Superhero fun: The Marvel Experience will be at Lincoln Financial Field through July 5.
When Doug Schaer started working on producing a live entertainment experience, he wanted to find something that could appeal to his 5-year-old son, his 71-year-old dad and a 17-year-old who plays video games all day.
Schaer and Rick Licht are founders of Los Angeles-based Hero Ventures, which has developed The Marvel Experience: The World’s First Hyper-Reality Tour. The show will be at Lincoln Financial Field through Sunday, July 5.
Schaer, the company’s chief operating officer, believes the show will reach that wide audience he was seeking.
“There is something for everybody,” he said in a phone interview from his L.A. office. “It’s a unique experience.”
Hero Ventures uses innovative and interactive technology, along with creative animation, to entertain audiences.
Using the Eagles football stadium is also a big part of the dynamic. Much of the action takes place in an air-conditioned dome featuring a three-dimensional projection theater. There’s a four-dimensional motion ride and a training center for S.H.I.E.L.D. recruits that offers fans the chance to become part of the adventure.
“The domes are super cool,” Schaer said.
Schaer said The Marvel Experience is the perfect complement to the popular film Avengers: Age of Ultron and the upcoming movie Ant-Man.
Both are movies produced by Marvel Entertainment, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company with a library of more than 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media over 75 years.
Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing and publishing, and Schaer is looking to capture some of the company’s magic.
“We want to hit that same audience,” he said.
The Marvel Experience allows Marvel comic book and movie fans to join forces with superheroes, combining the real world and imagination.
Guests of The Marvel Experience will team with the likes of Spider-Man, the Hulk, Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, Wolverine, Black Widow and other superheroes to battle villains such as Red Skull and M.O.D.O.K. and an army of evil Adaptoids intent on taking over the world.
There is multi-person gaming, so fans can see themselves in action. Fans can also get a close-up look at a life-size Avengers’ Quinjet.
Schaer said the show is designed “by fans and for fans,” and he’s hoping for growth.
“We wanted something new and different,” he said. “With something new, you need to build the audience and the brand.”
Schaer hopes The Marvel Experience becomes as mainstream as the current Comic Con phenomenon. It’s for everyone, he said, from “fanboys” to people like his mom, who has a passing interest in characters like Spider-Man.
So far, The Marvel Experience has played in Phoenix, Dallas and San Diego, and has received pretty good reviews. USA Today said the show may do for live entertainment what P.T. Barnum did for the three-ring circus.
After Philadelphia, the show will head to Chicago, New York and St. Louis.
Schaer, 43, a North Jersey native, was in Philadelphia for the start of the engagement on June 24. He has worked as a lawyer and sports agent, but has said he’s spent 150 percent of his time the last four years building The Marvel Experience. He feels like he works two full-time jobs, but that it’s worth it.
“This is a labor of love,” he said.
Tickets range in price from $24.50 to $44.50. They are available at the box office, ticketmaster.com or by calling 800–745–3000.
Schaer said fans, who sign up for two-hour blocks and won’t have to wait in line, will get “serious bang for their summer entertainment buck.”
For a complete schedule, visit www.themarvelexperiencetour.com.
At the show, fans can eat in a hero-themed dining area and check out Marvel collectibles.
For more information, like The Marvel Experience page on Facebook or follow Marvel Experience on Twitter. ••
