Spearheaded by Nick Rheinwald-Jones and Katelyn Schiller, Spy Brunch, creators of Safehouse ‘77, Safehouse ‘82, and the Zoom-based Sherwood & Nottingham, have returned with an extended cut of their immersive fantasy extravaganza, the aptly-titled Dragon Show: The Extended Tail, featuring an additional 30 minutes of new songs, puzzles, guest-influenced endings, and enhanced set design.
While I never saw the original for contrast, the full package as it is now made for a substantial offering as its 2-hour runtime is brimming with fun, merriment, intrigue, lore, and the occasional hint of terror. Just enough to make for a perfect addition to the season’s festivities for those who may not be drawn to traditional Halloween entertainment and offering an experience that should be palatable to the whole family.
After being given the rules of the fantastical realm in which you are about to enter, you’re whisked into the company of the fairy Cellar Door (Katelyn Schiller), who acclimates you to the world with her infectious energy and glee, helping you get to know your fellow travelers by assigning each other a dragon spirit based off of ridiculous criteria that only make sense in this strange world. Once you’ve become attuned to your dragon nature, you’re then led into the meadow and introduced to its inhabitants. The four primary players are the fae, who tend and commune with the flora of the meadow but rarely get the chance to interact with other sentient beings and live in service to the meadow’s fierce protector, a dragon known as The Veil.
Each of the faes is introduced to you via song, as Dragon Show could be considered a musical, with songs and voices that enhance their personalities. There’s Scue-Me (Steve Bradford) the scientist and historian of the bunch with his dramatic baritone, the ethereal elf princess, Myfoot’sAsleep (Shoshanna Ruth Green), who’s fascinated with the ways of the humans, the Rainbow Brite Troll doll Ohkay-bye (Mandy Rubeli), with her bright Disney princess voice, and the long-suffering Pointy (Michaela Skaribas), who has the unenviable task of keeping everyone focused and on task when all they want to do is frolic and party.
These strong personalities are further enhanced by colorful costuming with Scue-Me’s Middle East-inspired fez and vest ensemble, Myfoot’sAsleep’s flowing bohemian gown, Ohkay-Bye’s puffy suspenders and mushroom hat, and Pointy’s very practical house elf/street urchin look. The overall set design isn’t the highest budget among immersives with the majority of the show taking place in a backyard that is impressive as backyard’s go but never quite manages to shake that feeling that a street is never more than a couple of hundred feet away. What it lacks in scale and opulence of its venue, however, it more than makes up for in personality with Shoshanna Ruth Green and Alexis Rheinwald-Jones among a team of designers who ensure every facet of the show’s design feels like it was created specifically for this show and making it feel unique among every other immersive in theme and spirit with toadstool seating and alcoves filled with mysterious curios.
As with any immersive, Dragon Show lives and dies on the strength of its cast and everyone involved does a fantastic job in both singing and acting. The show takes a very free-form approach to its narrative, allowing you to take in the world through interacting with any of the characters aside from a handful of central thematic moments that bring everyone together for a more structured performance and I appreciated that they always had activities available for the guests to participate in that both informed their characters and helped to develop our understanding of the world. An immersive performer should always strive to create the impression that a world exists outside of what the guest can see and that they have lived lives beyond the scope of the performance and Dragon show nails this with actors ready to engage in a dialog on any topic that might pique the audience’s curiosity.
Dragon Show: The Extended Tail fills a sorely-neglected fantasy niche in the immersive world that will appeal to horror fans who value an escape to a strange new world and those looking for a different flavor of Halloween fun. It’s also reasonably priced compared to the modern theme park experience with the standard Red Dragon ticket going for $100 and the VIP Black Dragon ticket, which includes a special gift bag, going for $125. Tickets are available at https://spybrunch.ticketleap.com/dragon-show-extended/
Rating: 9/10
