'Alvin and the Chipmunks' live show to make stop in Cape

Alvin and the Chipmunks have been around since 1958, but their musical show is new, and it's headed to Cape Girardeau.

The larger-than-life show, "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Musical," will be onstage next week at the Show Me Center.

The show is being produced by Iconic Entertainment Studios, and John Harper, chief operating officer of the company, said discussions with partners at Twentieth Century Fox led to the decision to produce the show.

"We talked about which movies or characters of theirs made the most sense to turn into live shows, and Alvin and the Chipmunks is one of the most popular brand shows of the past few decades, perhaps in the modern entertainment industry as we know it," he said. "Grandparents know it; parents know it; kids know it. The movies are hugely successful."

Harper said New York-based Iconic focuses on broad demographic entertainment the entire family can enjoy.

"Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Musical" will be performed Tuesday at the Show Me Center. (Submitted photo)

"This one fits squarely in that box, because everyone knows it," he said.

Although the characters, Alvin, Simon and Theodore, and, of course, their human adoptive father, Dave, are familiar, the show won't be.

"This isn't your grandparents' Alvin and The Chipmunks show," Harper said. "The songs in the show are all hits from today."

The 90-minute show, which includes a brief intermission, is just the right length to keep the crowd enthralled, he said.

"We have this almost down to a science of what's too long, what's too short, at what point do we lose kids' attention," Harper said.

Three semi-trucks will roll into town, loaded with an array of equipment to put on a show, which likens in size and pizazz to a Rolling Stones or U2 concert, both of which the company has produced in the past.

Some of the equipment includes animatronic costumes for the chipmunks that allow their eyes and mouths to move while on stage.

"They are as lifelike as they can be -- for giant chipmunks," Harper joked.

Harper touts crowd interaction as a huge part of the show and said some epic moments involve falling snow and a food fight, though the "food" showered into the crowd actually is made of foam -- think giant foam fingers at a football game.

"We break that fourth wall," he said. "There's no barrier between the show and the audience."

The 12-member cast, which includes the Chipettes, a trio of anthropomorphic chipmunk singers, follows a loose narrative, so there is a story that is punctuated by the characters' hit songs.

The show, which will play New York City on Saturday night, has stops in 48 cities.

Harper said St. Louis routinely is included in most tours Iconic produces, but Cape Girardeau was included for a specific reason.

"Cape Girardeau seems underserved by entertainment content," he said. "You don't always hear of the big shows going there. We said, 'Let's go to places where people want to experience world-class entertainment that they might not otherwise see unless they are in New York or Los Angeles or Chicago.'"

In a screen-driven life, where people are constantly looking at iPads, smartphones, computers and televisions, Harper said the show is a way for families to reconnect.

"We give them a way to feel something else," he said. "It's a multigenerational shared experience, a real chance for families to come together."

"Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Musical" will be performed at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Show Me Center. Ticket prices range from $25 to $59.

Pertinent address:

Show Me Center, Cape Girardeau, Mo.