Mini Stage

The Mini Rock-afire Explosion Stage was a four character show created for smaller Showbiz Pizza Place restaurants and later other family entertainment centers.

Mini-Stage at Cullman, AL.

History

Five Showbiz Pizza Place locations opened with the Mini Stage band in 1983. Showbiz Pizza proposed that select locations should receive four character shows to Creative Engineering. Aaron Fetcher, owner of Creative Engineering, opposed the idea to install the shows but went through with Showbiz's orders.

In November of 1983 Jim Parrish, the Director of development and Executive Vice President of Showbiz, gave a memo to CEI regarding the shows, stating that Aaron was correct on not wanting to install the shows and that the three stages would be the greater entertainment option. Jim suggested selling the one-stage shows to different customers at an upcoming IAAPA convention. As a result of this exchange, it was planned that Showbiz locations featuring the Mini Stage setup were to convert to the full Rockafire Explosion show. The animatronics used on the stages would be used to help complete new, additional shows. Anderson, IN would be the first to have their show replaced. But, this conversion did not come to fruition, and these stores would all close around the same time with the one-stage band.

After Concept Unification, CEI would sell Mini shows to different customers.

Design

This is one of two Creative Engineering shows to feature the singing flowers. The one-stage show features Mitzi Mozzarella, Fatz, Billy Bob, and Looney Bird. Behind Mitzi and Fatz is a unique backdrop and tree. Behind Billy Bob and Looney Bird is Smitty's Super Service Station with a new "Used and Abused Tars" sign and a new "Goofy Gas" gas pump lamp. The traditional Rockafire Explosion frog was also retrofit into the "bad frog" with a spiked collar and chain. Mini stages installed outside of Showbiz would not use the mountain backdrop or unique stage floor. CEI would however package a center stage Rockafire Explosion tree line with these shows.

Gallery

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  Strike and Spare's Mini-Stage.

Known Installations

Store	Location	Notes	Installation Date
Showbiz Pizza	Anderson, IN (845 E 53rd St)	Planned to be the first to be replaced; Later auctioned after closure and could have potentially been reused at a fair in 1986.	1983
Showbiz Pizza	Cullman, AL (210 2nd Ave)		1983
Fun Time Pizza	McAllen, TX		Backdrops were reused at the 2nd McAllen location and Lake Jackson location along with Arlington's show. Bots were most likely used for spare parts.
Tweetsie Railroad			1994?
Hillwood Strike N' Spare