It’s an exciting time to be a fan of Dungeons & Dragons. Between a fairly recent live-action movie, a spotlight on the franchise in popular series like Stranger Things, and even a LEGO set, it seems like the D&D fun never ends. Of course, it’s also the 50th anniversary of Dungeons & Dragons, which means there have been all kinds of neat celebrations for fans to enjoy. Among them is one that unlocks a whole new realm for D&D adventurers to explore: the stage. Curious Hedgehog and Showpath Entertainment have united with Wizards of the Coast and Hasbro to bring the first-ever officially licensed Dungeons & Dragons theatrical production to life. And the The Twenty-Sided Tavern doesn’t just tell a fun Dungeons & Dragons story; it actually immerses the audience into a show that’s never the same twice.
In celebration of Dungeons & Dragons: The Twenty-Sided Tavern‘s April release, we have a first look at how the epic production comes to life. After all, a real campaign needs a properly set stage. And this stage serves as the scene for many different adventures determined by you, the audience. So, like any good DM, it has a few extra tricks up its sleeve.
We love seeing how The Twenty-Sided Tavern‘s stage takes on a fantastical energy and transforms from a blank canvas into the backdrop for many mighty Dungeons & Dragons theatrical adventures. Of course, one of the main features of The Twenty-Sided Tavern‘s build is the incredible video wall that is used throughout the show. What you see reflected on the stage toward the end of the video is called “The Carpenter’s Shop,” and it’s one of many backgrounds that you might catch during this Dungeons & Dragons stage production. You can take a closer look at it below.
What an incredibly detailed backdrop that already piques our interest. We can’t help but wonder what mysterious artifacts are hiding in all those nooks and crannies. We’d better roll for perception… or snag our ticket to this experience… to find out more. The Twenty-Sided Tavern shares that this Dungeons & Dragons theatrical production has “34 backgrounds with five additional variations and 21 background specific additional effects that overlay on top of them, 28 combat effects, over 40 custom character illustrations between preshow/game room chalk drawings, 40 item cards, and well over 300 individual pieces of content that you might see on any given night.”
The video wall is also where The Twenty-Sided Tavern displays dice cameras for live rolls that will greatly impact the story of the evening’s show. We can see how, much like Dungeons & Dragons, this interactive stage production always has a new twist to deliver.
In addition to “The Carpenter’s Shop,” we feel thrilled to give you a sneak peek at “The Curious Hedgehog” setting, seen above. This Dungeons & Dragons stage location is kind of a central one, where you might rendezvous with your party to decide what comes next. We already love the cozy feeling of all these Twenty-Sided Tavern settings.
The D&D production further shares, “The video wall is used extensively throughout the show and has taken a full team of incredibly talented artists to bring it to life. The video design is by Derek Christiansen and Ruby O’Brien of dpurpurea studio, and has included the illustration, animation, and sculpt work of Jackz Boone, Axel Defois, Suzanne Helmigh, Austin Johnson, Titus Lunter, Katarzyna Madej, Cait May, Jacob Surovsky, Jonah Walker, and Margaret Dost. It also highlights the work of our character illustrator, Noah Ruff, item card illustrator, Bear Gio, and Set/Props/Costume designer K.C. McGeorge.”
There you have it. The Twenty-Sided Tavern has set the stage. The party is gathering. The only thing missing is your character. You can buy your tickets to Dungeons & Dragons: The Twenty-Sided Tavern today. The Dungeons & Dragons stage show begins previews on April 19. It takes place in Stage 42 in New York City.
You can read the full show synopsis below:
Adventure awaits as Curious Hedgehog and Showpath Entertainment unite with Wizards of the Coast and Hasbro to bring the first-ever officially licensed DUNGEONS & DRAGONS (D&D) theatrical production to the stage this spring – The Twenty-Sided Tavern! At DUNGEONS & DRAGONS The Twenty-Sided Tavern, the audience is not just a viewer but the “fourth player,” influencing key decisions via Gamiotics, a browser-based software that allows you to vote on where the story will go — what characters appear, what experiences they explore, and more.
With a cast of five actors and over 30 playable characters, audiences will experience an expansive fantasy world set in the Forgotten Realms, and face riddles, puzzles, combat, and more, to help shape the story. Laughter will flow like ale and with the audience in full control and exciting reveals around every corner, no two shows are alike! For those seeking a more daring experience, there are opportunities to join the action onstage and test your strength (or dexterity, or wisdom, or charisma) through a variety of rollicking games, including trivia, charades, and the ever-popular Fantasy Beer Pong. Featuring behind-the-scenes talent from popular theatrical shows such as Dimension 20, Marvel’s Rogers: The Musical, Beavis and Butthead and more, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS The Twenty-Sided Tavern is the game you know and the experience you’ll love but bigger and better than ever.