For children of certain generations, there was no honor greater than being bestowed with birthday wishes by Chuck E. Cheese himself. Sure, spending the day at the titular pizza place/arcade was fun, especially with a pocket full of tokens and dreams of plastic kazoos that you could exchange for all those hard-earned tickets.
But it was when you stepped inside the auditorium when the magic truly began. The lights dim, the music kicks in, and the Make Believe Band animatronically came to life. Backing Chuck up on vocals you could always find Helen Henny and Mr. Munch, who also played the keyboard. Jasper T. Jowls was the resident guitarist while Pasqually P. Pieplate banged on the drums. They would bestow their birthday hopes and dreams upon you and then cease to have life, slumbering in place until the next mini-concert.
Chuck E. Cheese and its animatronic entertainment are still going strong in some areas but the company has decided it’s time to get with the times. Turns out that modern children, with their video games, smartphones, and virtual reality, aren’t too impressed by animatronics. So, the pizza purveyor is revamping offerings in certain locations. They’re opening up their kitchens, toning down the crazy colors, and getting rid of the animatronic band that has been their calling card since the 1970s.
The revamp is underway at four Chuck E. Cheese locations in San Antonio and three in the Kansas City area.
As for what happens to the animatronic characters, guess you’ll want to keep an eye out on eBay for them. In the meantime, the company says it’s considering hiring live performers to replace them, ironic since the original intention of the animatronics was to cut the costs associated with hiring people.
[CBS News]
