Theme parks rely on Mark Brymer’s Wow Entertainment for Broadway-caliber entertainment productions
As the lights dim and the music crescendos, a circular, striped tent moves onto the stage. A head pops out, singing a welcome to the audience. The tent flaps open and zombie dancers stream out. Moments later, across the stage, a man emerges from a coffin-like box.
It’s the opening number of Six Flags Over Texas’ latest Fright Fest show, Dr. H.H. Holmes’ Freakshow, and the brainchild of CEO/founder of Wow Entertainment, Mark Brymer. The show is big on spectacle, acrobatics and magic and embodies Brymer’s vision of the next generation of live entertainment in theme parks. He should know. Brymer is celebrating 50 years of music and theatrical production in the theme park industry, with a client roster that includes Six Flags, Dolly Parton’s Stampede, Disney, Warner Bros. and more.
Freakshow is one of nine new shows created by Wow Entertainment for Six Flags Over Texas in 2023, an impressive investment by the park that raises the bar for live entertainment. The new shows [see sidebars] reflect Brymer’s vision for the evolving entertainment scene at regional theme parks. “We are competing for the attention of savvy and sophisticated audiences,” explains Brymer. “In order to meet that demand, we have incorporated the latest in technology, introduced new talent and styles of entertainment, and assembled a team of Broadway-caliber producers and artists.”
It all started in a saloon
By the time he founded Wow Entertainment in 1995, Brymer already had decades of experience in the field, having started his theme park career at the age of 16 working in the shows department at Six Flags St. Louis. He began as a tech but was soon playing the piano in the park’s saloon theater, continuing on as the park’s audition pianist during the off-season. In 1979 Six Flags Over Texas hired Brymer as music director. He wrote two shows for the park that year and knew instantly he had found his passion.
He continued with Six Flags until 1995. When the company transitioned to an outsourcing model for nearly all of its show production, Brymer formed Wow Entertainment. He didn’t miss a beat; Wow continued to serve Six Flags as a contractor, in the initial transition year working with Six Flags Over Texas and by the following year producing shows in four different Six Flags parks. “Many of the shows I wrote in those early years are still being licensed and used at parks around the country,” says Brymer.
Brymer’s career path has run on parallel tracks. In addition to theme park work, Brymer is a successful arranger for Hal Leonard, a leading music publisher that licenses and distributes sheet music for everything from school talent shows to professional theatrical productions. His passion for both show production and music publishing have earned him and Wow Entertainment a reputation for cutting-edge and exciting entertainment.
Reliable, expansive and time-tested
Six Flags and other regional parks have consistently turned to Wow Entertainment to provide show production services. Frequently, Wow provides turnkey shows, encompassing everything from concept development to production and operation. But they also can work with smaller scopes and provide targeted support to entertainment departments. Some parks even prefer to have Wow keep performers and techs on their own payroll. “With the current staffing challenges, parks seem eager to have us take on that responsibility,” says Brymer.
One key benefit Wow provides comes in the form of Brymer’s extensive music library, grown and perfected throughout his decades in the industry. “We can create new shows from content that we have already custom arranged for the theme park market, cutting down on production times and costs,” explains Brymer.
Broadway caliber
Key to Wow Entertainment’s success is the quality and experience of its team. Though Brymer’s passion in theme park entertainment originated with his music, his decades in entertainment have given him knowledge on all aspects of writing, arranging, designing, casting, installing, producing and operating a world-class show.
Brymer functions as executive producer on projects and assembles a team of Broadway-caliber professionals to bring together the artistic talent necessary to mount a successful production. In many cases, that means actually reaching out to his contacts working on Broadway.
“So many extremely talented people I’ve worked with were looking for opportunities during the pandemic,” he explains. “We were able to get people working during that challenging time, and they have really fit in well with Wow Entertainment.”
The next generation of live entertainment
“Theme park shows are changing,” says Brymer, “in large part because audiences are expecting more thrilling acts and more sophisticated entertainment.” He credits television shows like America’s Got Talent for highlighting new generations of artists and the constant drive to raise the bar of performance. Even TikTok has played a role with its unending stream of quick bite-sized entertainment. Brymer’s solution is to take cues from what people love on their personal screens to touch audiences with the same kind of experiences in his live productions.
That includes utilizing technology to extend the stage. For Electro at Six Flags over Texas, Wow created LED-embedded costumes that interact with a giant LED wall during choreographed numbers. “We are pushing the envelope in the type of video production we are doing,” says Brymer. “Our shows are a constantly moving visual palette.”
It also means directly incorporating Vegas- and Broadway-quality performances into shows. For Dr. H.H. Holmes’ Freakshow Brymer introduced specialty acts like aerialists, stunt performers and acrobatics into the show. He also made sure to create a compelling storyline that keeps audiences engaged. “People come to hear the music and see the performance, but they also want to be told a good story,” Brymer says.
In the case of Freakshow Brymer turned to the tale of H. H. Holmes, the noted 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition serial killer from Chicago whose story was fictionalized in the novel Devil in the White City by Erik Larson. “I knew the Victorian style would mesh well with a Halloween steampunk aesthetic, and it lent itself to the type of death-defying specialty acts I had in mind to raise the performance bar.”
Six Flags has noticed the difference. “Mark’s connections, bringing in Broadway choreographers, costumers, and lighting designers, have exceeded our expectations and upped the game for what we’ve been able to offer at Six Flags Over Texas,” says Jill Deramus, Entertainment & Events Manager at SFOT.
Often the unsung hero of regional theme parks, live shows are key to a park’s offerings. Theaters offer high capacity, appeal to a wide demographic, provide respite from the weather, easily adapt to allow seasonal entertainment, and (unlike many rides in the park) allow families to experience an attraction together at the same time. But they require an artistic mix of spectacle, music, dance and special effects for them to work. Brymer has perfected that formula, keeping both audiences and park entertainment managers coming back for more. “Wow Entertainment is about crafting that custom, engaging entertainment experience,” says Brymer. “We are here to help make the operator’s day easier and the guest’s day more fun.”
Electro incorporated LED costumes with a giant LED backdrop wall. 
Electro incorporated LED costumes with a giant LED backdrop wall. 
Electro incorporated LED costumes with a giant LED backdrop wall. 
Electro incorporated LED costumes with a giant LED backdrop wall. 
Electro incorporated LED costumes with a giant LED backdrop wall. 
Electro incorporated LED costumes with a giant LED backdrop wall. 
Electro incorporated LED costumes with a giant LED backdrop wall. 
Electro incorporated LED costumes with a giant LED backdrop wall. 
Electro incorporated LED costumes with a giant LED backdrop wall. 
Electro incorporated LED costumes with a giant LED backdrop wall.
Wow Entertainment’s 2023 Six Flags Over Texas Shows
Wow Entertainment produced an astounding nine new shows for Six Flags Over Texas’ 2023 season:
VIVA LA FIESTA – Front Gate Show (Cinco De Mayo): VIVA LA FIESTA is a vibrant, bi-lingual musical journey celebrating the pulsating rhythms of Latin music, showcasing chart-topping hits from powerhouse artists such as Camila Cabello, Bad Bunny, Pitbull, and Gloria Estefan.
ELECTRO – Southern Palace Theater (Summer): ELECTRO is a visually stunning sci-fi spectacle set to the beats of “Sky Full of Stars,” “When Love Takes Over,” and “Battlefield.” Featuring a full cast wearing state-of-the-art LED costumes synchronized with ever changing video backdrops that illuminated the epic tale of good versus evil.
SUMMER NIGHTS – Front Gate Show (Summer): SUMMER NIGHTS is a sizzling musical experience that captures the essence of the season with sun-soaked hits like “In the Summer Time,” “California Gurls,” “Miami,” and “2 Be Loved,” delivering the vibrant vibes of unforgettable summer nights.
YODEL-AIRES – Oktoberfest Stage (Fall): YODEL-AIRES is a joyous musical journey with Helga, Heidi, and Holly, enchanting audiences with a delightful blend of traditional German tunes and surprising yodel-infused renditions of pop hits from the 2000s to today.
DJ DOOM’S BOOGIEMAN BASH – Front Gate Show (FrightFest): DJ DOOM’S BOOGIEMAN BASH is a end of the night musical extravaganza, featuring singing/dancing Ghouls, explosive special effects, a LED hoop specialty act and Ghostly sky dancers.
THRILLER FLASHMOB – In Park (FrightFest): THRILLER FLASHMOB captivated unsuspecting crowds in various locations within the park by transforms ordinary spaces into a dance-filled spectacles performing the iconic moves of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.”
Dr HH HOLMES’ FREAKSHOW – Southern Palace Theater (FrightFest): DR HH HOLMES FREAKSHOW is a chilling production recounting the dark tale of America’s first serial killer, Dr HH Holmes, narrated by his first victim, Julia. Featuring a combination of storytelling, song, dance, and mesmerizing specialty acts including a strap act, grinder girls, and the wheel of death.
NORTH POLE-A-PALOOZA – Gotham Stage (Holiday In The Park): NORTH POLE-A-PALOOZA is a yuletide, rockabilly big band spectacle where six spirited elves are celebrating their one night off of the year. As they eagerly await Santa’s return, they joyfully sing and dance to Christmas hits amidst a winter wonderland, and culminating in a surprise visit from the merry man in red himself.
CHRISTMAS AT THE SOUTHERN PALACE – (Holiday In The Park): CHRISTMAS AT THE SOUTHERN PALACE unfolds in a winter wonderland of enchantment, as the ‘Christmas Magic Dancers’ conjure a snowstorm, setting the stage for three couples to navigate through a humorous twist of fate, amidst holiday favorites like “Let It Snow,” “You’re A Mean One Mr. Grinch,” and “River,” culminating in a heartwarming conclusion with the timeless celebration of “Joy To The World.”
A JOLLY HOLIDAY – Front Gate Show (Holiday In The Park): A JOLLY HOLIDAY is a remounting of a timeless hit production that brings the magic of the season to life, starring five Victorian couples, Bugs, Daffy, Taz, Sylvester, all nine reindeer, and the iconic duo Santa and Mrs. Claus, as they joyfully sing and dance through a medley of festive holiday songs.
Celebrating Christmas
Wow Entertainment’s newest show to open is Christmas at the Southern Palace, at Six Flags Over Texas. The show is in its fourth year as part of the Holiday In The Park winter event, and according to Brymer, the park plans to run it for 20 years. “That’s one of the fun things about theme park shows – you get the opportunity to play with the production between seasons,” says Brymer. “I love to bring in new elements each year while still holding on to the core components that people cherish. Audiences love that blend of the familiar with something new and exciting.” For 2023 that meant incorporating a live band – unusual for a theme park show – adding the Christmas Magic Dancers, a Rockettes-style dance group, and having a local TV meteorologist narrate the winter snowstorm that blows onto the stage.
