Kean Stage Welcomes 'Erth’s Dinosaur Zoo Live'

From Kean University: Get up close to the fierce and friendly creatures that lived in prehistoric Australia when Erth’s Dinosaur Zoo Live stomps into Kean Stage’s Wilkins Theatre, located at 1000 Morris Ave., on Sunday, March 19.

Those who attend will not just sit in their seats watching a show; they will become part of the action. Erth’s Dinosaur Zoo Live is a very interactive experience in which some members of the audience will be invited on stage to participate, and everyone in the theatre will be engaged while they learn fun facts about these animals that lived 65 million years ago.

“The show is fun, full of energy and engaging,” said Steve Cochran, manager of Kean Stage.

Erth’s Dinosaur Zoo Live is a theatrical performance featuring lifelike dinosaur puppets created by Erth Visual & Physical of Sydney, Australia. The company’s design team spent countless hours working with paleontologists to recreate how these creatures would have looked if they were alive today.
“They spent years understanding the anatomy and structure of these animals,” said Miron Gusso, a third-generation puppeteer who portrays T-Rex in the show. “Erth has an amazing grasp of children’s theater and showmanship. It’s extremely captivating to watch. The kids go bananas over it!”

Founded in 1990 by artistic director Scott Wright and executive director Sharon Kerr, Erth’s Dinosaur Zoo Live incorporates a menagerie of large-scale puppets, stilts, inflatables and aerial techniques in the 55-minute show, thrilling and entertaining kids while stimulating their imaginations.

Gusso loves working with Erth’s dinosaurs, which are so realistic that kids might actually believe the creatures have come back to life. They range from cute little hand puppets to monstrously large beasts with huge fangs. The sound effects make the experience all the more realistic.

“Each costume has a voice modulator inside that helps manipulate the human voice,” said Gusso, noting that the actors’ skills and experiences really bring the show to life.

There is also a camera inside the nostril of the largest beasts so the puppeteers can gauge the physical gestures and facial features of the kids. “If they get scared, we can take a step back,” he said.

Erth’s dinosaurs will thrill and entertain kids in ways that will forever connect them to their world.

Erth’s Dinosaur Zoo Live will perform at Kean University’s Wilkins Theatre, 1000 Morris Avenue, Union, N.J., at 3 p.m. on Sunday, March 19. Tickets are $12-$20. Ask about our VIP Meet & Greet with the Dinosaurs! Tickets are available at the Kean Stage Box Office in Wilkins Theatre, by phone at 908-737 SHOW (7469) or online here.

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Photos courtesy of Kean University: Get up close to the fierce and friendly creatures that lived in prehistoric Australia when Erth’s Dinosaur Zoo Live stomps into Kean Stage’s Wilkins Theatre on Sunday, March 19.