Atlanta’s Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament Launches New Live Production

North America’s longest running and most popular dinner attraction is about to “get medieval” all over again.
The local Medieval Times castle in Gwinnett County will launch the show in February 2009.
During 2008, Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament announced the rollout of a completely new show – the company’s first since 2003 – blending a two-hour live performance by two- and four-legged performers with a utensil-free meal served in a castle-inspired 1,100-seat arena.
The Georgia castle is the final U.S. castle to launch the new show, as the popular Atlanta attraction had the previous show since opening during summer 2006.
More than 30 months in the making, the new Medieval Times production includes audience favorites such as live jousting, swordplay, horsemanship and falconry. Guests are taken back in time and encouraged to cheer for one of six knights of the realm, named after historic regions of medieval Spain.
In addition to a new script, the production includes new lighting, choreography and battle scenes, new horse dressage elements – executed by Medieval Times’ famed Andalusian stallions – and a new soundtrack composed in the USA and performed by the Czech Republic-based Czech Film Orchestra. A new theatrical element, Medieval Times’ first use of a high-output snow machine, also adds an unexpected magical element to the guest experience.
Creators of the new Medieval Times production say non-stop action, rather than snowflakes, will keep first-time visitors and returning fans on the edge of their seats.
“The festivities open with a sneak attack on the show’s hero, a prince sent by his father the king to deliver a peace treaty,” said Medieval Times Creative Director Leigh Cordner. “While the audience enjoys a feast and authentic tournament of knights, the action unfolds in the arena with elements of high drama and romance as the hero’s young bride and king await word of the prince’s fate.”
The new show first debuted at Medieval Times in Dallas, near the company’s new headquarters in Irving, Texas, with Medieval Times rolling out the 2008 production at eight other castles throughout last year. Audiences in Georgia and surrounding areas can start enjoying the new show in early February.

MORE THAN 30 MONTHS IN THE MAKING
Cordner said the process to launch the new Medieval Times production began during spring 2005, about two years after the most recent production process was completed. The timeline to make the two-hour live productions a reality began with the gathering of ideas and feedback from virtually every department at Medieval Times.
Leading the process for the second time in his 30-year tenure at Medieval Times, Cordner and his co-creators collaborated with management, actors and actresses while remaining ever-mindful of the horses – each with their own choreography and experience levels – and their trainers, as well as sound technicians, lighting experts, costume designers and food and bar service operations team members’ input. Each department works in tandem on every one of Medieval Times’ 3,600 annual performances, and Cordner said each team has a checklist of special needs that must be met in order to deliver a production of consistently high quality.
“After gathering ideas from everyone, we started putting things on paper, and it is challenging to incorporate all of the fine details of our operations,” said Cordner. “For example, you can’t have the biggest battle scenes or ‘in the dark drama’ play out while the meal’s main course is served – you want the audience to be engaged and entertained with a story they want to witness and characters they want to cheer, or jeer, depending on the scene.”
Creation of many new production details was inspired directly from guest feedback. Medieval Times looked at audience comments received at the castles and via MedievalTimes.com, and took customer responses and ideas to heart while crafting the new show.
“Fans told us they wanted more action, chivalry and romance, and the new script delivers all of these elements,” said Cordner. “We added the prince – a new character created for this show – and separate him from his princess and kingdom to add to the drama.”
During the openings of the new show in other cities, audiences have responded favorably to the new “prince/princess” drama, as well as the new soundtrack composed for the show.

NEW TECHNOLOGY AND CHOREOGRAPHY
The new Medieval Times script also challenged the knights and production team on the technology front. For the first time, one of the six knights in each performance – the Green Knight, who emerges as the story’s villain – has a speaking role through many key scenes.
“In the past, the knights did not have speaking roles because they could not be wired for sound during their precision-choreographed fights,” said Medieval Times Corporate Head Knight Tim Baker. “We worked with the knights and designed a custom-fitted wireless microphone pack, sort of an abbreviated sports bra or undershirt that fits under their armor across the chest.”
The new wireless microphone holder has tested well in early performances, and will likely be replicated to expand speaking roles for future shows, with one catch.
“The knights are pretty candid with each other during the battle scenes, so our sound team has to keep on their toes to be sure only the right knight chatter is heard by the audiences,” said Baker.
For the new show, the sound and light teams worked with Cordner, Baker and the cast to create new lighting and sound queues. Each castle has a multi-million-dollar sound and intelligent lighting system.
“There are more than 120 sound queues connected to the music alone, and since no two shows are exactly the same in terms of the knight tournament, battles and horse dressage elements, our sound and light team members are always on their toes,” said Baker.
Baker also oversaw the new choreography for three equestrian segments of the new show, involving new routines for the Andalusian stallions.
Medieval Times Entertainment launched in Majorca, Spain, in 1973, and opened its first North American Castle in Kissimmee, Fla., in 1983. Now regarded as North America’s longest running and most popular dinner attraction, more than 40 million guests have experienced Medieval Times at Castles in Buena Park, Calif., Schaumburg, Ill., Hanover, Md., Lyndhurst, N.J., Myrtle Beach, S.C., Dallas, Atlanta, and Toronto, Ont., Canada. In 2007, the company moved its North American headquarters to Irving, Texas, close to the company’s Chapel Creek Ranch in Sanger, Texas. Medieval Times is online at www.medievaltimes.com and reachable at 1-888-WE-JOUST (888-935-6878).

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