Live 'Star Trek' Show Launching Near NASA's Florida Spaceport

[Ian David]

Live 'Star Trek' Show Launching Near NASA's Florida Spaceport
By Adam Hadhazy
SPACE.com Staff Writer
posted: 09 May 2010
09:54 am ET

A slice of "Star Trek's" final frontier will warp into the visitor's center for NASA's Kennedy Space Center spaceport in Florida this June with the world premiere of the interactive stage show STAR TREK LIVE.

Featuring live actors on a set with giant screens and special effects, the program aims to entertain and educate about life in space through the futuristic lens of the starship Enterprise at the non-profit Kennedy Space Center Visitor's Complex in Cape Canaveral, Fla., near NASA's space shuttle launch site. The 30-minute show's interactive storyline sets up the audience as cadets in the inaugural class at Starfleet Academy. While contending with an unwelcome visit from a time traveling, renegade Romulan, audience members will discover the many challenges of modern-day space travel, as well as how humans will continue to (boldly) go where no one has gone before.

Beaming up real space-age technology

One example is the fictional deflector shields that "Star Trek's" ships rely on to scatter the rare, small but potentially hull-puncturing bits of dust and matter in their paths. To demonstrate how much damage can be done, an air cannon will blast a piece of material through a sheet of aluminum right on stage.

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Trek-inspired science . . . and some cameos

In many ways, the "Star Trek" franchise has already presaged plenty of real-life technology. An instance that the show touches on is modern cell phones, which mirror the then-futuristic, flip-phone communicators of the original 1960s show chronicling the voyages of Captain Kirk and his crew

More:
http://www.space.com/entertainment/star-trek-live-nasa-spaceport-100509.html






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Press Release:

STAR TREK LIVE BLASTS OFF AT KENNEDY SPACE CENTER THIS SUMMER CBS Consumer Products and Mad Science Productions Will Debut an Interactive Live Stage Show Based on Iconic Sci-Fi Franchise at Center of America's Space Program

NEW YORK - April 12, 2010 - STAR TREK LIVE, a new interactive stage show from CBS Consumer Products and Mad Science Productions, will make its worldwide debut at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex on June 11, 2010.

Based on the popular science-fiction franchise, the show takes audiences on an exhilarating 30-minute journey offering an unforgettable live theatrical experience for fans of all ages. The show combines fun special effects, audience interaction and an exploration of real space-age technology.

Produced by Mad Science Productions, under a license from CBS Consumer Products, STAR TREK LIVE introduces a world of discovery by combining science with entertainment to teach and encourage scientific literacy. In the show, the audience portrays new Starfleet cadets assembled for the first day at the Starfleet Academy led by its best and brightest. The new cadets will have to learn quickly the intricacies of living and working in space, modern space travel and the latest in communication and technology.

"STAR TREK LIVE could not have found a better home for its world debut," said Mad Science Productions Managing Director and STAR TREK LIVE Producer Leonard Lipes. "Based on the storyline and the fiction-to-reality show concept, both NASA and the Visitor Complex were clearly our first choice of partners for this co-branding opportunity allowing visitors to follow in the footsteps of Star Trek's iconic characters, to boldly go where no one has gone before."

"The Kennedy Space Center has captured the world's attention and fed its imagination for the farthest reaches of outer space, and for that reason alone we can't think of a better destination to launch STAR TREK LIVE," said Liz Kalodner, Executive Vice President and General Manager of CBS Consumer Products. "This show offers all the excitement, ingenuity and of course, logic, that Star Trek fans have come to expect with an added bonus of learning something along the way."

"Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is a must-see for anyone who has ever been intrigued by space exploration - and Star Trek fans are clearly within that demographic," said Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex Chief Operating Officer Bill Moore. "STAR TREK LIVE is a perfect companion to the other family-friendly activities and interactive programs we offer at Kennedy Space Center leaving visitors with a new-found understanding of the history and evolution of the U.S. space program."

Located just 45 minutes east of Orlando, Fla., Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex annually hosts more than 1.5 million guests from around the world. STAR TREK LIVE will be presented five times a day at the facility's 300-seat Astronaut Encounter Theater. The show will be open daily and is included with regular admission to Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.

Since 1997, Mad Science® Productions has specialized in the development, production, and distribution of spectacular stage shows for theme/amusement parks, performing arts centers and more across North America. With STAR TREK LIVE, Mad Science Productions will continue to engage and attract large family audiences with multi-sensory experiences, interactive audience involvement, and high-quality educational outreach materials.

For more information about the live action show, call Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex at 321-449-4400 or visit www.KennedySpaceCenter.com or www.madscience.org/stageshows.

TM © 2010 CBS Studios Inc. STAR TREK and related marks are trademarks of CBS Studios Inc. All Rights Reserved.

About STAR TREK LIVE
Audience members join Starfleet Academy only to be unexpectedly whisked into an adventure steeped in the grand tradition of Star Trek. STAR TREK LIVE combines cutting-edge special effects, unmatched audience interaction, cool science and on-screen appearances from Captain Kirk and Spock themselves to create an exhilarating and unforgettable theatrical experience.

Eager to learn from Starfleet's best and brightest, our cadets assemble, anxious to prepare for their first day at the Academy. As we are introduced to the Academy, the Earth itself comes under attack from a renegade Romulan, leaving the fate of the future itself in the hands of our cadets. Our cadets will have to quickly learn the intricacies of living and working in space, modern space travel and the latest in communication and technology as they draw on the achievements of science in the 21st century. It will require all our knowledge, ingenuity, logic and an exploration of science to discover what is happening and how to set things right before it's too late!

STAR TREK LIVE is a thrilling journey for audiences of all ages! Awesome special effects, unrivaled audience interaction and an exploration of real space-age technology take everyone on an unforgettable journey through the Star Trek universe. Join STAR TREK LIVE and boldly go where no one has gone before£!

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is located just east of Orlando and is the gateway to a working space center and one of Florida's most popular destinations. It's a 70-acre arena of inspirational, educational and entertaining experiences. Admission includes the new STAR TREK LIVE, Shuttle Launch Experience, Kennedy Space Center Tour, 3D IMAX® space films, AstronautEncounter, all exhibits and shows, and the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame®, featuring historic spacecraft, simulator rides and the world's largest collection of personal astronaut memorabilia. Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex opens at 9 a.m. Closing times vary by season. The Visitor Complex is open daily except December 25 and certain launch days. Admission is $38 + tax for adults and $28 + tax for children ages 3-11. The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex Commander's Club Annual Pass is $50 + tax for adults and $40 + tax for children ages 3-11. For more information, call 321-449-4444 or visit www.KennedySpaceCenter.com.

About CBS Consumer Products
CBS Consumer Products manages worldwide licensing and merchandising for a diverse slate of television brands and series from CBS, CBS Television Studios and CBS Television Distribution, as well as from the company's extensive library of titles. Additionally, the group oversees the CBS Retail Store and online sales of programming merchandise. For more information, visit www.CBS.com.

About The Mad Science Group®
Mad Science® is the world's leading science enrichment provider sparking the imagination and curiosity of children around the world. With live performances conducted in schools, camps, homes, theme parks, and performing arts centers, the Mad Science Group has developed over 200 hours of original content, with thousands of unique interactive experiences! The company delivers its brand of fun science through an extensive network of 200+ franchised locations in 29 countries, and through its own award-winning large-venue touring production unit, Mad Science Productions®. This year, the company will conduct 250,000 live presentations in 13,000 public and private schools in North America, reaching over 7 million families. For more information, visit www.madscience.org.

More:
http://www.madscience.org/stageShows/index.aspx