Kirk Sheppard

No that is NOT lip synching. Singing OVER pre-recorded background vocals is not the same as not lip synching which means that they are mouthing words to a pre-recorded track.

Do you know what lip synching means? I have watched these shows countless times and I can assure you that the performers are singing live, not recorded, at each show. Unless, of course, you are talking about the Peanuts productions in the Planet Snoopy area. Sigh back at you, and I can do mine with an even more condescending tone than you! Take that! I think that in this time, given the atmosphere of the rest of the park, the kind of crowds that it draws, and the minimal amount of German-theming left in Oktoberfest, that yes, it is outdated and time for something else. Those things you mentioned are not the same nor are they outdated because they represent something that still lives on. I understand the German heritage of Cincinnati is important, but I don't think 95% of the park's guests understand why its there and don't really care.

People go to Octoberfest's in communities all across the area all the time just for that and I used to go into the Kings Island Festhaus back in the old days for that. Offer some unique food instead of KI's usual deep fried fare, unique beers and a fun, interactive show that isn't teenagers lip synching over a country track (the same show you can see all over the park, but with a different theme and songs) and you might have a winner. Lip synching? Really? Come on . . . some of these kids are amazing singer and dancers. And while they don't need me to defend them, I will go rabid if you start to needlessly insult the entertainment department especially when you do so with flat out lies. No one is lip synching anything. And let me rephrase.. *I* wouldn't go in any restaurant at Kings Island for "authentic German food." The demographic for the park is NOT the same as it was 25 years ago and that translates into food choices as well. Besides I like my deep fried foods and pizza just fine.

With how successful Oktoberfest Zinzinnati is and places like Hofbrahaus across the river are, you'd think they'd utilize that building for something similar. I'm not saying we need anymore drunk people running around the park, but I've been to both places as a DD plenty of times and had a blast. While the KI entertainers are very talented, imagine a real German band in there playing songs that involve the crowd instead of Rascal Flatt's re-hashes. Wouldn't work. People wouldn't go in there just for that. My opinion is that most people accidentally see the shows because they're eating; with mouthfuls of food they aren't going to sing along. If they want to do that, they'll go to the places you mentioned. Don't you be messing with my Festhaus shows, Gordon Bombay! :-)

It makes sense when the featured show is called "Down Home Country." Just like now, when between HPB shows they show old horror movie clips. The German theme is outdated but if they spent money on renovating the building into something more modern people would complain that they're not spending enough money on new rides.

Another batch of updates including pictures from Hot Blooded on 10/1 as well as where you can see some of last season's favorite performers in October now available at http://www.fansofkientertainment.com.

Thanks everyone! Look for more updates after this weekend; I'll be checking out a few of the mazes for the first time tonight and should have more pictures of Hot Blooded and Ghouls Gone Wild when the weekend is over. Plus the audition schedule for 2011 has been posted on the site and I have news about a couple former KI performers and what they're up to starting next week.

If you don't care about it, don't click on it. Its not like he tricked you re: the information contained within. I, for one, am grateful for as many posts about as many topics as possible. It gives us something to do when the park isn't open everyday!

FansofKIEntertainment.com has posted several updates including photos from both Ghouls Gone Wild and Hot Blooded as well as reviews of both shows and a new Halloween Haunt poll! More features coming soon so stay tuned! We also now have a Facebook page and Twitter account.

And in my opinion the love shows at KI are great fun and filled with great talent. You realize that we are blessed to have students from CCM's and Wright States's exceptional musical theater programs in the casts of these shows. And like it or not, Hot Blooded and the other shows are quite a unique piece of entertainment. You won't find them anywhere else. I guess I am mostly puzzled by the level of passion you have about the fact that I enjoy the shows so much... Why do you care?

. The park did not seem very crowded to me tonight and I did not see any bad behavior short of the one idiot at Ho Blooded who talked through the whole show with his friend. I didn't want to cause a scene so I ignored it, but how rude can you be especially sitting in the front row! The park seemed empty after 11:30, What show did you expieriance this problem, we were in the front at 9:30 on your left, but did not hear anyone else. We did sit next to two teens (boy and girl) that the smell of the booze was really bad. It was at the 11 o'clock show where people were being disrespectful and loud. I mean, the speakers are quite loud sitting in the front already, so if I can hear you over them then you are obviously speaking too loudly. Right??

First of all, I don't care if I'm at the Danbarry theater paying $1.50 on a Tuesday night or at Carnegie Hall in New York City, people should respect the performers and the other guests by not being disruptive. Secondly, I will go back and see it again before the season is over most definitely. Thirdly, not that I need to explain myself to you, but I am a fan of live entertainment of all sorts. I was at the Playhouse in the Park last weekend to see "High" starring Kathleen Turner. I have season tickets to the Aronoff. I will be attending CCM's production of "Evita" as well as Wright State's production of "Anything Goes." I am going to Dayton to see "Spring Awakening" in November and I will be attending several local high school productions this winter as well. It just so happens that Kings Island's productions are top notch and virtually free given how much value I get for my gold pass so I tend to go see them often.

Who and what are you responding to?

I was in the front table just a little left of center wearing a dark shirt... not sure if its plaid, maybe stripes? I'm home now and its laying in the laundry room so its hard to say. But I was certainly there! :-) What a great evening. I managed to hit three showings of Hot Blooded and two showings of Ghouls Gone Wild. I will have full reviews of them by the end of the weekend along with pictures from both shows posted to FansofKIEntertainment.com. I think I'll go back next Friday and try a couple of the mazes; but I'm a big scaredy cat so we'll see. The park did not seem very crowded to me tonight and I did not see any bad behavior short of the one idiot at Ho Blooded who talked through the whole show with his friend. I didn't want to cause a scene so I ignored it, but how rude can you be especially sitting in the front row!

In the park waiting for the 8 o'clock show of Hot Blooded... Have seen a few KiC regulars... Park doesn't seem too crowded but some of the mazes are already at 25 min waits.

Yes it is confirmed for tonight. I do not know about tomorrow.

I'm here and sitting on the bricks waiting for the gates to open. My agenda is largely to see and get pics of Hot Blooded and Ghouls Gone Wild but will update periodically throughout the night. This is my first Haunt ever.

When did I do that?

FYI Ghouls Gone Wild will be performed Saturday and Sundays during the day, while the Half-Pint Brawlers take over the Festhaus on Friday and Saturday evenings. This Friday is the only time GGW will be done at night during Haunt.

FansofKIEntertainment.com has confirmed that Ghouls Gone Wild will be performed this Friday night in the Festhaus at Halloween Haunt at 9, 10, and 11 pm this Friday only.

URGH! I love how people who have absolutely no first hand knowledge of this continue to weigh in with bad information. Please see my above post for the correction on this statement.

YES the blood is REAL. Watch "The Wrestler" with Mickey Rourke to see exactly how it is done. Its quite common. Look at photos of veteran wrestlers who have large scars on their foreheads from doing just what I explained earlier night after night: Abdullah the Butcher Dusty Rhodes Now, this has been done in professional wrestling for over 60 years. Some states like Kentucky have Boxing and Wrestling Commissions who regulate how this can be done or ban it all together. Ohio's Commission does not regulate wrestling as closely as other states and "blading" as its commonly known is permitted. These guys are also probably not "employees" but independent contractors as is the case for all wrestling promotions including TNA and WWE.

There are at least 6 if not 7 wrestling promotions in the Greater Cincinnati area. The one I am affiliated with has been around for nearly 15 years and is run by someone who was involved with the WWF in the 80s and 90s and thus knows what he's doing. Many of the others are run by people who aren't good enough to work in a promotion like ours but want to be a star so they run their own show with faulty equipment, poorly trained "talent," and no advertising or marketing. And its frustrating. But my point is that there IS a draw for this sort of thing here and if you'd seen some of these other promotions and their audiences you'd understand. Kings Island is not THAT far from West Virginia and Kentucky, which has large amounts of Appalachian-rooted folks . . . many of whom would probably be labeled "white trash." All you have to do is go to the park on any weekend and you'll see it. I mean, I saw two grown adults walk over to the side of the Eiffel Tower and spit in tandem off the side with no restraint. We probably get what we deserve in terms of what element is typical of the park.

I've produced and performed on shows at fairs, flea markets, high schools, seedy bars, casinos, and many other types of venues. I've seen Ian Rotten's IWA shows live, with barbed wire broken glass death matches. And for your information, all blood on wrestling shows is real. Many times, in cage matches, ladder matches, or other important matches I've seen wrestlers bleed live - and often times a lot more than they meant to. But it is ALWAYS real blood. Again, I've never seen or been part of a major incident with fans in 11 years - mostly because we know what we're doing and would be prepared to isolate and contain any potential incident before it began. And even those times have been extremely rare. It's not the venue that's the problem; and in fact, I'd tell you that if Kings Island would have purchased an event from the company I work with, people would have had a rocking good time and enjoyed cheering and booing and been impressed with the athleticism and story-telling. The problem in this case, if there is one, will be what the midgets are permitted to do. But even then, I'll be surprised if the crowd misbehaves because of what the midgets are doing in terms of violence. I also am familiar with OVW's productions at KK and was not aware that there were any problems with them. Please fill me in re: what happened there? If I recall, they did them for several years until WWE no longer employed OVW as a developmental territory and thus limited the availability of "stars" for those cards.

Terpy, I have been helping to produce professional wrestling events (of the family friendly variety) for over 11 years. I can count on three fingers the number of times that anyone has ever even been asked to leave the building for behaving inappropriately or too aggressively. Now, I realize that the tone and attitude this particular brand presents is far more extreme than what we do, but I've been part of many wrestling shows in bars where alcohol is served and people mind their manners quite well. I think you are reacting to something you have little first hand knowledge of and are beginning to freak out unnecessarily. That said, I doubt I will be in the Festhaus during Haunt as I don't care to see the business and sport I love presented in this way.