| Wiggles shaking up USA
By Evan Henerson Staff Writer Article Published: Friday, February 14, 2003 - 8:06:49 AM MST If you've been fortunate enough to snag a couple of tickets to one of the handful of Wiggles shows in Long Beach or L.A. this week, whatever you do, don't send them along with your child for preschool show and tell. Not unless you want to start a playground brawl. The Wiggles, the Australian musical quartet who were introduced to U.S. audiences as an opening act for the friendly dinosaur, Barney, are about as hot with the 8-and-under set as it's possible to be. Oh, the dancing muppets and ice skating Buzz Lightyears are all well and good, but the discerning 6-year-old these days wants the opportunity to shout "Wake up, Jeff!" in an arena full of schoolmates and their parents. That would be Jeff Fatt, the group's purple-shirted -- and terminally sleepy -- keyboard player. He shares the stage with band mates Murray Cook (red shirt), Greg Page (yellow) and Anthony Field (blue). Also appearing are Wags the dog, Dorothy the Dinosaur, Henry the Octopus and friendly pirate Capt. Feathersword. "They're hot right now, and they're our competition. It's that simple," says Jay Humphry, director of operations for Vee Entertainment, which is now in its 23rd year of producing the touring "Sesame Street Live" shows. "We ran up against the Wiggles about four or five years ago in Australia when they were just getting started. They were very popular and we did our best to stay as far away from them as possible." Three of the four band members met while studying early childhood education at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia. Fatt, who had played with Field in a 1980s band called the Cockroaches, completed the quartet. The group cut its first album in 1991 and performed in a series of gigs at child-care centers. Like Barney, "Dragon Tales," "Blue's Clues" or any other children's show that has spun off into a touring entity, the Wiggles owe much of their current popularity to the success of a TV program. They're on Playhouse Disney twice a day, seven times a week with a show that mixes music and animation. But unlike other live shows aimed at children, the Wiggles put on more of a concert than a story. The group tours often and plays smaller venues, more reasons their shows have become such heavy draws. "It's hard to get on their dance card right now," says Sue Beddingfield, senior vice president of marketing for HIT Entertainment, the Wiggles U.S. representative. "They're committed to coming to the United States three of four times a year, which is what they feel they need to do to have enough exposure over here. And they sell out totally every time they come over." If it seems like the Wiggles are everywhere, that's part of HIT's marketing campaign. They've appeared on the "Today" show and, last holiday season, in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade. The band was already a top act down under when HIT administrators decided to test-screen Wiggles videos with children in the United States. "They connected immediately," says Beddingfield. "They laughed, they got up and danced. They'd say, 'I want to be the red one!' or they'd shout, 'Wake up, Jeff!' at the TV. It looked like a phenomenon." Going on the industry assumption that it takes four years to build an overnight success, marketing efforts included strategic appearances at malls and retail stores and concert appearances during the intermissions of live Barney shows. The Wiggles got promos on Barney tapes and the band kicked off a Thanksgiving toy drive two seasons ago. "The big general mass awareness came last January when we placed them on Playhouse Disney," says Beddingfield. "We thought the music videos and the short-form programming was a great thing for both of us. Truly at the heart of it, the guys are a band, a musical act." THE WIGGLES Where: Terrace Theatre, 300 E. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach; Universal Amphitheatre, 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City. When: 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. today and Sunday in Long Beach; 2 p.m. Monday and 7 p.m. Tuesday at Universal. Tickets: $15 to $25 in Long Beach; $19 to $34 at Universal. Call (213) 480-3232 or (818) 252-8497 or visit www.ticketmaster.com |
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