THE RIDE Celebrates 25,250 Performances

On Sunday, April 21st, THE RIDE, the experiential sightseeing theatrical tour/phenomenon, and its family of New York-based productions, celebrated its 25,250th performance and its 840,000 RIDERS.

By way of comparison, during that same week, The Phantom of the Opera, the longest running show in Broadway history, became the first Broadway show ever to reach 13,000 performances.

Currently being heralded as the Times Square neighborhood's most successful innovation; THE RIDE is scouting Paris, Tokyo, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Boston, London, Hong Kong, and Dubai as expansive markets.

Think globally; do business in the Broadway neighborhood!

"With the panoramic-sweeping views provided by its sideways stadium-style seating and floor-to-ceiling windows, THE RIDE is not your grandparents' motorcoach. The four Prevost H3-45 VIP Edition motorcoaches are as tall as legally possible for the New York-based immersive and interactive entertainment experience, which transforms city streets into stages for its three distinctive 75-minute Broadway performance tours.

THE RIDE's being fully integrated is just one extreme example of the potential of customization. The specially crafted technology includes more than 3,000 LED lights; 40 video screens of 7-, 10- and 17-inch sizes; a floor-pounding sound system; and audio equipment for hosts and performers. The seating totals 49 that are 16-inches wide and 14-inch deep seats in three rows; with the pitch 33 ¾ inches in the top row, 32¼ inches in the middle and 32 inches in the front. Each vehicle was customized by Burlington, Wisconsin-based LDV, Inc., costing $1.5 million apiece.

'We are an anomaly for them, definitely,' THE RIDE CEO/CCO Richard Humphrey said of the Prevost coaches. 'We basically gutted the chassis and raised the roof about six inches. Our goal was to create traveling theaters -and currently, the world's only traveling virtual reality theater. We can run a Broadway show from the integrated technologies, if we'd like,' said Humphrey, whose 30-year background includes the performing arts, entertainment and business. 'You're with us for a 75-minute experience.'"

To post a comment, you must register and login.