Hersheypark Schedules Local Auditions

HERSHEY, PA – More than 80 performers are needed to entertain Hersheypark guests in 2007, the Park’s Centennial season. An audition for all performers is scheduled for Saturday, February 17 in the Music Box Theatre inside the Park. Applicants can enter via Service Center Road, just east of the main Park entrance on Hersheypark Drive.

Registration and technical interviews begin at 9 a.m. Sound and lighting technicians as well as stagehands, stage managers and wardrobe personnel are needed.

Musician auditions for bass, fiddle, guitar, percussion, keyboard, trumpet, trombone, tuba and saxophone (doubling preferred) begin at 9:30 a.m. Musicians should be prepared with major/minor scales, an etude, two solo selections of contrasting styles, and improvisation.

Singer and singer/dancer auditions begin at 10 a.m. Singers should have a dynamic voice with personality to match and be prepared with two vocal selections of contrasting styles (16 bars each) and bring sheet music in the proper key or an edited musical track. An accompanist will be provided. All singers may be called back to learn a dance combination after their vocal audition.

Auditions for dancers and gymnasts are scheduled for 1 p.m. Dancers should be well rounded in jazz, ballet and tap and should wear appropriate attire and footwear.

Gymnasts should be athletic and have good tumbling skills and also should wear appropriate attire and footwear.

All applicants must be 18 years of age or a high school graduate by May, 2007 to audition and should bring a non-returnable photo and resume with references.

For more information, please visit http://www.hersheypa.com or email audition@hersheypa.com.

Hersheypark Update

By Scott & Carol Holmes

In order to keep Theme Park Adventure readers in the loop concerning Hersheypark happenings, we decided a visit was in order.  So on a Saturday, we stopped in to both ride the Reese's Xtreme Cup Challenge, and take some before photos of the most expensive expansion in Hersheypark history.  So here is a little background and some photos of what we found during our visit...

Hershey Park opened in 1907 by Milton Hershey as a recreation green space for his model town.  It had athletic fields, a small lake, and traditional park swing sets and slides.  The first ride was added in 1908 - a small merry-go-round.

The thrill rides began in 1911, when a toboggan slide was added to the pool/skating rink.  The first roller coaster was the "Thrill Ride,” which later became “The Wild Cat.”  The Wild Cat gave its last ride in September of 1945 and Milton Hershey died approximately two weeks later.  He was 88 years-old and was named to the IAAPA Hall of Fame in 1995.

1971 marked a year of considerable change for Hershey Park.  The name officially changes to "Hersheypark" and the pinwheel logo design was adopted.  A POP (pay one price) ticket is offered for the first time, and the park continues to offer a pay-as-you-go option.  Guests took one final swim in the pool before it closed for the last time that fall.  More rides and shows began to appear during that decade and now Hersheypark has 10 roller coasters.  The park was awarded the Applause Award from IAAPA at the start of the new millennium.

The Xtreme Cup Challenge opened Memorial Day weekend of 2006 and represents the next step forward in the evolution of Sally Corporation’s dark rides; a live competition between guests in different cars on the attraction.  The cars are dispatched in groups of two, chocolate against peanut butter, from the loading station.  Two teams of four riders in each car blast away at the targets, trying to score the maximum number of points for their team.  The cars spin around as they transit 8 competition zones that depict elements from 9 extreme sports.  There are two animatronic sportscasters that do some trash talking and update both teams’ scores at the “Take 5 Halftime Report.”  The animatronic figures also declare a “winner” at the end of the ride, and luckily for the parents that are not so adept at electronic games, all riders receive a sample Reese’s product, so there is really no guilt in letting down your team.

With over 150 targets, 80 animated show elements, and spinning cars, it seems almost overwhelming.  To help guests prepare for the ride, Hersheypark has a practice area on their website, www.hersheypark.com.  Our advice is, if you care who wins, practice ahead because our scores dramatically improved the second time we accepted the challenge.  While it may appear that the park has a winner, the participating guests are the overall winners.  Lots of fun, competition, air conditioning and free candy!  What’s not to like?

Our next stop was the Ferris Wheel to get an overall view of the coming Boardwalk area for 2007.  Hersheypark has gone to great lengths to make this renovation almost an attraction as it occurs.  It is amazing how much the landscaping department has dressed up what is basically a wood fence with flowers and signs, along a meandering path through the middle of the project.  Some of the vertical play structure is already rising and it was fun to watch a family pointing out to each other what part of the structure was being assembled according to the sign hung up on the fence.  It’s a good thing they started early because this much fun will require a great deal of work before it opens!  We can hardly wait till next year to see it in action!

Discuss the Hersheypark Expansion

HERSHEY ENTERTAINMENT & RESORTS COMMITS $1 MILLION TO PENN STATE CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL
Gift to be used for campus expansion at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center

HERSHEY, PA—At a news conference at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center today, Hershey Entertainment & Resorts Company announced a commitment of $1 million to building the anticipated Penn State Children’s Hospital.

In recognition of this contribution, recreational areas throughout the new facility will be named for Hershey Entertainment & Resorts. The play areas will provide a place for patients and families to participate in games and activities to provide a sense of normalcy. In addition to funding the construction of these spaces, this gift also creates an endowment to support the operation and upkeep of these areas.

“We are very excited to be a part of this fund-raising effort, as we announce today the dedication of $1 million to support the Children’s Hospital Capital Campaign,” said Scott J. Newkam, chairman of the board, president and chief executive officer of Hershey Entertainment & Resorts Company. “The play spaces will create “fun zones” in the hospital where the only thing awaiting the kids will be entertainment and laughter. No medical procedures will be performed in these areas, so children will know that their time in the play spaces will provide freedom from whatever their medical concerns are, and time to concentrate on what kids do best – having fun.”

“I cannot think of a more fitting corporate friend than Hershey Entertainment & Resorts,” said Harold L. Paz, M.D., senior vice president for health affairs, Penn State University; dean, College of Medicine; chief executive officer, Penn State Hershey Medical Center. “We share the name of our benefactor and founder, Milton S. Hershey. And, like our namesake, we are both committed to providing resources to the people, and especially the children, of Hershey and the region.”

Hershey Entertainment & Resorts has previously supported Penn State Children’s Hospital through gifts to Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) and The Four Diamonds Fund. All funds raised by CMN in central Pennsylvania stay local to support pediatric patient services, ground breaking research, and life-saving pieces of equipment at Penn State Children’s Hospital. The Four Diamonds Fund is committed to raising funds for patients battling cancer at Penn State Children’s Hospital.

Hershey Entertainment & Resorts Company is a privately held company that was founded in 1927, when Milton S. Hershey separated his chocolate manufacturing operations from his other businesses. All of these non-chocolate producing divisions were reorganized under the name Hershey Estates, which is known today as Hershey Entertainment & Resorts Company. Hershey Entertainment & Resorts and its subsidiaries own and/or operate the HERSHEYPARK entertainment complex, HERSHEYPARK Arena & Stadium, ZOOAMERICA North American Wildlife Park, HERSHEY BEARS AHL Hockey Club, the GIANT Center, DUTCH WONDERLAND entertainment complex, THE HOTEL HERSHEY, the HERSHEY Lodge, HERSHEY Highmeadow Campground, HERSHEY Country Club, HERSHEY Nursery, and HERSHEY Laundry and Textiles.

Penn State Children’s Hospital, the only children’s hospital in central Pennsylvania and the region’s only pediatric trauma center, houses 120 beds and treats more than 250,000 patients each year. The Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) received the highest rating for its care in medical, surgical and trauma patients by the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit Evaluations. This ranks the PICU among the top in the country.

Penn State Children’s Hospital is the leader in several specialties including neonatal care, pediatric oncology, pediatric cardiology, pediatric surgery, and pediatric trauma. For more information on Penn State Children’s Hospital, visit http://www.pennstatechildrens.com.

Hersheypark Announces Centennial Celebration
Celebrating 100 Years of Happy

HERSHEY, PA– Hersheypark, the 110-acre theme park in scenic Hershey, Pa., will turn 100 years old on April 24, 2007. Originally founded as a “picnic and pleasure grounds” for his factory employees by chocolate magnate Milton S. Hershey, the Park has since provided countless happy memories for generations of guests.

To celebrate the centennial and officially kick off its second century, Hersheypark is scheduled to open The Boardwalk at Hersheypark on Memorial Day weekend in 2007. This classic tribute to the legendary boardwalks of the Northeast will combine the best of family vacations – a trip to the seashore and a day at an amusement park. The Boardwalk at Hersheypark is a $19.7 million enhancement, the biggest financial investment in the Park’s history.

The Boardwalk will offer a water-play experience to guests of all ages and will be located inside the Park near Midway America. The area will feature five new water-based attractions as well as 11 food outlets, six games and seven retail outlets, all appropriately themed to The Boardwalk experience. In addition, the queue lines of two existing water rides, Canyon River Rapids and Tidal Force, are being reconfigured to enter and exit onto The Boardwalk, creating an overall new water-themed area within Hersheypark.

Each of the five new attractions within The Boardwalk will have its own hi-tech filtration system that utilizes recycled water and rainwater. The new area will cover more than 200,000 square feet (4.6 acres) and hold approximately 323,000 gallons of water. The area will also include shaded areas for guests as well as hundreds of beach-style lounge chairs, two changing locations with lockers and showers, and a Guest Services/first aid station.

The centerpiece attraction, “East Coast Waterworks,” will be the world’s largest water-play structure. It will be designed from more than 62 tons of steel and will offer a wide variety of unique elements, including more than 225 feet of bridges, seven slides, two crawl tunnels, and nearly 200 interactive water toys.

The other four attractions include “Coastline Plunge,” a separate slide complex that will bring the game “Chutes and Ladders” to life with a myriad of tubes, bowls and troughs; “Bayside Pier,” a 48,000-gallon, zero-depthentry pool; “Waverider,” an interactive sport/skill ride that will offer participants the excitement of wave riding in a controlled environment; and “Sandcastle Cove,” a tot pool that will feature an oversized sandcastle and water elements designed especially for small children.

In addition, numerous activities are being planned for the Park’s centennial celebration, including new shows, fireworks displays, a beach party-themed version of Picnic in the Park, programs and promotions at Hershey Resorts, and more.

Hersheypark invites the public to log onto www.hersheypark.com to share their memories of “100 Years of Happy” by sending in favorite Park moments in the form of photographs, videos or written stories. The contest runs through September 4, and the grand prize is the “trip of the century” – 100 hours in Hershey, The Sweetest Place On Earth. The prize package includes a four-night stay at Hershey Lodge, admission to Hersheypark, VIP access to The Boardwalk, 100 days of Hershey’s chocolate, and more.

In addition, visitors to the www.hersheypark.com website can participate in special offers available only online and just for the 2007 season, including family four-packs of tickets for $100 and season passes for just $100 each.

Hershey Resorts also is offering guests who book online the chance to book at 2006 prices for the 2007 season. (Please visit the website for complete details about these offers.)

For more information, log onto www.hersheypark.com or call 1-800-HERSHEY.