benjamin and a few others escape from the ship. The captain throws a tantrum about his son (Song: ‘How Could He Do This to Me’) and then decides to hang the princess. Benjamin returns in the nick of time and another skirmish happens on board –this time, between father & son. Benjamin wins, and the show ends with a happy ending –complete with the hero & princess sailing away into the sunset. All of these transitions from movie to real life were very cheesy. The actors/stunt performers simply walked through slits in the movie screen at the appropriate times. Plus the actors for the show rarely looked like the actors that shot the original film footage.

Slowly but surely, all of the film elements were phased out of the show. By the time I had joined in 1998, the only film footage left was Benjamin & Anita sailing off into the sunset. I had often wondered why those two went up to the top level of the poop deck and disappeared into the movie screen just to see footage of 2 different people in similar costumes kiss on a ship at sea. –But after working there a couple of months I got the full story. (It also explained the reason for those hokey looking sets in the parking lot, and the antique looking tram with flat tires outside. –I’m not sure if they have been torn down yet or not. I haven’t been there since 2000.)

From what I know, the show features the same plot, entertaining games that involve the audience, songs & stunts that I learned when I was there. A few minor changes have happened since; A different song for the ending, (which is actually a song from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers with different lyrics) and pending on which stunt performers are working on various nights-the 'Drunken Sailor' number utilizes either the trampoline, or the spinning ladder.

When I was with the show, I had a blast! Not only was I one of the lead roles, I was the Captain! –and I was eeeeeeeeeeeeeevil! I loved making my entrance sailing in on the dinghy while standing up (not easy, balance wise) and the sword fights using cutlasses were very cool. I have to admit, that even though the fights look tame sometimes, they can get very brutal. The cutlasses had been used constantly. From the beatings they take in each show, the blades become serrated. It was like fighting with a very large bread knife or thin-bladed saw. Very dangerous if someone forgot or messed up the choreographed battle. My character was also the only one to fire a pistol. Although they were just blanks, the powder was real. My opening night I received a powder burn that went right through my vest, and a little extra went into my eye. Finished the show with tears, but I don’t think the audience noticed. They probably just thought it was sweat. That was the worst of it,…for me. There are many other horror stories of stunts going incredibly wrong. (If this thread continues, maybe I’ll post a few.)

In the meantime, here are a few pics of me in costume after a show. (Wasn’t allowed to take pics during the show.) The costume & beard may look a little cheesy, but bare in mind that Pirates was just finding it’s feet when I joined, and budget was tight. –Because I was part-time, I didn’t get the best costume pieces.

And because it’s been 6 years since I performed there, I may not know everything there is to know nowadays, but if you have any questions about the show I’ll do my best to answer them.

In the pre-show area...looking rather jaunty...

[Rumba Rue]

Well went last night to see the show and eat. Sure it was hokey, but you know what, we had a great time!

Before the show even starts when you enter the building, there's 'station's' about where you can get a variety of appetizers.

The drinks were damn costly, but I had to shell out $14.95 just because I wanted the darn coconut that had been carved into a sort of female pirate- to use for the camp decor for PoTC group.

The food: the chicken was good, the shrimp with pieces of lobster in garlic sauced butter was ok. I found two small pieces of lobster...

We were very impressed by the actors who truly had to have real athletic ability to do the stunts they were doing. My hat is off to them!

Some people did come in costume...though not as good as what Boats, Roland and I were wearing. Though there were a couple of others in decent outfits, I got a picture of one of them with our group.

Here's some pictures that were taken:

Pirates Dinner Theater

You are not allowed to take pictures during the show. There's a pre-show, that's where I got the entertainer pictures.

All in all I highly recommend it as a great time- but a very expensive great time...

[oderlesseye]

He would do nicely fer my cove!

Mary and I are going May sixth with the Stranglehold crew. Im excited.

Glad ye had a good tyme....

[Lady Seahawke]

Hey, that statue looks like the one that is made and sold over on Ventura Blvd in Encino/Tarzana area of LA. If it isn't it is pretty close.

[Christine]

It also looks like the one that stands outside this Caribbean store in Downtown Disney.

[Arthur Richards from Kent]

Well went last night to see the show and eat. Sure it was hokey, but you know what, we had a great time!

Before the show even starts when you enter the building, there's 'station's' about where you can get a variety of appetizers.

The drinks were damn costly, but I had to shell out $14.95 just because I wanted the darn coconut that had been carved into a sort of female pirate- to use for the camp decor for PoTC group.

The food: the chicken was good, the shrimp with pieces of lobster in garlic sauced butter was ok. I found two small pieces of lobster...

We were very impressed by the actors who truly had to have real athletic ability to do the stunts they were doing. My hat is off to them!

Some people did come in costume...though not as good as what Boats, Roland and I were wearing. Though there were a couple of others in decent outfits, I got a picture of one of them with our group.

Here's some pictures that were taken:

Pirates Dinner Theater

You are not allowed to take pictures during the show. There's a pre-show, that's where I got the entertainer pictures.

All in all I highly recommend it as a great time- but a very expensive great time...

nice pics Rumba! I do hope ye knows that both you and Boats look better than the "hollywood" look the actors have! Glad ye had a real nice time!

[cyneful]

Very cool! I want to do this as a group for my Natal day, so if there be any takers on the invite let me know...I will check into group pricing as well as help with cost if it is reasonable enough.

[Rumba Rue]

The cost is around $50 plus per person. If you want the Captian's seating up front, it's another 20 bucks. You get wine, beer (no choices on either of those),soda, or water with the dinner. Drinks prior to opening will COST you, so bring bucks! The gift shops have pretty much what I've seen elsewhere, a tad cheaper, but not by much.

There are colored sections, the ones that are the best, Yellow,Red , Orange, Purple. Stay away from the Blue and Green sections- those are really bad angle seating. Be sure and ask for those sections when you make reservations, and you must make reservations! They will ask for a credit card and charge you at the time of making the reservations. They will not do it any other way.

[Killian]

Hey Rumba did you manage to walk off with the Pirate statue as you did with items from the Stranglehold.

[oderlesseye]

Well Mary and I attended the Pirate dinner theater as guest of

HMS Stranglehold. We had a great tyme. these are the pics.

pirate dinner pics

The set was awesome!

[Rumba Rue]

Glad to see and read you all had a great time! Oderlesseye, you took fine pictures- you were obviously higher up in the seating than I was when I went.

I suspected and I believe I am correct that some of the preformers are done in teams that rotate- as the gal doing the trapeze and the one doing the Capt. wife, are not the same two I saw when I went. It makes sense to have rotating teams so people don't get worn out or hurt (one guy apparently hurt his back on the trampoline bit as he was rubbing his low back after his bit) and keeps people ready for the next show.

BTW-which store did you stop at to get the cannon and skeleton figure?

[Killian]

More pictures of our trip can be found at http://stranglehold.kagusa.org/gallery/PGa...inner_Adventure

This is including Oderlesseye's pictures.

[Arthur Richards from Kent]

Nice pics mates I really like Oderlessye up on the stage singin! Excellent and well done! Question though, which is the one that seems to have evaded every answer to date. Is it worth what they ask for it?

[Killian]

Nice pics mates I really like Oderlessye up on the stage singin! Excellent and well done! Question though, which is the one that seems to have evaded every answer to date. Is it worth what they ask for it?

I say yes, and would go again.

[oderlesseye]

The pirate Dinner Theater was too fun !

Thanx to all who were there.

BTW-which store did you stop at to get the cannon and skeleton figure?

We found the Pirate and Cannon on the way home from Seeing Heather for a Model ship. The store is in LA. called World of Decor.link

The place was unbelivable. They had the same pirate that Rumba posed wit at the Pirate dinner- . There was one hangin from a rope wit a knife in his mouth. Too bad he was already sold. They even had a sausy wench pirate. She was A hottie but Mary gave me the -LOOK-

All life size. Place blew me away! The one I got is posted in Ports of call. Back-yard cove thread.