I thought I would finish out the week with another post from the Ultimate Thailand Explorers Archive. Today’s post is from the Thai Alangkarn Theater [originally published 20/12/09]. A cultural show on a grand scale. It’s a must see for anyone to Pattaya.
Have a great weekend and do something great!
*****
Hey Explorers,
We’re going to come right out and say it, you should see the “Thai Extravaganza Show” at the Thai Alangkarn Theater. “What is it,” you may be asking? It’s everything. It’s music, dance, storytelling, arial acrobatics, special effects, pyrotechnics, audience participation and pure magic. It bills itself as “The Extravaganza Show” and it certainly lives up to it’s name.
We saw the show on our first day in Pattaya. Arriving just a few minutes before showtime, we were able to capture a few moments of the festive courtyard and with the permission of the staff at the theater, a few clips of the show.
Let’s start with the theater. It’s huge, having the ability to accommodate 2,000 people per show. Shows are offered nightly at 18:00. While we didn’t sit in every seat, the tiered seating should make for good visibility no matter where you are. The show itself tells the story of Thai culture and history. The dramatic entrance crescendos with a full stage production number with lavish sets, thunderous music and colorful costumes. Due to low light levels in the theater the Alangkarn has generously provided us with these images.
The pace moves quickly from number to number. Just as you’re ready for more the next troupe of performers enters onstage for another, new, cultural piece. Many theater productions separate the audience from the performers, meaning the performers act as if no one was watching them. Quite pleasingly for a spectacle as large as this one, select audience members are picked from their seats and invited onto the stage to perform with the dancers.
As it so happened, we were both brought to the stage along with 1/2 dozen other audience members. We had no idea what was in store for us. We formed a line and learned a traditional Thai dance. Ben and another audience member were brought to center stage to demonstrate the dance to the rest of the theater. Hilarity ensued when he couldn’t quite grasp the motions while the performer/ instructor (a man playing the role of an old, eager-to-find-a-man lady) continued to try to “make the moves” on him.
One of our favorite moments was the elephant battle scene. This was our first exposure to the elephant’s role in Thai history and it’s involvement in fighting your enemy. Elephants played a prominent role in the country’s past. Today elephants are a common sight at many of the attractions we visited. No longer used in war or logging, elephants today are enjoyed for their beauty, intelligence and ability to make us smile.
The Alangkarn Theater also has a restaurant on-site where you can purchase a dinner and show package. We ate at another location after the show so we can’t tell you much about the dinner. Before the lobby doors open the main courtyard is full of entertainers, games, music and merriment. And at the moment before those doors open, a pyrotechnic blast illuminates the sky.
Pattaya offers a lot during the day. For a great evening out, try the Alangkarn Theater. You can view more photos of our night at the show on our Flickr Set here.
Thank you Alangkarn Theater!
|Know Before You Go|
Appeals To: Everyone
Suggested Stay: It’s around a 90-minute show with no intermission
Cost: 1000 Baht Adult/ 700 Baht Child ($33/$21) Show Only. VIP Seats are 200 Baht ($6) extra
Getting There: Easy Breezy. It’s just off the main road, Sukhumvit. Look for the big sign. Plenty of free parking.
Don’t Miss: Arrive early to take advantage of the atmosphere entertainment in the courtyard in front of the theater doors
Visit Online: | web | facebook | twitter |
BTW: Following the performance, many of the performers await you in the lobby for a photo opportunity.
*****
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