By Jill Colvin
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MIDTOWN — A new theme-park style ride is giving new meaning to the "Disneyfication" of Midtown.
Set to debut next month, "The Ride" is billing itself as a hybrid between a tour bus and a Broadway show that will turn the city's famous sites into a real-life backdrop for a 75-minute show featuring everything from fun facts and comedy to juggling and in-line skating, performed both on board and on the street.
Instead of packing into a dark theatre, the 49-person audience will board souped-up, state-of-the-art buses that will transport them to midtown's famous sites, including Central Park and Times Square.
Jonathan Danforth, president and CEO of "The Ride," said the concept of the roving theatre is the first of its kind.
“This is a completely immersive, completely original experience," Danforth said. "The key differences are that we're blending information, fun and technology and we really try to build in a lot of the indigenous things the city seems to offer."
"The Ride" will use a fleet of eight vehicles specifically designed for the show, with each one valued at $1.3 million.
The buses, which will be unveiled Thursday morning outside the Marriott Marquis hotel, feature wall-to-wall windows, stadium-style sideways seating, 40 video screens and IMAX-style sound. They're also decked out with 3,000 LED lights that promoters say can recreate the experience of New Year’s Eve in Times Square and floor-shaking technology that will make riders feel like they're in a nightclub or on a subway platform as a train passes by.
The show also plans to incorporate action taking place on the street so the script will be slightly different every trip.
The show will debut Sept. 16, with six planned departures from 7 p.m. through 9:45 p.m.
The tickets, which range from $59 to $69, are on sale now.
