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HHN 27: Academy of Villans Afterlife

Nov 6, 2015
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Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando announces new scare zones and show | Inside Universal

ACADEMY OF VILLAINS: AFTERLIFE

But wait! There’s more. The question is, “can you handle more?” I’m happy to share ACADEMY OF VILLAINS: AFTERLIFE will be returning to put on an all-new killer performance. This group of powerhouse artists will make you bear witness to what happens after we leave this life. They’re going to give you one mind-blowing and shocking dance performance that will escort you from this world to the great beyond.
 
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Wouldn't call this surprising or "OMG BREAKING!", but did want to confirm in case anyone thought "NEW" was just PR Speak. It is an entirely new show.
 
So I now they set up a small stage across from the big is this because it's going to take them a while to set up the real stage or you think they might not set it back up at all
 
So I now they set up a small stage across from the big is this because it's going to take them a while to set up the real stage or you think they might not set it back up at all
It'll most likely come back, it went down for a few days last year because of Hurricane Matthew but it came back a couple days after
 
They were indeed on that small stage. They opened with some visual gags blaming the fact they had to have a shortened show on the smaller stage on Irma. The show was shorter than last year with no background to project against and no multi-level stage to perform on. Not their fault, I just hope they had planned a fuller show for when they get back on the larger stage. Referenced with the bg music (Queen's "The Show Must Go On" - the last song on the last album right before Freddy died).

Show was otherwise great with high energy. Highlight was the contortionist guy.
 
Heard big stage was damaged anybody know what? They took everything off and lowered it don't know what they could of damaged
 
Heard big stage was damaged anybody know what? They took everything off and lowered it don't know what they could of damaged
If there's damage, the only thing that would be damaged is the actual truss. Since the towers were up during the storm, the winds could have damaged them somehow and it may require replacing them. While it wouldn't take long to do it, it may be a lower priority to the zones.

(Unless they left the chain-motors out and they got damaged, which would be stupid. But unsurprising, this year.)
 
Just walked past, looks like they're setting up a second temporary stage where the permanent one should go.
 


Looks like they’re ready


Looks like they changed the set altogether, to something of a mix between the overhang stage and the temp stage...which begs another question,

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE OVERHANG STAGE!?!? I have to think that at this point, something more severe has happened to it due to the hurricane that has caused it to go OoC for the rest of the event.
 
Looks like they changed the set altogether, to something of a mix between the overhang stage and the temp stage...which begs another question,

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE OVERHANG STAGE!?!? I have to think that at this point, something more severe has happened to it due to the hurricane that has caused it to go OoC for the rest of the event.
It twisted in the storm and was deemed unsafe.

EDIT - Here's all my stuff on what happened.

Well... That basically confirms the truss got ruined in the storm.

That sucks. I think Universal actually owned that truss set. Expensive loss. They really should have brought the towers down. I know why they didn't, but still.

My best guess, the wind would have wrenched the towers around. Head blocks (the top piece) are pretty heavy compared to the rest of a truss tower, which make them top heavy. If the winds get bad enough, the movement can cause cracking along the weld joints. Once it cracks, it's completely unserviceable.

They bring the roof down to give the towers a bit of extra stability, and to prevent too much wind from flipping the whole thing. Anything that could have fallen would have just been any lights they left in the truss, that's why it has to be wind damage.

I'm asking around though. It's been 11 years since I've done any heavy-duty stage work on truss. I'm just making assumptions based other horror stories I've heard.

The fact that they're building a new temporary stage in the correct spot doesn't bode well for a full show. Like I said, I think Universal owned that truss set. There aren't many local vendors to rent replacement sets from quickly. If they're even available. Transporting a whole system could take a week or more and be immensely more expensive.

I'll say this though. Universal is damn lucky they have AoV as the performers there. They're talented enough to do amazing things with nothing. Anything thing else Universal has attempted would have just been canceled.

Prior to RTU the set for Afterlife (particularly the LED screen) was up for rehearsals.

And yeah, truss can be lowered. The main box truss (the large pieces that are over the stage and the lights hang from) was lowered prior to the storm. The tower truss (the thin "legs") weren't. If the tower truss is cracked, that section of truss has to be replaced.

That's why I keep saying they should have brought down the towers. Tower truss can be brought down (actually, taken off completely) while leaving the box truss intact. That's actually how you put it all together. It takes a good bit of effort to lower and raise, and the "right" assumption is that the wind won't whip the towers so much they'll crack. But sometimes the right assumption, in hindsight, was the wrong decision.

Anything else that COULD have been damaged (lights, cabling, the chain motors used to raise the box truss up the towers) could be replaced with minimal freak-out. The only thing that would cause a wholescale change like this would be damaged truss.


EDIT - BOOM! Confirmed. Truss got twisted.
 
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