Lights of Liberty Show Receives National Honors in Los Angeles for Excellence and Outstanding Achievement by Themed Entertainment Association Awards

(Philadelphia, September 10, 2001) – Philadelphia is in the national spotlight for its Lights of Liberty Show, one of a select group of worldwide winners for excellence and outstanding achievement in themed entertainment for 2001. The Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) has named the Lights of Liberty Show one of the prestigious winners after reviewing more than 150 national and international projects. Former Mayor Edward G. Rendell, chairman of the Lights of Liberty Show, will accept the THEA AWARD at a black-tie THEA Awards Gala on Saturday, September 22 in Los Angeles. The Show spotlights the revolutionary experience using 3-D sound, five-story projection and spine-tingling special effects set against the majestic backdrop of historic Philadelphia.

"The THEA award is the equivalent of the Oscars for our industry", said Keith James, president of the Themed Entertainment Association, which established the awards in 1994. Such entertainment is presented in theme parks, science centers, live shows and zoos to name a few. The aim of the TEA is to positively influence the development of successful themed entertainment worldwide. The THEA currently represents over 550 member companies employing more than 10,000 individuals within the themed entertainment community. TEA member companies are located in over 35 states and in 16 countries around the world.

According to former Mayor Rendell, "This is a huge honor for Philadelphia. Every visitor to our City must experience this breathtaking show. We are very proud to receive such prestigious attention."

Executive Producer/President Ann Meredith acknowledged, on behalf of all those who worked on the Show, their pride in receiving the THEA award. "So many individuals have pooled their talent to present this world-class attraction in Philadelphia. To be recognized by the themed entertainment industry is a demonstration that our efforts rank amongst the best in the country."

The breathtaking drama of the Lights of Liberty Show enables viewers to experience the American Revolution as it happened, where it happened. One hundred musicians of the Philadelphia Orchestra perform a moving musical score enhanced by sound effects and the voices of celebrities such as Walter Cronkite, Ossie David, Charlton Heston and others.

Historians have praised the Lights of Liberty Show for its historic realism. "The Show brings the story to life poundingly, pulsingly, even scarily", says Michael Zuckerman, professor of History, University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Gary Nash, author, historian and director of the National Center for History in the Schools said, "no one will ever say again that history is boring or irrelevant".

In the Lights of Liberty Show, multiple images lure one’s eye across walls and buildings including Ben Franklin’s house, Carpenter’s Hall, the Second Bank and the façade of Independence Hall. Simultaneously, the sounds of horses, gunfire and a riveting musical score combine with the words of patriots Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Abigail Adams and ordinary Philadelphians to envelop and observers in the causes of the American Revolution.

In the Show, one becomes immersed in living history after joining the angry protest against the Stamp Act at Ben Franklin’s house in 1765, followed by the debate of the First Continental Congress. Viewers see the departure of George Washington as General of the Continental Army, battlefield scenes, the reading of the Declaration of Independence and the colonists celebrating the birth of their new nation. With headsets and state-of-the-art technology, an unforgettable walking journey unfolds.

Professionals in theme entertainment include the writers, producers, designers, artists, architects, technicians, engineers, directors, choreographers, educators, operators and economists who invent, create and produce these attractions.