The show opened on October 9th 2007 and my first experience with JTA was when my son was about 11 years old, the show had recently opened and he wanted to do it. I have been a Star Wars fan for as long as I can remember and I guess it rubbed off on him.
We went to the first show that morning and when the Jedi Master came out my son started jumping up and down, waving his hand and shouting "me,me, pick me" The Master skipped him in favor of a smaller kid next to us, it was ok, I told my son that that would be a possibility, my son was fine, we had the entire day to try...or as Master Yoda said "Do or Do Not, There is No Try"
We went again and the second time he got picked, he was beyond excited, the Padawan gave him a robe and a lightsaber and he looked pumped and ready. The show went on, he battled the Dark Lord of the Sith and he was in heaven for the rest of the day.
We were very fortunate that he got to experience JTA many times and then when my daughter was old enough she did too. She actually participated in the very first, nighttime JTA during Last Tour to Endor. Both of my kids battled Vader, Darth Maul and Ventress. Since then, my kids have grown up, too old for JTA and so we haven't really stopped to watch the show at all.
But yesterday was different, it was the last day that Jedi Training Academy, as we know it, would be performed. And so I had my trusty camera, ready to capture the last couple of shows, what I was not expecting was the array of emotions I would feel.
I knew they would have different sets of cast and I wanted to take pictures of as many as I could. I arrived at the park around 3 pm and headed straight to the stage, got myself positioned and as soon as the show started I saw the same Jedi Knight that had picked my son almost ten years ago. He was definitely older and slower but still so awesome. I then concentrated my attention on the kids. Some looked ready, some looked nervous and some looked like they had no clue what they were doing. A kid actually fled the stage area as soon as Maul came out (I don't blame him, he's pretty intimidating), the Padawans got him back in, with what I'm sure were words of encouragement.
Not sure if this was the case the entire day but the last 6 shows were two tiered, meaning that there were about 12 kids on stage battling Vader and 12 on the ground battling Darth Maul. Darth Maul is my sons favorite Star Wars character and he gives his all during each show, even though it was unseasonably cooler yesterday, high 70s, he was sweating bullets while doing his thing, and I couldn't help but appreciate all the hard work the Cast Members put to bring these characters to life.
The last couple of shows were performed by another set of Cast Members, my daughter and I have come to give nicknames to some of the Jedi Knights and if you are familiar with the show you might know exactly who we are talking about, we have Old Timer (the one that picked my son for the first time) Baldy, American Idol Knight (cause he also worked as the mean judge on AIE) and Thor Knight. Thor was the one that performed the last couple of shows, he is very funny and a great improv actor.
And, of course, at the very last show some of the JTA cast members gathered to watch it, if you ever have a chance to watch a show or experience an attraction with a large group of cast members, do it. They have a different appreciation for it because they know how hard it is to put on the show. They cheered when the kids entered the JTA stage (to confused parents not knowing what the heck was going on) they cheered when the Padawans came out to give instructions to the kids, they cheered when the Jedi Knights came out and they all took the Jedi Oath for the very last time:
A Jedi uses the Force
For knowledge and defense
Never for attack
If I disobey these rules
Into the crowd I will go back
And so, the show ended to thunderous applause, tears were shed, hugs were given. The new Jedi Training:Trials of the Temple will debut some time in December, rumors abound but we can be fairly certain that the villain will be the Inquisitor from Star Wars Rebels and even though this new show will probably be awesome it could never replace battling Darth Vader.
But we must embrace change and move forward, and so I leave you with all the pictures I took yesterday, until next time...
May the Force Be With You...Always!