Rugrats -- A Live Adventure

(Left: "Tommy & The World" logo for the Live Adventure's World (more like, at the time, nationwide) Tour. From the back cover of the official program book, © 1998 Viacom.)

(Right: Picture from the latest ads for the show; © 1998 Viacom. Special thanks to Sarah Wakefield.)

Rugrats Had "Universal" Appeal On Stage

An second Rugrats stage show, Rugrats Magic Adventure!,  opened 6/9/2000 at Universal Studios Hollywood. The catch, though, is that it won't be touring -- you'll have to go to Los Angeles to see it. For details, click here.

Rugrats -- A Live Adventure

(Banner from Nick UK; ©1999 Viacom.)

Nick and PACE Entertainment (now Clear Channel Entertainment, or something), an entertainment company that handled a wide range of entertainment from Broadway shows to tractor pulls, brought Rugrats -- A Live Adventure coast-to-coast, and to Mexico, Britain, Ireland and Australia from 1998 to 2000.


LEFT: Logo taken from Nick UK; ©1998 Viacom.

RIGHT: Tommy, Chuckie & Angelica in a scene from the Live Adventure. From a review in the April 1998 Animation World. Photo by Joan Marcus and © 1998 Viacom.

Sponsorship Note:

In the US, the live show was sponsored by M&M's Minis (through December 1998), Playstation (Fall 1998 to Summer 1999) and L'Oreal.

What's It All About?

This show is about Angelica's constant attempts to scare Chuckie. To help Chuckie combat his wide range of fears, Tommy "invents" a magic wand called the "People-ator" to make Chuckie brave. Angelica, however, wants Chuckie to stay scared, so she steals Tommy's wand. In addition, also look for bees, aliens, and a live crib mobile in the show, as well. And they'll be singing -- lots of singing. The show has 2 40-minute acts, with a 20-minute intermission (or, rather, "commercial break") in between. The only way to see any of the action is to see the show in person; ads on Nick and local stations only show clips from the original 65 episodes of the series; nothing from the live show itself.

For the complete rundown, click here.

For my review, click here.

Read The Ads

To see the various ads used to promote the show, click here.

Rugrats Bigger Than The Big Apple

New York, New York. So nice, they say it twice. And so popular, the Rugrats stop there twice, first in April 1998, and again in January 1999. For details, click here.

Don't Forget The Doggie Bag


Cover to the soundtrack (2nd printing).

There are 2 known covers; the other (the first printing) has all
the Rugrats pictured, similar to
the newspaper ads (see above).
Unlike the 2nd printing, that first
printing is available only at
the show, and in limited
quantities.
©1998 Viacom

Look for the soundtrack to the show (on Interscope Records), which features songs and selected scenes; you can relive the "Live Experience", wherever you go. The soundtrack, originally available only at the show, is now available where fine music is sold. If your local record store doesn't have it, you can special order it. Just give the following information to the clerk:

Catalog #: 90190
UPC#: 60694901902
ISBN#: 6304911866

(Above information is for the cassette version; if you want the CD, you may want to ask the clerk for info.) 


What's On The Soundtrack

The following numbers can be found on the soundtrack (timing in parentheses); songs listed are not in the same order as in the show itself.:

The Mover's Rap (3:28)
Rugrats Theme (1:01)
Nothing To Be Escared Of (3:04)
A Great Idea Can Change The World (1:56)
Shine Your Light (2:07)
Princess Of The World (part 1) (2:44)
If I Could Count To 2 (5:52)
He's Reptar! (2:08)
Everybody Say (2:51)
Shine Your Light (Gospel version) (1:51)
Bee Samba (2:08)
Princess Of The World (part 2) (3:06)
If I Could Count To 2 (Encore; shorter version) (1:03)

("I've Been A Very Bad Girl" & "Princess Angelica Says" are not included on the soundtrack.)

The entire soundtrack (excluding the excluded numbers) is 31:52 in length. If you're on a budget, try getting the soundtrack at a retail outlet (remember, cassettes are still cheaper than CDs), or through an online dealer (like CD Universe); at that length, you won't be getting more music for your buck.


(Source: CD Universe)

Stock Up On The Souvenirs -- But Bring Plenty Of Dough

While at the show, you can pick up various Rugrats merchandise, but be prepared to pay much more than at stores. And they don't take American Express. Or Visa. Or Master Card. Here's what's available:
(Note: There are 2 prices listed: one for the Radio City stop in New York City, the other for the Ice Palace stop in Tampa. Prices may vary from venue-to-venue.)
Item: New York Price: Tampa Price: Notes:
T-Shirts Adult Sizes: $25
Kids Sizes: $18
Adult Sizes: $20
Kids Sizes: $15
Normally available for $8-$12 at retail outlets; shirts for the "Live Adventure" are show-exclusive, though standard Rugrats shirts are also sold.
Signs of Tommy, Chuckie, Angelica & Susie $7 each $5 each Show exclusive
Pennants $7 $5 Show exclusive
Plush Dolls of Tommy, Chuckie & Angelica $35 each $30 each Special edition; show exclusive
Programs $12 $10 Show exclusive
Soundtrack Cassette: $18
CD: $25
Cassette: $15
CD: $20
SRP of $11 for cassette & $18 for CD, though some places sell the cassette for as low as $8
Baseball Caps ??? $20 Show exclusive
Beanbag Dolls of Tommy, Chuckie & Angelica ??? $8 each Similar to "Beanie Babies"
Figurines of Tommy, Chuckie & Angelica ??? $5 each
Keychains ??? $5
Sport Bottle ??? $5
Expando-Light ??? $7 Generic; does not carry any "Rugrats" markings of any kind

(special thanks to "Quentin R.")

For the credits of the people involved in the show, click here.

The Effects On Other Events:

When the Rugrats come to town, they may also appear at other events, which may help boost the attendance at that event. According to "Quentin R.":

"I read an article (Dead Tree-Not Online) in USA Today about the Rugrats appearing at the 
Core States Center in Philly. This sunday (3/29/1998), during the 76ers game, Tommy, Chuckie and
Angelica will be appering in the crowds as well as the court. (Half-time?) This is a part
of a Nick promotion in which they have all these interactive things and what not throughout
the game. The game-obioviously is close to being sold out. This is quite funny because the
Center never really sells out for 76 games. But they had their ways of getting folks in the
seats. Back a few months ago, they gave out free Beanie Babies-they sold the house out.
I guess it's Tommy's turn..."

Note: Please keep in mind that their appearance at the Sixers game takes place weeks after their appearance at the Entertainment Center in Camden, NJ, where all their "Live Adventure" shows sold out.

(special thanks to "Quentin R.")

What Does The Press Think About The Show?

Before the New York city stop, the prognosis is usually blow-average to average. But, as with every other live show, it needs time to improve. As the tour went on, some portions of the show were cut, whille new portions were added, all to keep the show interesting. By the New York stop, and with most other stops afterward, many critics praised the show, declaring it a "must see" to their readers.

However, despite the positive reviews, there were some that thought negatively on the show. In the 6/7/1998 Chicago Tribune, Chris Jones gave his review of the show, putting it on the same level as McDonald's, rather than The Phantom Of The Opera. In his review, entitled "'Rugrats Live' A Lesson In Marketing", Jones mentioned that "...a thinking adult might start worring about the future of both American culture and the American Child", that the show "withholds  the appearance of the Rugrats until the theater is in a frenzy", and that the characters are so recognizable, "they'll probably demand to see and claim they love Rugrats", with the style of the cartoon all but ignored and the young audience treated "as passive consumers, not thinking individuals." I guess you can't win all the people over.

For more reviews:

For the review of the Connecticut world premiere, read the Animation World review.

For a more-favorable review of the New York show, read The Record's review (from The Record, Bergen County, NJ).

For details of the show's New York City stop, click here.

For more interesting tidbits on the "Live Adventure", click here.

Tour Schedule

For First Tour schedule (through 12/13/1998), click here.

For Second Tour schedule (through 12/20/1998), click here.

For the tour schedule after 12/20/1998, click here.

For the international tour schedule (10/28/1999 to 5/14/2000), click here.

How Could've I Gotten Tickets?

To find out when the show is playing in town (besides consulting this site), stay tuned to your local radio & TV stations, as well as Nick (for most cable subscribers only, during the local commercial inserts); also, keep checking the entertainment section of your local paper (or wherever they have the movies & TV listings in the paper) for ads, which would also list showtimes at the venue they're playing at. Many places sell tickets through Ticketmaster or other ticketing agencies, though there's usually a service charge (per ticket) in addition to the cost of the ticket (prices vary from market-to-market, but they can be pretty steep, so you may want to consider getting your tickets at the venue's box office, if possible).

In some areas, you can get tickets even earlier, before the announced sale date. Look in your mailbox for a special letter from Nickelodeon, which informs you that you can get your tickets before anyone else does. This advance sale is only for the dates and times specified in the letter, and is only available by calling Ticketmaster (or the ticket agency specified in the letter) or by visiting the venue's box office. Pre-sale availability is limited and is available only by phone or at the box office; no internet or authorized outlet sales until the sale date. When you get the letter, let your parents know about it; you could be on your way to the show. And if your friends didn't get letters, don't worry; just tell them about the advance sale, so their parents could get them too. (Letter is from the Tampa show.)

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