Making the Unexpected Unforgettable
The Schuyler Sisters from Hamilton photo: Joan Marcus
Most critics agreed that last year’s film release of Hamilton was excellent … the next best thing to seeing the acclaimed musical live on stage. With its creative camera angles and pitch-perfect performances, the film gave us everything that can be expected from the medium: virtually perfect, static moments in time. But it couldn’t deliver on the real magic of the stage: the unexpected.
Unexpected moments are unforgettable moments. “I saw Wicked!” is one thing, but, “I saw Wicked and the cherry-picker didn’t work so the cast had to improvise, and it was amazing!” is something else entirely. It’s the magic of sharing a unique moment in time that will never have an exact replica.
This fact highlights the destination dilemma of repeatability. Most of the experiences we create are designed to be consistently excellent. The roller coaster will always be tall, fast, and loopy; the tilt of the tilt-a-whirl will always give you stomach butterflies; the view from the infinity pool will always be breathtaking—and people love that! But event creators at destinations have unique opportunities to elevate guests’ experiences beyond the expected.
Unexpected moments can come from a variety of sources. Alternating performers can bring different takes to the same roles, even while staying true to the script.
Lin-Manuel Miranda & Javier Muñoz
Credit: HamiltonTickets.org
Javier Muñoz famously didn’t mind being called the Sunday Hamilton (and the Sexy Hamilton), and audiences did not complain when he performed the title role every Sunday while Lin-Manuel Miranda took a break.
If live music is part of the experience, an occasional spotlight for the band, or an improvised solo might fit the bill. The same could apply for normally behind-the-scenes crew. What if the lights were kept on during scene transitions, and the audience saw the magic being made?
Kristin Chenoweth
Credit: Jeffery D. Allred, Deseret News
And if you can pull off the occasional very special guest, like when Kristin Chenoweth joined the recent re-opening of Wicked on Broadway, or Kristin Chenoweth invited an audience member to sing with her on stage, or when Kristin Chenoweth surprised a group of high school drama students … you get the idea.
Rise of the Resistance
Credit: BlogMickey.com
Many destination creators are starting to embrace the unexpected in other areas. Newer attractions like Rise of the Resistance at Walt Disney parks and Ollivander's Wand Shop Show at Universal Studios Hollywood mix live actors with animatronics and effects to make each experience different. Other attractions like Tower of Terror incorporate AI to randomize drops during every ride.
The power of the human element can apply to virtually every aspect of every destination.
Even the most somber of historical experiences, a visit to a former Nazi concentration camp, can become an even deeper, more meaningful experience when accompanied by a storyteller who not only lived through part of the experience, but presents a fresh perspective on the importance of the site.
Whatever your role in creating events or other experiences at destinations, we encourage you to embrace the unexpected and highlight the humanity in what you create. People may come to a destination for thrills and over-the-top, high-tech experiences, but chances are good that the unexpected moments will be among those that are most fondly remembered.
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