PAW Patrol Live! “Heroes Unite!” Special Preview
Interview with Ben Butters aka Chase
We love the live PAW Patrol shows and families will be on a roll with PAW Patrol Live! Heroes Unite when Ryder and the pups visit The Theater at MSG from Saturday, April 22 through Sunday, April 23.
To tell us all we need to know about this new and exciting show where audience members become honorary members of the PAW Patrol, we spoke with Ben Butters who plays Chase in the new live show.
JB: We all love the PAW Patrol. Please tell us about yourself.
BB: I’m Ben Butters, and I play Chase in PAW Patrol Live! “Heroes Unite” I was raised with my five siblings in Beijing and Shanghai, China, but moved to Bountiful, UT right before starting High School. My family still calls Bountiful home, but I’m now in Hamilton Heights.
I have loved performing since I was small, and I graduated last April from Brigham Young University’s BFA Music Dance Theater program. Since then I have been fortunate to work in regional theaters across the country. PAW Patrol Live! “Heroes Unite” is my first national tour, and I couldn’t be more grateful!
JB: How excited are you to home in NYC on the big stage?
BB: Living in the city is such an adventure, but performing here? At Madison Square Garden, no less?! The phrase “dream come true” doesn’t begin to do it justice! Performing on a New York City stage is something I ‘ve wanted to experience my entire life, and I’m pinching myself thinking about finally getting to make my NYC performance debut! I’m sure it’s an experience I’ll remember forever.
JB: What is it like to be cast as Chase?
BB: While I was auditioning for the show, I kept telling people that I was being considered for Chase. Most of them would reply, “Oh yeah, you’re definitely a Chase!” Needless to say, I was ecstatic when I found out I booked the role!
After playing him for a few months, along with watching both the TV show and movie, I’ve come to realize we are indeed very similar. We both take our jobs very seriously and feel the weight of responsibility, especially in leadership positions.
We also enjoy being silly and spontaneous with friends every once in a while. Mostly, I love Chase’s big heart. He always wants to be the first pup on the scene, to help in any way he can, and to be a pup that others can always depend on.
Chase teaches me to be a hero for others, but also to let them be a hero for me. It’s an honor to portray a character who has come to mean not only so much to me, but to kids everywhere. I love my Police Pup !
JB: Tell us how the PAW Patrol is getting ready to take the stage again for Heroes Unite.
BB: PAW Patrol Live! “Heroes Unite” is the biggest and most interactive PAW Patrol Live adventure yet, and such a monstrous, large-scale production requires a hefty workshop and rehearsal process. Bringing an original story to the stage is no easy feat, and our cast, crew, and creatives have spent the past few months perfecting this show for New York audiences.
The challenge with this show is making it exciting, entertaining, and artistically fulfilling, while always maintaining the integrity of the PAW Patrol franchise. I am so excited for fans of the show to see Adventure Bay brought to life with all new songs, dances, and stagecraft.
Some of the technology used in the show is unlike anything I’ve ever worked with before! “The PAW Patrol is [definitely] on a roll!”
JB: Can you fill us in on this new mission / story?
BB: It’s Top Heroes Day in Adventure Bay, a day where we celebrate the community’s many heroes! Amid the celebration, sneaky Mayor Humdinger comes along and tricks Ryder’s beloved Robo Dog into following him, hoping that Robo Dog’s technological advances will be cr owned “Top Hero.”
It’s up to Ryder and the pups to track Mayor Humdinger and Robo Dog down, chase them all over the world, and bring Robo Dog home in time for the Top Heroes Day Ceremony to start. We’re gonna need everyone’s help in order to accomplish this mission!
JB: We hear that the show is super fun and interactive. Can you give us some fun examples?
BB: We want kids up in the aisles dancing and singing along with us throughout the entire show! Upon arrival, kids will receive a Pup Tag, making them honorary members of the PAW Patrol.
As such, they’ll have certain duties to fulfill during the adventure. They’ll be asked to hold their Pup Tags up, wave them around, and answer the “heroes call,” so don’t plan on sitting in your seat quietly !
One of my favorite interactive moments during the show is asking the audience to howl along with me as we search for the missing Royal Pup, Sweetie, in Barkingburg. Hearing hundreds of kids howl along with Chase is music to my ears, and a moment I look forward to at every performance.
JB: Tell us about the new songs and dances.
BB: “Heroes Unite” is a Musical with a capital M! The whole show is laced with really catchy and memorable pop-style songs that both kids and adults will enjoy.
Each pup has a chance to shine in the spotlight with a solo or two, which is also fun. It’ll be almost impossible for audiences to leave the theater without at least one tune from the show running through their head.
The choreography is engaging, with everything from hip hop to jazz technique incorporated into the movement vocabulary. There are also multiple movements that kids can easily pick up and mimic so they can dance along with the PAW Patrol!
JB: Any super special effects or secret surprises you can share with our readership?
BB: The show utilizes five large LED walls that allow us to seamlessly transition to multiple locations across the PAW Patrol universe. Audiences will zoom through adventure city, watch a volcano erupt in the jungle, and even fly above Big Benji in Barkingburg.
Robo Dog makes his stage debut in this show, and it is a sight to behold! A fully functioning robot onstage is something families are sure to never forget.
Another familiar face, Liberty, will guide kids through her beloved Adventure City on her Scooter, a brand new vehicle designed for this production. Her entrance is something that gets a big reaction every night!
With even more new friends making appearances, along with fan favorites, this show is packed full of surprises.
JB: What will families enjoy most about seeing the show together?
BB: PAW Patrol Live! is the ideal first theatrical experience for the younger theater goer.
I remember my first times attending the theater, and a large part of why I decided to pursue a career in theater is because of those special experiences. While I understand that not all kids want to grow up to work in theater professionally, I am all for giving kids opportunities to experience new forms of art and entertainment. This show does just that!
With a cast of familiar characters and a quick moving story, kids are sure to enjoy themselves at this production. What’s especially nice is typical theater behavior is not required, so kids and adults alike can let their hair down a bit and get lost in the fun of it all.
It is a great way for parents/guardians to spend time quality time with their kids and create some fun memories. “Calling all Heroes:” you won’t regret coming to Heroes Unite!
Paw Patrol Live! Heroes Unite, is playing at The Theater at MSG from Saturday, April 22 through Sunday, April 23. Tickets are sure to sell fast so be sure to visit PAW Patrol Live at http://www.pawpatrollive.com/
This new production features beloved characters from the top-rated animated preschool series PAW Patrol and follows Ryder and the PAW Patrol pups as they face their greatest challenge yet!
In this interactive live stage show the audience gets to be heroes unleashed, helping the pups solve puzzles as honorary members of the pack while they navigate the globe to make it back to Adventure Bay in the nick of time.
Featuring stunning visual effects, captivating storytelling and a vibrant musical score that will have guests dancing in their seats and singing along, this staged extravaganza is jam-packed with action and fun for the whole family!
