Dinosaurs roam Beaver Creek on Thursday

On April 9, a paleontologist brings dinosaurs to life — at least theatrically — at the Vilar Performing Arts Center in Beaver Creek.

In the show “Dinosaur World Live!” Miranda, a paleontologist played by Lizzie Burder, has brought back a bunch of dinosaurs from the island where she was shipwrecked as a child, and she wants to tell the audience plenty of facts about them. But, being dinosaurs, they’re not so good at following instructions, and Miranda often needs help from children in the crowd, she said, so expect a lot of audience participation — and information.

“The show is jam-packed full of facts about each dino, so it’s very educational,” Burder said.

The show is designed for kids, though occasionally, younger kids get a little bit spooked. 

“Children are sometimes a little afraid, but usually only in that good kind of way, like going on a roller coaster,” she said. “Most of the time, they’re just really excited.”

Support Local Journalism

Donate

During the show, some children are picked to come and help on stage when the dinos get cheeky.

“I’ve found that dinosaurs behave a lot better for children than for me, and it’s lovely to see kids who start off a bit nervous grow in confidence as they realize the dinos are friendly really,” she said. “The puppeteers are also really good at gauging each child’s energy and reacting accordingly, so that the children leave the stage feeling super proud of themselves.”

Parents and children alike love the scale and craftsmanship of the dinosaurs.

“I love when Titus, the big T. rex, comes out, seeing adults in the crowd look even more amazed than the kids. He’s a real show-stopper, and it takes four puppeteers to bring him to life on stage. The children love the show because they can be in a world of suspended disbelief where dinosaurs still exist, while adults can enjoy the artistry of how the dinosaurs are being brought to life,” she said.

The audience meets eight dinosaurs, ranging in age and size from a baby triceratops to a towering T. rex. Max Humphries designed the dinosaur puppets, which are built by the team at Unit 9 Puppet Workshop back in the United Kingdom, where the show originated. It won the Olivier Award for Best Family Show in 2024.

Five puppeteers bring the dinosaurs to life on stage, rotating between each role every show.

“As Miranda, I love getting to perform with the dinosaurs every day. They are so life-like, and I truly feel like I have a motherly relationship with all of them,” she said. “It’s also so much fun to perform alongside the different puppeteers, who each bring a slightly different personality to the dinosaurs, making the energy feel fresh for every show and keeping me on my toes.”

Dinosaurs seem to perpetually intrigue people, both young and old.

“It’s exciting that we’re still constantly discovering new information about dinosaurs, like a mystery that keeps unraveling,” she said. “They’re also probably the closest creatures to dragons and mythical beasts to actually exist, which makes them feel quite magical. What I find most mind blowing though is thinking about the huge amount of time that they lived — T. rex walked the Earth for 10 million years, which is 50 times longer than humans have been around for so far.”

Though a limited amount of children are chosen to step onstage during the show, at the end, an encore with the dinosaurs onstage means that meeting them on stage allows everyone to get the chance to see them up close and say goodbye. Plus, a special meet-and-greet after the show allows everyone to make a new dinosaur friend.