Long Live the 'Kings'

A son takes over after his father's death.

That is the tale told in the "Tournament of Kings," the new, reincarnated production show that debuts Thursday night at the Excalibur.

But it is also a real-life story, as son Patrick Jackson takes over producing duties for his father, Peter Jackson -- the original producer of the long-running "King Arthur's Tournament" -- following the elder Jackson's recent death from kidney failure.

"It's been rough," admits Patrick Jackson, whose father died in December, a few weeks before the curtain fell on the eight-year-old "King Arthur" production he created, leaving Patrick as sole producer of the new show.

After 25 years of collaboration, Patrick Jackson had only a few weeks to execute the show his father had envisioned. "Like I told the cast," he explains in his thick French accent, "he would be very happy if he saw what's going on."

The original production, which debuted in June 1990, "was looking tired," Jackson notes. Excalibur executives, mindful of Circus Circus Enterprises Inc.'s property-wide face lift in anticipation of Mandalay Bay's upcoming debut, agreed it was time to brush up the aging production and its showroom.

To sharpen the show, Jackson hired director Phil Shelburne, who appeared in "King Arthur's Tournament" as a double for Merlin for eight years and is known locally for his sharp direction of musical productions at Spring Mountain Ranch.

"It's a far more theatrical piece," Shelburne says of the new show. "The entertainment value has taken a shot in the arm."

The hotel poured $1 million into the new production, creating new music, upgrading costumes and building new sets, including a flying round table, a drawbridge of mist and a castle backdrop.

While they were redoing what was onstage, it seemed a good time to also redo things offstage, so the hotel has put $1.2 million into a renovation of the 950-seat King Arthur's Arena, including new lighting and sound systems.

The storyline has also been revamped -- extensively. "There was not a lot of story (in the original)," Jackson concedes. "We tried to make more sense than the last time."

The plot now centers around a tournament at King Arthurs' court, where seven kings from all over Europe come to compete. The event is interrupted by the appearance of the "Dragon Knight," who kills the king. His son, Christopher, must then avenge his death.

But the charm of the show -- the hoots and hollers and cheers and yells of the audience -- is intact in this version as well. "The audience is our biggest member of the cast," Shelburne says, "and we've taken the show even more into the audience."

About 35 percent of the cast is also new -- and that's not even including the new equestrian cast members, such as the 600-pound Dragon Knight's horse.

One thing will stay the same: Audiences will still be dining medieval style -- sans utensils.

Lest we forget, the child-friendly dinner show will also feature one more revision: a new price of $34.95 ($5 higher than before).

"For what we're giving, it's a bargain," says Jackson, whose contract guarantees this version a three-year run, with two possible two-year extensions. "I feel it's going to be the best live product in town. It's 300 percent better than the old one."

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