Cyberamics Balcony Stage

The Balcony Stage (known internally as The Stage) was a stage format found at Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theatre locations from May 1980 until 2001.

The Stage debuted at the San Jose, California, (1371 Kooser Rd) location in May of 1980, and went extinct in 1993 at the Lake Forest, CA (24416 Muirlands Blvd) location. The C-Stage was a "retrofit" of the Balcony Stage, changing it from a balcony to a house.

History
An early version of the Balcony, referred to as "Showboat" would debut at the San Jose, CA (1371 Kooser Rd) location in May of 1980. This version of the balcony was merely meant to test the reaction of the audience - to see if the Balcony could be used for all the new installations if the reaction was positive.

The test would come back positive, resulting in the addition of the Balcony Stage at the opening of the Arlington, TX (2216 S Fielder Rd) location in October of 1980. However, new locations would continue to open with Portrait Stages until December of 1980.

Balcony Stages would continue to be placed in new locations all the way until 1986. The last Balcony Stage to open would be Fairbanks, AK (600 Old Steese Hwy) in January 1986.

The Balcony Stage would later, in most locations, be replaced with a variant called the C-Stage. Though a couple locations would not receive the C-Stage due to either closing from 1983-1986, receiving a Rocker Stage, or replaced with a 2-Stage (as is the case with Edmonton.)

The last Balcony Stage would be located at the Lake Forest, CA (24416 Muirlands Blvd) store which would relocate in 2001 officially bringing an end to the Balcony Stage.

Design
The Balcony Stage would feature the main cast. Ordered from left to right: Mr. Munch, Jasper T. Jowls, Chuck E. Cheese, Guest Star, and Pasqually. Beside Mr. Munch would reside a variant of the Warblettes, either rainbow or the usual black and white.

Beside Pasqually would be the Band Board and the Clapper Board/Applause Board.

In the "Showboat" Variant, the Guest Star and Jasper T. Jowls would switch spots. From the photo that we have of the "Showboat," it is unclear if the Warblettes, Band Board, and Clapper Board/Applause board were still in their spots in the later on Balcony Stages.

Later Balconies would have more than three ledges on the stage. A known version of this is the Fairbanks, Alaska location.

Some variations would have the ledges extend all the way to the ground. Others would hover over the ground.

Themes
Throughout the Balcony Stages lifetime, the stage would have unique backdrops to each showtape playing. The following showtapes were known to have unique backgrounds on the Balcony Stages.


 * Showboat
 * Around the World with Madam Oink
 * Harmony Howlette's Wild West Show
 * Harmony II - "Harmony's Hoedown"
 * Madame Oink III - "Tunnel of Love"
 * Madame Oink IV - The Tune Machine
 * Broadway Helen Henny
 * Country Helen
 * CEC Happy Holidays 1984
 * CEC Salute to America
 * CEC History of Rock and Roll

The Broadway Helen Henny showtape's backdrop would be reused for both Bandstand 1 and 2.

The CEC History of Rock and Roll showtape would reuse the same backdrop for both of its parts.

Trivia & Other Info

 * The Arlington, Texas location opened in October 1980 with a Balcony Stage, they were the first to open with the stage, they later replaced it with the very first Rocker Stage, then replaced it with a 2-Stage. This location is still open and is the 3rd oldest CEC currently.
 * Lake Forest, California had the last Balcony Stage, Relocating in 2001.
 * Kids' World had a unique Balcony Stage. It was lost in the fire at the park.
 * Schlitterbahn had another unique Balcony Stage. The character order was Mr. Munch, Pasqually, Chuck E. Cheese, Madame Oink, and Jasper T. Jowls.
 * The Balcony Stage was the most produced Pizza Time Theatre stage.