WIN TICKETS: Walking With Dinosaurs at Dodge Arena

Congratulations to our ticket winner, dacantuz777!

Lucas Worth has walked with dinosaurs.

In fact, he has done it in 25 different cities for the past seven months.

Worth is an actor, and he portrays Huxley, the paleontologist who narrates Walking with Dinosaurs. The show runs Nov. 13 through 15 at the Dodge Arena in Hidalgo. It is a $20 million spectacle, which has toured several continents. It features 17 life-sized dinosaurs from 10 different species. One stands as tall as 36-feet, and they move with the speed the dinosaurs did. Or at least the speed we imagine they did.

Worth is one of the people that work to make the show come alive. He’s one of the only humans audiences see. The other mammals control the action from behind the scenes.

The dinosaurs look like flesh and blood. Depending on the species, they weigh 6, 8 or 20 tons. Puppeteers use rigs to make the creatures moves. A computer transmits the movements through radio waves. The designers have developed a system called muscle bags, made from mesh fabric and filled with polystyrene balls. The bags contract and stretch the same way the real thing might.

As the show prepares to roar into the Valley, Worth has made time to chat about the production. Tickets are on sale now at www.ticketmaster.com or the Dodge Arena box office, and prices start at $36.50.

WALKING WITH DINOSAURS
WHEN: 7 p.m. Nov. 13; 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday; 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. Sunday.
WHERE: The Dodge Arena, Hidalgo
COST: $36.50 and up
BUY TICKETS: Ticketmaster or Dodge Arena box office

Q: What’s your role in the show?

A: I play Huxley, not that the name really matters because we don’t refer to him like that in the show. Basically, he’s a paleontologist character and serves as the narrator, but also helps to tell some of the story. He also kind of keeps the energy going, not that we need that when you see these crazy, huge creatures. He’s very enthusiastic and this is sort of his life’s work come to life for him. It’s pretty amazing for him.

Q: Do you have a lot of interaction with the dinosaurs?

A: Not directly. For most of the show, we don’t know if the dinosaurs can see me or not. There are a couple of moments where it does happen. For the most part, I’m an observer.

Q: How does the audience react when they first see the dinosaurs?

A: When the first small predator – small by the show’s standards – comes out you get an “ooooohhhh.” When the first big one comes out you get a “wow.” It’s a collective thing. It’s really neat, because you hear it from everybody, adults and kids.

Q: What kind of show is it? Is it more theatrical or more educational?

A: I’d say it’s a good mix of both, but more theatrical. It is a spectacle. It’s a huge spectacle with fantastic lights and sound and effects. That’s part of our job to keep it entertaining in between the dinosaurs. What I also do as the narrator character is to educate a little bit without lecturing. A dinosaur comes out and we give a handful of cool facts from the period that we’re in. You can learn from it, but it’s not lecturing. It doesn’t feel like a class at all.

Q: How long is each show?

A: With intermission, it’s about an hour and 45 minutes.

Q: Is there a particular dinosaur that’s a fan favorite?

A: Hands down it’s always the T-Rex. The T-Rex is the big star of the show. She doesn’t come on until late in the show, but the show kind of builds up to it. I think they like them all, but there’s anticipation for the T-Rex. If you know one dinosaur in your life, it’s probably T-Rex. While not the biggest, it’s the biggest most fearsome looking and sounding one of all. When she comes out, it’s like she’s a rock star. That’s the kind of crowd reaction you get when the T-Rex comes out. She’s U2, we’re the local favorites.

Zack Quaintance covers features and entertainment. You can reach him at (956) 683-4447.