All Hail the Queen! Her sovereign Majesty, Doña Maria Isabella!
Everyone’s favorite dinner feast that includes epic battles of steel and swordplay, to royal falconry and horsemanship: Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament is ushering in a new royal ruler as the lead role in their wildly popular Southern California production at the Medieval Times in Buena Park castle. Knocking down the 34-year tradition of male kings, a Queen will be crowned! Her Majesty, Doña Maria Isabella is a kind and firm Queen whom holds the respect of her kingdom.
The new show debuted at the Buena Park castle on March 16th. The matriarchal move came as a result of guest feedback on the roles that women played within the fantasy story-telling production. The new queen character is a firm, but kind, ruler who inherited the throne at the passing of her father, the previous king. The role has already been unveiled at Medieval Times castles in Dallas, Chicago and New Jersey to wide acclaim, with an additional five North American castles debuting the new show later this year, following Buena Park’s launch.
About The Dinner and Tournament at Medieval Times in Buena Park
Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament was founded in 1977 in Spain. It launched in North America in 1983 and has since opened nine castles across the United States and in Toronto, Canada. It has been performed for 66 million guests in its 34 years.
Tickets for the dinner and show start as low as $36.95, and include lively entertainment and an elaborate four-course meal fit for royalty (including vegetarian options), and the wide variety of libations and spirits, make for a festive evening of food and fun.
In addition to the debut of the queen character and storyline, the new production features:
• More than 700 new costumes for all nine castles’ performers including horses, all of which are custom-designed and hand-made at a dedicated costume shop near the Dallas Design District.
• Two hundred new suits of armor, shields and helmets, all custom-designed and hand- made at a dedicated armory in Florida.
• More than 350 team members and 225 horses who have rehearsed new lines and fight scenes for three months
while still presenting the current show. o This include the queens undergoing an intense two months of training to become experts at riding the impressive Andalusian stallion for the new show.
• New music composed by Dr. Daniel May, the composer and jazz pianist who scored “Everest” and other films, and has worked with notables such as Sting and The Moody Blues. He directed and recorded Medieval Times’ new show composition in Kiev with the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine. This includes directing the choir in Ukraine with lyrics written by notable poet and choir member Solomia Gorokhivska.
• A live-action film score precisely synchronized with every element of the show, from lights to fights; jousts to jabs; the Queen’s entry to curtain closings; and more.
• A sound and light production featuring 120 hours of programming with 300 new music cues and 500 new lighting cues. Buena Park is one of several castles installing and programming a new LED lighting system that offers 256 colors versus the old 14-color system. The system is powered by 10 miles of cable and an estimated $1 million upgrade.
Grab your tickets today – Head on over to Medieval Times Buena Park.
