Aerial Ice Extreme Wows Guests at California’s Great America

Spotlights, trampolines, aerialists, giant hula hoops.

No, you haven’t gone to Las Vegas, you’re in California’s Great America, experiencing the brand new “Aerial Ice Extreme” show in the Great America Theatre.

After the resounding successes of both, “On Broadway” and the surprise sleeper hit, “Blades of Horror” the bar was set quite high for California’s Great America and its entertainment department to outdo itself this season. Spearheaded by Entertainment Director, Clayton Lawrence, guests over the past few seasons have seen a resurgence of quality, entertaining shows once again grace the park’s theatres.

So – would this one continue the upward trend? Read on…

Initially making a splash on “America’s Got Talent” this past summer, “Aerial Ice” combined the majesty of both ice skating (on a synthetic surface) as well as aerialists overhead. And it made an impression:

While the mishmash of ice skating, acrobatics and aerialists may seem a bit improbable – it all works out. The show is bound to draw comparisons to “Cirque Dreams: Splashtastic” that performed at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom this past season.

But, unlike “Cirque” which seemed to have way too much happening at the same time at many points – “Aerial Ice Extreme” keeps the action frenetic – but at the same time, easy to follow. You never feel as if you have “lost” yourself in the action of the show (and that’s a good thing.)

The show’s location at California’s Great America also throws in an additional wrinkle – several choreographed transitions between the synthetic (fake) ice and the real stuff. Speaking from experience – there’s a difference between the two – and to be able to make it look seamless is nothing short of impressive.

What’s more exciting, is that the ice rink – absent for decades in this theatre – has been fully utilized now for several seasons in a row. Not only is it a great place to cool off in the hot summer, but let’s face it – it’s just COOL to watch!

With the park now open for full-time operation, be sure to check out the show schedule ahead of time, as there may be days in which the theatre goes dark.

Trust me – you don’t want to miss this entertainment event the next time you visit the park.