Wednesday, October 8, 2014

The Phantom of the Opera

The maze is loosley based on the Lon Caney film and novel by Gaston Leroux. Not the ALW musical.


Facade: Very much similar to the Paris Opera House.

 Grand Staircase/Masqurade: Once inside, guests enter the masked ball, where 4-5 elegantly dressed scareactors mixed within a few costumed dummies will attack from areas among a mirror maze on the sides of the room. Guests will encounter the Phantom dressed in his Red Death costume from a balcony in the center of the room.

 The Theater: Guests will have to make their way the balcony seating section of the Paris Opera House. The seats on either side of the aisle would be filled with patrons (mostly dummies, but a few scareactors mixed within). There would also be an audio mix that of a perfomance of Faust, where Carlotta is playing the role Margurite. Not Christine. However, when Carlotta sings, she crokes like a toad. Suddenly the ceiling would be struck by lightning causing the chandelier to spark and fall.

Apollo's Lyre: We proced up to the rooftops of the Oper House overlooking the Parisian cityscape. The scene is very peacful, however The Phantom can be seen flying from statue to another. If that dosn't scare you, then the living statues will.  

Catwalk: Making your way through hanging ropes & sandbags, the Phantom appears (on a platform a little higher up) with the body of Joseph Buquet, a noose around the neck. The body then comes back to life andl warn you to keep the hand at the level of your eye because you wouldn't want to fall victim to the Phantom's punjab lasso. The floor would suddenly "drop" a little complete with the sound of the catwalk collapsing.

Backstage Corridor: The backstage area would utilize the same red ornate walls found within the rest of the Paris Opera House. So that it gives it that much more of a luxurious feel to it. 

Prop Room/Costume Department: The prop room is littered with portraits, statues, trunks, crates, antiques, and furniture. A couple of scareactors are hidden amoung the manneguins in costumes, so they could blend in and scare the guests as they pass by.

Christine's Dressing Room: After passing through a backstage corridor, you'll enter Christine's dressing room. There will be a full length mirror in the room, which would actually be a two-mirror scare from the Phantom. Christine would appear from behind an oriental room divider (used for changing clothes) to warn you "He's here, the Phantom of the Opera"

 Sceret Passageway/ Catacombs: The guests will make their way through a secret passage (behind the mirror) that will lead them down into the sewer and underground tunnels beneath the opera house. There would be a damp musty scent in the air, water dripping from rusted pipes, and every few feet there'd be mini air hoses on the floor to simulate rats on the floor. The floor would ramp downwards to give the illusion that you're descending deeper beneath the building. The Rat Catcher will make his apperance by figtening guests from an agasent passageway. 

The Phantom's Lair: Guests emerge into the underground lair of Erik, the Phantom of the Opera.  The masked fiend alternates between scowling at guests and playing his organ, which activates air jets and a burst of noise from the organ pipes behind the guests. As guests attempt to flee through the crypt, they are attacked by Erik, now without his mask. 


Tourcher Chamber: Guests will have to make their way through a mirror maze. The room seems to be heating up. Raoul and the Persian tell guests that they must leave now.


The Graveyard/ Finale Scene: After escape the Phantom's clutches. Guests are no longer in The Paris Opera House, they are now in the graveyard. Christine can be seen sitting at the side of her deceased father's grave. The haunting sound of a violin can be heard within the night sky. A pile of bones will sping to life, lunging at the guests. As the guests exit the house, the The Phantom himself will give guests one finale scare. 
Scareactors:
- Masqueraders
- Red Death
- Theater patrons 
- Joseph Buquet
- Christine Daae
-The Rat Catcher
- Erick; the Phantom
-Raoul
-The Persian

Soundtrack: Phantom of the Opera 1989 OST
Ken Hill's Phantom of the Opera

Saturday, October 4, 2014

The Haunting of Hellgate Manor

Synopsis: Set in the late-'60s, early-'70s. A paranormal investigator and his team spend a night of terror in England's most haunted and accursed mansion. 

Maze back story: Highgate Hall was built in the 16th century by Lord Ambrose Highgate for his bride Lucretia. They lived happily together, until Lucretia fell gravely ill. Lord Highgate tried in vain to cure his wife, hiring every physician that money can buy, but at no avail. Eventually Lucretia died. The devastated Lord Highgate was desperate to bring his beloved back from the grave, so he dabbled in dark spells and arcane rituals that would promised to bring Lucretia back life in exchange for a living soul. The attempt was successful, but something was wrong with her, she was not the same woman that he new but something hallow. This became the first series of tragedies, murders, suicides, and other unspeakable acts of evil. Catherine gave birth to a deformed child during the pelage of 1609. In 1796, Elizabeth was murdered on the eve of her wedding by her lover for her money. The biggest death occurred in 1910, when the Highgates were hosting a dinner party with friends and associates. Vincent became possessed and murdered his family, party guests and the servants. Devastated of the atrocities he had committed, Vincent committed suicide. Since then, tortured souls of the Highgates and their victims haunt the ground of the halls for all eternity. The locals now called this cursed place Hellgate Manor. On May 11th 1969, Professor Victor Graves and his team of psychics and paranormal investigators explore the accursed grounds of Highgate Manor. By the 13th, they were never seen again.


Facade: A gothic victorian manor house

 Living Room/Foyer (Transitional)
The appearance of the mansion's foyer is condemned and abandoned, there's dust gathering on the furniture, the portraits are faded because of age, and the room smells like rotted wood.

Grand Staircase
On the staircase, the ghost of young woman can be seen gliding up and down the stairs or standing midway. Without warning, another ghostly enity pops out of nowhere. 

 Seance
Graves and group of clairvoyants are gathered around a table performing a seance. The room is set up with a variety of Graves' ghost hunting equipment (recorders, cameras, and an EMF reader). The head medium is apparently under a trance where her eyes are revealed to be pale and white and lashes out on the guests. Whenever the reader rapidly beeps, the camera flashes in like a strobe light and the ghost of Lord Highgate emerges from hidden door, frightening the guests.

Library/Private Study
The guest enter the library, now Professor Graves' private study and find him in a state of panic, Graves begs you to run away. All his equipment and machinery are going haywire the lights of the room start to flicker, as paper and books are flying on the ceiling. The ghost of Elizabeth emerges from a trapdoor tries to attack the quest with a cleaver.

Portrait Hallway
The guest have to pass through a hallway with the portraits of the Highgate family ancestors. Some of them will change right before guests eyes. At the end of the hallway stands the ghost of Lord Highgate, once agian. He vanishes, but reapers right in front of the guests. 

Nursery
The bedroom/playroom is adorned with porcelain dolls and old fashion wind-up toys. Child like giggles can be heard within the room. Her rose-pink canopy bed appears to be empty, but when wind-up toys move by themselves and a music box plays "O Willow Waly," the ghost of Catherine cradles her deformed baby in a rocking chair as ghostly children pop out in darken corners. 

 Dressing room
In a woman's bedroom, a group of ghost women try to seduce the guest, obviously succubi-like ghosts. As you enter the room, you see a the still-twitching corpse of their last victim hanging by the neck of a noose. 

 Conservatory
A possessed clairvoyant (similar to Eleanor's character in The Haunting) is in a state of trance and is dancing aimlessly in the conservatory. However, real scare comes when an angelic statue in the conservatory comes to life and attacks the guests. 

Celler
A fairly typical looking basment with a variety of crates and furniture draped in linen sheets. Strangely enough there are also mannequins in the room that are also covered in sheets. A couple of scareactors are hidden among the mannequins wearing sheets so they could blend in with the mannequins, as to scare the guest as they pass by. Another scareactor will pop up from behind one of the crates or underneath the stairs. 



 Hidden passage/Catacombs
The guest enter a hidden doorway and into
 a narrow hallway lined the with skulls and carcasses.. Some of will attack the guests behind boo-holes.


 Dungeon or Torture Chamber
The hidden passage leads to torture chamber where Lord Ambrose Hellgate reappears sporting an executioner's hood, torturing another investigator on a rack.



Hellgate Cemetery
Snow is falling on the tombs, ghouls and zombies pop out of random places in the cemetery (via tombs, crypts, etc.). The ghost of Lady Hellgate wanders the cemetery crying tears of blood. 


The Crypt
. After the cemetery, guests will enter a crypt where we see Elizabeth's body being laid to rest.  As you pass by, two other Angels of Death attack from an adjacent crypt.

Characters:
Ghosts - Deathly pale specters with hollow eyes and Victorian era clothing.
Lord Vincent Highgate - A physically imposing figure dressed in British aristocratic clothing, so think of Barnabus Colins from Dark Shadows.
Lady Elizabeth Highgate - A Ghostly woman, in an 18th century wedding gown but with an emaciated appearence. 
Lord Ambrose Highgate- A ghastly man in cloaked shroud. 

The Possessed - Human victims with dead-white eyes.
Professor Victor Graves - A professor with a conservative 1960s' style attire. Tattered and in a state of delirium due to the hauntings.
Investigation Team - The human Victims of Hellgate Manor. 
Angels of Death- Angelic statues depicting as weeping, therefore the cover the face. When they show their face, it's revealed to be monsterously demonic. Based on the ones from Doctor Who

Monday, September 29, 2014

Sleepy Hollow at Greenfeild Village

Sleepy Hollow is a family frendily halloween event, taking place at Greenfeild Village

 Guests will begin their journey at the village of Sleepy Hollow. It is indeed a quaint little hamlet with characters in period style costumes, interacting with visitors in friendly words of warning.
The street is all decked out with jack o lanterns, and corn husks. The doors are adorned with rings of garlic and crosses, just to protect themselves from any dark spirits, as well as offering of sweets to the good spirits left at the doorsteps. 

Moving on, guests will enter a loft barn, where a Halloween party is being thrown by The Van Tassel Family. Music, dancing, games and treats will be provided for tonight's entreatment. Outside, a fire is burring brightly as patrons roast marshmallows, sip hot cider, as the storyteller weaves stories of ghost, ghouls, and things that go bump in the night.

After guests leave the comfort and warmth of Sleepy Hollow. They'll notice a shift in the autumn air. Only the bravest soul will continue their journey. Passing by the church and graveyard, guests will pause an read some epatheas inscibed with dark humor.
Ethereal music floats through the night air, as spirits in 18th century clothing dance the night away.

An old school house comes into view. It seems empty, but look inside and you'll find furniture being overturned, school books hovering, writing on the blackboard. Listen closely, as the school bell sounds an ominous toll. Is this work of mischievous spirits, or a just some prank.

In the forest, invisible sprits play ticks on your senses. Spectral lights gleam and drat from tree to tree.
Within the woods, a groups of gypsies have set up camp. Entreating guests with music, dance and having your fortunes told. They may even conjure spirits and perform fire dancing.

  A once grand manor house comes into view. On the upper balcony, the spirit of a young woman all dressed in white tells her story of love, betrayal, and death.

.
A covered bridge comes into view, in which guests must make their way through. The sounds horse's hooves can be heard within, as if the sudden approaching sounds that The Headless Horseman could be sneaking up on you

After emerging from the bridge, guests know that their not out of the woods yet. As the massive figure of the infamous Headless Horseman appears before guests. Galloping with amazing stunts, with a carved out jack-o-lantern in one hand and sword in another. This will be ending for a Halloween adventure. 

Sunday, September 7, 2014

Thoughts and Idas for Kings Island Halloween Haunt


Mazes 

The ones that will be stayin are 
CareEvil
Corstalkers
Wolf Pack
Tombstone Terrortory
Madame Fatetale's Cavern of Terror

Here are some of my ideas for some new mazes

Litterary Terror: A maze in which geusts will enter an old libbary and into a world of litterature's most terrifying works. From Edgar Allen Poe, Dante's Inferno, H P Lovecraft, and many others.

Phantom Theater: The house will be a tribute and homage to the past attraction. Combinding the props, and live actors that will make this maze a unique experince. It will be dark, but with some humor in it.

Fright Factory: A steampunk themed maze, in which geusts will encounter mechanical monsters.

White Chaple: Streets of Blood: Here gustes will travel back in time to 19th century London, where they will encounter Jack the Ripper, Sweeney Todd, Dr Jeklly/Mr Hyde and Count Dracula. 

The Flight of Fear will be conterted into a new maze. Within a top secert millitary base, a group of reasherches have unwitingly unleashed a dark engery from within the an ailen spacecraft. 

In addition to the scare zones, their will be roaming hords wondering around the park. From escaped lunitics, werwolf packs, witch covens, zombies and many others.

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Stage Fright: Finale Script





Façade: The building’s architecture is turn of the century style. Boarded up windows with tattered shutters. Overgrown vines cling to the wall.

Lobby
As the patrons enter the building, they will notice that it is very ornate and brightly lit. Posters and portraits of the actors and coming attractions, which guests will encounter in their visit, are lined up in walls. An usher appears in front of the guests and tells them about the theater’s history.

“Welcome to Garnier Theater. My name is ______________, let me tell you the Theater’s dark and tragic history.  Built and opened in 1885 by world-renowned magician Balthazar Xanthos and his wife Isobel Ambrosia, a famous actress. This vaudeville theater was a sanctuary for talented performers and parrots of the arts. However, 1896, Mrs. Ambrosia fell ill during her recent performances. Balthazar was determined return his beloved from the grave. So he spent two years, so he began in dabbling in black magic. It was on that dreadful night in October 1st 1898, when one of his magic tricks had gone weary, which caused a rift between life and death. Soon the performers, staff members and 80 patrons were never seen again. The theater was then closed to the public. Over the past two centuries, there have been reports of ethereal music and songs coming from inside the abandon theater and spectral apparitions can be seen in the windows and grounds.”

After the usher finishes he/she’s introduction, they will usher the guests into the door that leads them into a back stage corridor. 


Back Stage Corridor: There are doors on both sides. Guests will hear shouting, crying, banging and whispers. One of the doors opens up to revel a hanged corpse. Another door cracks open, as a grotesque hand with talon like nails bursts forth. At the end of the hallway is another usher with a flashlight in his hands. He walks slowly and vanishes, only to reappear in front of us.

Usher: What are you doing here? You’re not supposed to be here! Come follow me, this way.  


Dressing Room: Entering in one of the actor’s dressing room they can smell the sent of dead roses. They see a woman in her vanity table. 

Actress: Come closer, gaze upon my beauty. I was young and had dreams. But then they told me I was'nt good engough. So I had to end it all. 

With that she picks up a shard from her mirror and cuts her wrist. Other scareactors will pop out from the closet and a changing screen.


Prop Room/Costume Department: The prop room is littered with portraits, statues, trunks, crates, antiques, and furniture. A suit of armor on the left comes to life and brandishes it’s weapon. A demonic gargoyle comes to life. A scare actor will pop up from behind an open box.  A manikin comes to life.


Séance Parlor: Guests will enterer a room furnished with arcane artifacts, spell books and a table on the center, with a crystal ball.

Madame Methuselah: Welcome, I am Madame Methuselah. You’ve come to make contact from the world beyond the veil? You’ve come to the right place. Please sit and join hands. Tonight we call forth the spirits of those who have passed this life.

Once the guests are seated, they feel a cold gust of wind passing through them. The table vibrates, the crystal ball changes colors from white, red and black, and the lights flicker on and off.

Madame Methuselah: I can sense their presences. If you are here with us oh spirits, give us a sign.

Suddenly, a manifestation appears from behind Madame Methuselah. The spirit uses her body as way to comunicate to the guests. 

Madame Methuselah: You must this leave now. This place is not meant for the living. There are dark forces at work. Flee before it’s to late.
 
While the guests start to leave, ghostly apparitions manifest before their eyes and chase them out of the room. 



The Phantom of the Opera: Guests will enter the underground sanctuary of the Opera Ghost. It is decorated with large candelabras, a painting of Christine, and a few furnishings. Erick, the phantom, can be seen playing a haunting yet somber melody on an organ or harpsichord. He is not aware of the intruders. He is not the romantic figure Andrew Lloyd Webb portrayed him; his mask covers his entire face. Christine apporches The Phantom and ripps off his mask. Sudnley, Erick stops playing as Christien faints, and then turns around to show the patrons to reveal his deformed visage of a corspe.

  Erick: Look at me, feast you’re eyes on this accursed ugliness. Once you have seen my face, you are mine forever.

He resumes playing his organ or harpsichord with a shrill shrieking sound. This gives guests the opportunity to escape.


Sweeney Todd: Part 1 Mrs Lovett's Pie Shop: Guests will first enter Mrs. Lovett’s Pie Shop. They will be introduced to Mrs. Lovett herself.

Mrs. Lovett: Customers!  Welcome to my Pie Shop; I am Mrs. Marjorie. Would you like a sample one of my pies? Here we have Sheppard’s Pie, Butcher, Baker, Tinker, Tailor, Lawyer and General with his privates. The special on the menu is called Fresh Meat. Now before you can dig in, you need a visit to Mr. T’s tonsorial parlor. He’ll polish you off.  


Part 2: Sweeney Todd's Barbershop: After they leave the pie shop, visitors will enter the barbershop. They see a man in Victorian clothing entering the shop.

Sweeney Todd: Good evening, I am at your service. What may I do for you, sir?  A sooth skin massage, stylish trimmings of the hair, or a close shave.

Gentleman: A shave, if you please sir.

Once the gentleman takes his seat. He slits the throat of his victim and pulls a lever that sends the corpse down into the cellars.

Sweeney Todd: Now listen to me closely, if what you have seen or heard in this shop. I will cut out your tongue. Return, I will cut your throat from ear to ear. Do you understand. Come again and visit me at Fleet Street.



Shakesper's Tragidies: Guests enter a medieval gothic hallway decorated with banners and torches. There they will encounter the lady Ophelia with a bouquet of flowers in her hand. She is signing a song of death.

Ophelia: He is dead and gone, lady. He is dead and gone. White as his shroud as the mountain snow, larded with sweet flowers. Which bewept to the grave did go with true love showers.

Ophelia become aware of the visitors. She hands them a flower.

Ophelia: There’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance. There’s fennel for you and columbines. There’s a daisy. I would give you some violets, but they withered all when my father died. They say he made a good end. Make hast, the sisters three await thy presence. 

She escorts the guests to another room, with a huge cauldron. There are three witches standing around it, putting strange ingredients in the cauldron. The first witch is a young lady, the second witch is a middle-aged woman, and the third witch is an old crone.


Witch #1: Welcome, young masters, we have long awaited your coming.
Witch #2: We three are the sisters are your humble servants to your fate.
Witch#3: Tis time the elixir must be prepared.

All Witches: Round about the caldron go. In the poisoned entrails throw. Double, double, toil and trouble. Fire burn and caldron bubble.

Witch #1: Fillet of a fenny snake, in the cauldron boil and bake.

 Witch #2: Eye of newt and toe of frog. Wool of bat and tongue of dog.

Witch #3: Adder’s fork and blindworm’s sting. Lizards leg and owlet’s wing.

Witch #1: Scale of dragon, tooth of wolf,

Witch#2: witches’ mummy, maw and gulf of ravened salt sea shark,

Witch#3: Root of hemlock dug in the dark.

Witch #1: Liver of blaspheming Jew, gall of goat and slips of yew.

All Witches: Cool it with a baboon’s blood. Then the charm is firm and good. 
One of the witches’ scoops up the liquid with a wooden spoon and pours it into a small glass bottle. She hands it to the guests.


Witch#1: Our parts have been played and our bidding is done.
Witch#2: But your journey in nearly over.
The Auditorium: Guests are in the stage with a red curtain in front of them.  In the center of the stage is a shrouded corpse with a circle surrounding it.

Balthazar Xanthos: Finale, you’ve made. Have you brought the ingredients?  (Which he is referring to the flowers that Ophelia has given them and the potion that witches made. The guests will scatter the flowers around the circle and sprinkle the corpes with the potion.) Quickly, there is no time to explain, you must stand around the circle.

 A curtain opens up to revel an auditorium with the corpses of theater patrons in Edwardian fashion.

Balthazar: Beir seo gra amhain ar ais o na mairbh. (Three times)

No sooner has the spell is cast; the corpse comes back to life. Which happens to be Isobel. They hear the sounds of applause.

Balthazar: Isobel my love.

Eventually however, the revived Isobel turns against him and throttles him to death.

This gives the guests an opportunity to escape. The audience comes to life and chases after the guests. Preventing their escape.  An usher helps them escape.