SegaWorld Sonic Puppet Show info I found

SonikkuForever · Jan 5, 2011

Okay, so lately I've become absolutely fascinated with SegaWorld Sydney, that old theme park that Sega had from 1997 to 2000. I started scouring the internet for any and all media and information pertaining to it. However, I noticed that there was one aspect of the park that was almost forgotten - the Sonic-themed live show. We had the soundtrack rip, but no matter how hard I searched, I couldn't find any pictures or video of it at all. In fact, the very few people that had actually seen it barely even remembered what it was like! I searched and I searched, until Google finally found the website of Phillip Einfeld's Puppetoons, the company that made the puppets and sets for the show. There were a few pictures of the Sonic, Tails, and Robotnik puppets there, but I wanted to know more. So, I sent Phillip Einfeld an email asking him about the show. Two days later, I got this in response:

The Sonic the Hedgehog Puppet Show performed 3-4 half hour shows daily in Sega World Sydney throughout 1998-99.

It was performed on center stage, pretty much in the middle of Sega World next to the food court. People could dine at their tables while watching the show.
The show was designed, written, produced and performed by Phillip Einfeld Puppetoons. It involved 2 puppeteers and a live hostess.

Dr. Robotnik had devised a plan to finally defeat his arch enemy Sonic. He has concocted a robot making machine that would build the ultimate, evil, robot with every device needed to catch Sonic. With the help of his buddies Tails and Princess Sally, Sonic defeats the robot (Grounder) who turns out to be a bit slow physically and mentally. Robotnik blasts off back to his secret laboratory in anger and everyone lives happily ever after.

Originally, a show with dancers and costumed characters performed on the stage. The soundtrack you have heard is from that show. I think I may have the puppet show sound track in my files somewhere but it could take some time to find it.
When Sega decided to disband the original stage show, due to it not being very dynamic, late 1997, I was brought in to replace it with the puppetshow and some animatronic displays.

I redesigned the stage to represent planet Mobius, on either end were magic mountains, every 15mins except during show times, audio animatronic Sonic and Tails characters rose out of top of mountains and spoke to each other and audience, anouncing show times and upcoming events in Sega World. In center of stage stood the large, fully sculpted puppet theatre. Perched above the theatre was a big ,purple, animatronic bird that spoke to the audience. Above the stage was a large vid screen. Segments of the puppet show where filmed and appeared on the screen I.e when Robotnik blasts off in his space ship he is seen flying across a planet strewn sky above the audience (on the screen).

The puppets were large, muppet style creations, Sonic, Tails, Princess Sally, Dr. Robotnik and Grounder the Robot. A large 'Robot making Machine' prop was made along with special Sonic hats for children chosen from audience to wear. The show included much audience participation. I had 3 original songs recorded (I attached the lyrics).
I used all my own people for the voices (all approved by Sega) From memory I voiced Grounder, Dennis White voiced Dr.Robotnik, and Sonic, Tails and Sally were voiced by Alexis Nagy. The original music and songs were written and produced by myself and Mark Rosenberg.
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Wow. That's a lot of never-before-seen info! Who would have guessed that there were two shows? Phillip was also kind enough to scan some old photos of the show and send them to me. Here's some of the best ones:

It's Sonic the puppet-hog! I think he's kinda cute...

Say hello, Tails! I think he's the best puppet in the show.

Wow, Robotnik-puppet is huge!

Everybody loves Sally! Although, she kind of reminds me of Tails Doll...

The show relied heavily on lucky audience participants like these. That poor kid with the guitar looks pretty confused.

And finally, my favorite picture of the lot, the Magic Mountains! These are animatronics that pop out of the mountains every now and then to do announcements. I LOL at
Tails' expression. And look at cute little peek-a-boo Sonic. He's just snooping as usual like some kind of Sega spy-robot.

That's all for now, folks! But there are song lyrics, concept art, and even more pictures in this zip file, which contains everything show-related that Einfeld sent me. A huge thank you to Philip Einfeld! Without his generosity, this show would have been forgotten.

Ritz · Jan 5, 2011

This is just too charming. Everything looks fantastic. Even the typically off-model puppets are endearing! I'm glad someone cared enough to dig this shit up.

MykonosFan · Jan 5, 2011

That last picture of Tails is gold. Seriously.

Ritz · Jan 5, 2011

Diablohead · Jan 5, 2011

Tails is all like "I am taller then you, bitch"

SomeSortOfRobot · Jan 5, 2011

Let's hope nobody gets their hands on that Sally puppet, or else it won't just be a hand that goes up her ass.

jasonchrist · Jan 5, 2011

SomeSortOfRobot said:

Let's hope nobody gets their hands on that Sally puppet, or else it won't just be a hand that goes up her ass.
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That would be hilariously funny if it wasn't so tragically true.

Greg the Cat · Jan 5, 2011

Why is Sally so inherently... terrifying? The head is ridiculously bad, but there's something else.... Oh shit. Her hands. She has human hands.

Maxd · Jan 5, 2011

For a second I thought I was looking a Dr. Seuss book. Holy crap, some of those things are ugly, but charmingly so.

RubyEclipse · Jan 5, 2011

Awesome find. Have to agree though, that Sally doll is both terrifying and hilarious all at once.

TheGrandChawhee · Jan 6, 2011

Woah thats creepy, but awesome, I wish we had some sort of Sega park here in the States, I remember going to Sesame Place as a kid in PA and seeing shows like that, now if this was Sesame Retro I'd be king, but it's not so I'm nothing.

SonikkuForever · Jan 6, 2011

Kail said:

I wish we had some sort of Sega park here in the States.
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We do. GameWorks, or as I like to call it, "Mini SegaWorld".
Granted, it's not as big or spectacular as SegaWorld, but it is owned by Sega, and between the lighting and the occasional Sonic-related thing here and there, it does have a SegaWorld vibe to it. There aren't really any "rides", but most of them do have some cool VR simulators. And there's more Sega arcade games than you can shake a stick at. Go on Thursday evening to play all the Sega games you want for $10! Going to an arcade without worrying about money is pure bliss.

True Dude · Jan 6, 2011

SonikkuForever said:

We do. GameWorks, or as I like to call it, "Mini SegaWorld".
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They should make some more of those, all of those are too far for me to visit or come across by chance while travelling. (Not that I travel much anyways)

UltimateVG · Jan 6, 2011

I can't decide if these are genuinely awesome or "so bad it's good". I just wish I could go back in time and watch this live. I would probably get tossed out after laughing my ass off at at the Sally puppet.

Greg the Cat · Jan 6, 2011

UltimateVG said:

I can't decide if these are genuinely awesome or "so bad it's good". I just wish I could go back in time and watch this live. I would probably get tossed out after laughing my ass off at at the Sally puppet.
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I just want to find out who's marvelous idea it was to give Sally human hands. That was uncalled for and/or was just made that way out of pure laziness.

SteelBrush · Jan 6, 2011

I expect that someone has this show recorded on a VHS tape with their child taking part in the show, it would just be a case of tracking someone down who would be willing to give up the tape to the internets.

I can remember visiting Sega World in London and also I have vague memories of a large Sega arcade in Bournemouth.

MegaDash · Jan 6, 2011

That last picture with the magic mountains is internet gold. And I just bagged it.

Also, I like how Sally's eyes just say Rouge.

Too bad there's no Knuckles, because I know he would've looked just fucking hilarious.

Friend of Sonic · Jan 6, 2011

Greg the Cat said:

I just want to find out who's marvelous idea it was to give Sally human hands. That was uncalled for and/or was just made that way out of pure laziness.
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I'm kind of curious if these puppets are just redressed human puppets and they got lazy with doing something with the hands for Sally.

SEGAMew · Jan 6, 2011

MegaDash said:

Too bad there's no Knuckles, because I know he would've looked just fucking hilarious.
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I say Knuckles on the cover of the Sonic in Sydney CD is false advertising!

And zomg Sally's monkey hands are scary.

Overlord · Jan 6, 2011

SteelBrush said:

I expect that someone has this show recorded on a VHS tape with their child taking part in the show, it would just be a case of tracking someone down who would be willing to give up the tape to the internets.

I can remember visiting Sega World in London and also I have vague memories of a large Sega arcade in Bournemouth.
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There's one in Southampton as well actually (or there was, at least. It was looking pretty run down when I visited it, and that was in 2003. May well be gone entirely now)

SegaWorld Sonic Puppet Show info I found

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