| Armed Forces Entertainment will present the Party Animals Live, an interactive Rock 'n Roll musical, to troops and their families stationed at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, April 17-22. With a Party Animals Live performance, the party begins the minute the audience arrives at the door. Face painters greet the young guests to make them up like characters in the show, while balloon artists create a wide array of whimsical creatures. Soon, an MC appears on stage to pump up the crowd and, before the audience knows it, the Party Animals Live concert has begun. The band takes the stage made up to look like animals: Kaiya the Kangaroo, Walter the Fox, Brandon the Bear, Lance the Lion, and their friends Dee and Jay. The band delights children and adults alike with nonstop singing, dancing and hilarious skits.
The interactive show encourages audience participation as they perform kid-friendly numbers such as "Freeze Dance" and the "Rock-a-Byes." The climax of the show is an audience participation number titled, "Rock this House."
According to producer Mark Allen Ruegg, the group is thrilled to have the chance to perform for troops and their families stationed overseas again. "Last year, we went on our first Armed Forces Entertainment tour, and it was truly a life-changing experience for all of us," he said. "The servicemen and women and their families were absolutely the most amazing audiences we have ever had. It's incredible to see firsthand the sacrifices that the troops make -- and the sacrifices that their children make -- in order to serve our country. It means the world to us to see what our show means to these children -- and their parents.
The Hollywood-based troupe got its start 13 years ago when the producer of the group began performing for the children of Hollywood celebrities such as Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, Cindy Crawford and Nicole Kidman. Awed by these birthday party extravaganzas, the group's producers, Mark Allen Ruegg and Buffy Hornug were inspired to bring a similar over-the-top experience to everyday children. They began performing shows in Burbank and Hollywood, donating a third of their seats to lower-income schools and City of Hope children.
"A Party Animals concert is an unforgettable experience for the entire family," said Marine Corps Captain Jamie Fleischhacker, Armed Forces Entertainment Manager for the Western Hemisphere. "They put on a show with a nonstop party atmosphere that has kids and their parents alike wanting to come back for more. I know that our military families will get a big kick from rocking out with the Party Animals!"
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Armed Forces Entertainment is the lead Department of Defense agency for providing entertainment to U.S. military personnel serving overseas, with priority given to those in contingency operations and at remote and isolated locations. The Department of the Air Force is the executive agent of Armed Forces Entertainment. Founded in 1951, Armed Forces Entertainment brings a touch of home to more than 500,000 troops annually, embracing the best of Americana that stretches across all genres of entertainment. Visit www.armedforcesentertainment.com for more information.
To learn more about the Party Animals Live, visit www.partyanimalslive.com.
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