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 "That’s really the goal of this show,
to please people. For me, it’s hard to miss with all the
incredible stuff that goes on with the effects." Rick Springfield
 Normal schedule is as follows:Dark Sunday/Monday Click here for a clip of Rick discussing what it's like to be performing in EFX Alive. Use the following links to help you get information on the show! Let's all make this a Vegas year!  |
EFX
Alive, starring Rick Springfield
By Chuck Rounds, www.igoshows.com
EFX Alive, starring Rick Springfield, playing inside the EFX theatre at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, is probably the best version of the show yet. Springfield does a very good job as the EFX master, and the show moves along at a strong and lively pace. This is a huge, and often times awesome show. The sets, lights, effects, music and dancers are all wonderful.
The show has always been about seeing really big sets and special effect, with dancing and singing. The problem with past versions of this production has been the attempt to force a weak and thin story onto the show in order to tie the segments together. This attempt at making this production into a deep and meaningful experience never worked. This attempt caused the producers to lose sight of what this show was really about--the effects. The story never worked, always required extensive narration to explain, and only served to destroy the pace and energy of the show. Even with all of the narration, the story was still convoluted. Thankfully, the story and narration have been eliminated. The show is tied together by the effects themselves, and now, at least, there is the opportunity for the production to have a little more fun.
Rick Springfield does a good job as the EFX master. He has rid himself of a lot of the pretension that has come with this role in the past. As the master, he simply states that we will visit the amazing worlds of four great men, and we are off on our journey. Springfield surprised me. He carries the production and the singing a lot better than I thought he would. He has a nice charisma and a good stage presence. He relates to the crowd very well, and is not above poking fun at himself.
The dancers are great--they always have been, but now, they have shed many of the bulky costumes that shrouded them in the mystical aspects of the production. We get to see the dancers dance a lot more than we used to. They enliven us as we watch them.
It is, in fact, amazing to watch all of these large set pieces be created, changed, and moved before our eyes. Video, and other multi-media effects, help make the transitions smooth and interesting. Everything about this show is big--big sets, big sound, big theatre, and tons of lights. The size and scope of this production can be over-whelming.
For as large as the EFX theatre is, they tend to cram audience members into the space and seat them in close quarters at small tables. There are bad seats in this theatre--those at the extreme sides, and those at the back of the auditorium. The views from these seats are not necessarily blocked, but they do not offer a good perspective of the show.
There are many things that are wonderful about this production--the lights, the sound, the sets, the effects, the dancers, and the star. It is not a deep, meaningful experience; but the show is a lot of fun to watch, and it is often awe inspiring.
Copyright © 2001 Charleston Communications All Rights Reserved
Springfield adds to 'EFX' Perhaps no other city in the world has mastered the art of reinventing itself quite like Las Vegas has. The same can be said of the MGM Grand's mega-special effects extravaganza ''EFX,'' which has seen its share of retooling in the past six years as a variety of headliners stepped into the show's leading role.
The multimillion-dollar production debuted in 1995 as a magical journey through time and space starring Broadway's ''Phantom,'' Michael Crawford. Several injuries later, in 1996, Crawford exited the demanding role.
Enter former teen idol and ''Partridge'' David Cassidy, who left two years later to pursue his own musical revue across town at the Rio Hotel/Casino. Next came Broadway legend Tommy Tune, who bowed out at the end of 2000.
Welcome to 2001, and the ''EFX'' space odyssey is now helmed by rock 'n' roll bad boy Rick Springfield. The whole shebang has definitely taken on a bit of a pop-rock edge.
Rick Springfield?
''The show originally came to me when [Michael] Crawford was leaving, but I was at the time doing [the TV series] 'High Tide,' and even though I was very interested in the Vegas show, the timing just wasn't right,'' Springfield says, phoning from Las Vegas. And when Cassidy called it quits in 1998, Springfield was embarking on a two-year tour behind a new album, ''Karma.''
Five years later, the karma was finally right for the sexy 51-year-old singer to take on this $45 million dollar monster of a show with its cast of 75 singer-dancers, 6,000 lights, 85,000 watts of stereo sound and NASA computer technology to make it all sizzle five nights a week.
''I had just finished 2 1/2 years on the road with 'Karma,' and the thought of just working in one place for a while was pretty appealing,'' Springfield says with a chuckle. ''And once I spoke to [new director-choreographer] Jerry Mitchell, and the fact that I could write music for the show, it was set. We both wanted to pump up the volume on the whole production. And in a sense, to simplify it. Like, let's have these incredibly talented dancers really dance, rather than just parade around in costumes.''
So ''EFX'' is now ''EFX Alive,'' a more highly charged spectacular, Springfield says, that takes advantage of his musicianship, as well as his acting skills and ability to just ''go out there and have fun.''
Springfield stars as the EFX Master, a time traveler/wizard who is transformed into various figures including Merlin, P. T. Barnum, Harry Houdini and H. G. Wells. The characters inhabit spectacular worlds filled with giant winged creatures, fire-breathing dragons, laser holograms and stunning production numbers.
There's also a segment where Springfield stars as, well, Rick Springfield, which affords him the opportunity to include a rockin' mini-concert of his hit songs. Springfield also wrote the show's new opening number, ''Rhythm of the Beat,'' as well as the romantic ballad ''Forever,'' for the ''Houdini'' segment of the show, which he says has now become a love story.
''I wanted to get some kind of emotion going, and the song really goes a long way toward that.''
Springfield is no stranger to arousing the emotions of an audience. His concerts have become love fests, with thousands of screaming females hurling bouquets of roses, lingerie, room keys and even themselves at him. He's sold 18 million records in a career fueled by pop-rock hits that include ''Jesse's Girl,'' ''Human Touch'' and ''Don't Talk to Strangers.''
So, are his wildest days behind him?
''I don't think so,'' Springfield says laughing. ''I stopped drinking two years ago because my sons asked me to, and I'm really glad I did that. And I don't gamble. I've heard horror stories of stars who come to this town and literally gamble away their salaries every week. I'm not into that.''
Springfield is also working on a new album. His contract allows for a six-week hiatus from the show, and he's planning to fill that time with a brief tour, including, he hopes, a return to Chicago.
''It's great to be working,'' he says. ''There were times where I wondered if I'd ever work again. Now there are packed houses out there, 10 shows a week. It's a little bit louder, it's appealing to a younger crowd. But it's a great show for all ages. It's a good time. [laughs] And it's two hours, nonstop, which keeps me in great shape.''
'EFX Alive,'' starring Rick Springfield, MGM Grand Hotel/Casino, 3799 Las Vegas Blvd. South. Showtimes: 7:30 and 10:30 p.m, Tuesday-Sunday. Tickets, $40-$75. Call (702) 891-7777.
Springfield brings `human touch'
to MGM show
Pop-rocker's version of the special effects production might surpass
those of his predecessors
MIKE WEATHERFORD, PHOTO BY JEFF SCHEID
Friday, February 09,
2001
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal
Rick Springfield adds a rock-star vibe to the lead role "EFX Alive!" at the MGM Grand. The question is, how well do the black leather pants match the Merlin robe?
That's essentially the challenge of fitting pop-rocker Rick Springfield into the MGM Grand's "EFX," a show that's always been a little confounded by rival agendas.
A star name above the title gives a focal point to the scattershot and over-the-top gaggle of giant scenery and technology. And remaking the show every couple of years helps renew interest.
But the challenge is to appease both fans of Springfield -- like those of Michael Crawford, David Cassidy and Tommy Tune before him -- while not alienating those who couldn't care less about "Jessie's Girl," but came for the 3-D movie and animatronic dragons.
It's tougher than it must have seemed on paper six years ago, which may explain why it has taken this long to get "EFX" this close to being right.
The Springfield version -- now known as "EFX Alive!" -- is on its way to being the best of the four editions. And it could be so very soon, assuming Springfield keeps growing into the task and that he and director Jerry Mitchell can overcome any further embarrassment about the material.
In one of his first shows, Springfield wore black leather pants throughout, but changed the top half of his costume as required -- which was visually consistent with a level of commitment that had him with one foot into the realm of fire-breathing dragons and time machines, and one foot a little reluctant to join in.
The new opening gets rid of four singing narrators, and lets Springfield rock to an original song he wrote for the show ("Rhythm of the Beat") as he hovers above the stage on a "flying saucer" (a crane with lights) while flailing at his guitar. Wild-haired dancers step in midway with sexy, Bob Fosse-like moves that announce this version of "EFX" will shed some of the costume overkill that smothered the show in the past.
(In this particular show, the impact was diminished by Springfield both lip-syncing and "guitar-syncing," but producers say he will soon be doing both live, perhaps by this weekend.)
The opening number ends in a burst of Kiss-concert pyrotechnics. But Springfield quickly reins in the bombast by soft-selling the new theme -- "When I listen to my heart I can be a kid again" -- as he interacts with animated cartoon visuals.
On one level, Springfield embraces "EFX" more than his last two predecessors. He reinstated the Harry Houdini segment that Tune dropped, and is even game to tackle "The Magic That Surrounds You" -- the lone Broadway-style tune remaining from the Crawford version -- even though his raspy rock 'n' roll voice strains painfully to cover a song Crawford sailed through.
But Springfield seems to have trouble being a kid again in the Merlin segment. Instead of jumping wholesale into the miniplay about the young King Arthur (Kristofer Saly), he and Mitchell opt for a David Letterman-era approach where he's only about half in character and keeps an ironic distance from the action.
It might work better if switched with the second segment, which presents Springfield as a futuristic P.T. Barnum. It's the least "theatrical" of the four, letting him fire up his old hit "The Human Touch" and jump into the house to draft a fan, then serenade her with acoustic snippets from his pop career.
(The fan -- "Keri like the lotion" -- seemed to be a plant at this show, but perhaps real ones could be drafted when visibly on hand.)
The Barnum segment also adds an aerial act called "The Sphere," where cast members twirl beneath spinning, entwined hoops. It's majestic, if not heart-stopping, especially when set to gorgeous lighting by Natasha Katz and a pulsating new instrumental track from music director Bill Wray.
The show does get serious for the Houdini segment -- originally the strongest of the four -- perhaps because Springfield and Wray wrote "Forever," the adult-contemporary ballad Houdini and his wife (Tina Walsh) sing to one another.
But the winking tone returns for "The Time Machine." This has always been the most outrageous part of "EFX," and still amazing for first-timers who've never seen the staggering sight of the Morlocks' cavern assembling itself onstage.
The new H.G. Wells scene not only follows Cassidy's breaking of "the fourth wall" by pulling Keri into the action, but goes one step further by enlisting comic stagehand Sal (Salangsang, whose pre-show warm-up has been expanded) to help kung fu the Morlocks.
The show hits the right tone for its finale, invested with a Peter Gabriel-style, world-beat spirituality. And someone -- finally -- had the sense to get rid of the giant hand, a goofy prop that looked like a bad parade float and sabotaged the ending with unintentional laughs.
To Mitchell's credit, all the laughs are now deliberate -- even if the Broadway choreographer has robbed the show of much of its theatricality with this "laugh with it before you can laugh at it" posture.
But at least "EFX
Alive!" has shed some clunky baggage and is now free to have
fun. And if it can shed a little more of its rock star self-consciousness
it can be free to imagine -- and be a kid again.
Check out the press release put out by MGM regarding
the addition of Rick to the show:
MGM GRAND’S “EFX” READY TO ROCK ‘N’ ROLL INTO 2001 WITH SUPERSTAR HEADLINER RICK SPRINGFIELD IN STARRING ROLE
Multi-Talented Singer/Songwriter/Musician/Actor Rick Springfield to Revive Rock ‘N’ Roll in “EFX” Stage Spectacular.
LAS VEGAS – Rick Springfield will bring his Grammy and American Music Award-winning career to a new level as he takes the stage in 2001 as the headliner of the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino’s acclaimed stage production “EFX” in January. The singer/songwriter/musician/actor will make his debut in “EFX” on January 30, 2001 in the resort’s “EFX” Theatre. Coincidentally, January 30 will be the same day Rick’s latest CD, Rick Springfield Alive – Greatest Hits Live, will be released by Universal.
Springfield’s new role in “EFX” will be created to showcase the diverse talents of this multi-platinum recording artist. As the star of “EFX,” Rick and the creators of the show will infuse added elements of rock ‘n’ roll to the 2001 edition to capitalize on the success of Rick’s 30-year career in the music and concert industry. Known for energizing audiences and an avid fan base, Springfield will most certainly revitalize “EFX” with a greater level of audience interaction.
Along with the release of Rick Springfield Alive – Greatest Hits Live, Springfield has just completed a 150-date concert tour, new acting projects such as a role in “Suddenly Susan,” and a Broadway run in “Smokey Joe’s Café.” He has sold more than 18 million records in a 13-album career and will add to that with the debut of Rick Springfield Alive – Greatest Hits Live.
Springfield has enjoyed 17 singles breaking into the Top Twenty including hits such as “Jessie’s Girl,” “Don’t Talk to Strangers” and “Affair of the Heart.”
On the acting side, he has starred in numerous television series prior to taking on the role of heartthrob Dr. Noah Drake on the soap, General Hospital, for a year and a half. Rick followed that with a starring role in the movie, “Hard to Hold.”
“Starring in a major Las Vegas production such as “EFX” at the MGM Grand will allow me to do what I love most – mix theatre and music,” said Springfield. “We plan to make this version of ‘EFX’ truly different with the creation of show-oriented rock music. The vibe in the city is so much different now, and I’m really looking forward to performing live in Las Vegas. The challenge will be to take this award-winning and very popular show to the next level. I’m very excited about working with this exceptional creative team and can’t wait to open the show in January,” added Springfield.
“We are thrilled to have Rick join the MGM MIRAGE family,” said Richard Sturm, President & COO of MGM MIRAGE Entertainment and Sports. “The combination of “EFX” and Rick Springfield will be a winning one and will allow us to maximize the original success of the show with Rick’s many talents and his amazing charisma on stage. This newest evolution of ‘EFX’ will certainly add a rock ‘n’ roll level of energy to the ‘EFX’ Theatre.”
“EFX” has previously been named the city’s best production show in the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s annual Best of Las Vegas poll. The show appears twice nightly Tuesday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. Tickets, priced at $75 and $55 or $40 for children ages 5-12, can be purchased through MGM Grand Reservations by calling (800) 929-1111 or (702) 891-7777.
The critically acclaimed “EFX” opened in March 1995. The show’s name is inspired by the term in stage and film, which applies to the special effects that give a production its magical punch. MGM Grand spent $45 million on the production and another $30 million on its permanent home, the “EFX” Theatre, which features 6,000 lights, 85,000 watts of stereo sound, NASA computer technology and enough electricity to power 1,440 homes.
MGM Grand, "The City of Entertainment," is a wholly owned subsidiary of MGM MIRAGE™. The resort features 5,034 newly renovated, art deco-themed guest rooms and suites, a state-of-the-art gaming complex, world-class entertainment venues, and the $100 million Conference Center for meetings/conventions all centrally located on the Las Vegas Strip. For room availability and information about the MGM Grand, call (800) 929-1111 or (702) 891-7777 or log onto the World Wide Web at www.mgmgrand.com
(Press release courtesy of MGM Grand Entertainment)
