While I was at Opryland last week, I noticed that the convention/resort/shopping mall complex hadn’t quite abandoned all it’s theme park routes. For example, there is still one ride left. They have river boats that runs around the biggest atrium that you can ride. We actually did this when we visited a few years ago. It is no Riverwalk, but if you float it, they will ride it. People are suckers for floating tours.Opryland also has a performing character called DiVine. She is a stiltwalker dressed up like a long strand of ivy. Several times a day she walks around the public areas and acts like a living plant. Since it’s hard to describe, here is the official Opryland description:
Reaching an enormous height, the 'living vine' slowly animates, moving in and out of her surroundings. She gracefully moves to the next location leaving her audience fascinated as once more she melds into her environment.
She will walk up to lampposts and wrap herself around it and then unfurls. After a while, it becomes fun to watch the people watching DiVine. The best reaction is seeing people wander up wondering what the crowd is for and then catching their reaction when the vine starts moving. The illusion is so good guests don't know it is an actor until the vine starts moving.
When she walks from spot to spot a ring of tourists and convention-goers ring her respectively taking pictures with cameras, video recorders and cell phones.
The best part is that DiVine's show is part of the general ambiance and you aren't expected to tip or give money. Gaylord is opening a resort next year in DC. It will be interesting to see what sort of gimmicky performance art they come up with for our nation's capitol. Costumed bald eagles perhaps, since the resort is on a former eagle nesting site.
Blatant Comment Whoring™: Click on the pictures for bigger views and tell me if this is something you could do for a living.
6 comments:
Hey, yellojkt - glad to see you back. DiVine is cool.
I couldn't do it, but I bet it was neat to see! Oh and where is her face in that last picture?
That is pretty cool. I've seen people react to mannequins that are real people, and I'm sure this is pretty similar. It reminds me of the scariest haunted house I was ever in; the walls in one room had a checkerboard pattern and there were people in checkered body suits. It looked like they came right out of the walls.
But am I the only one who thinks "obese drag queen" when he hears Divine?
In the last picture, her head is against the light pole and her left leg is sticking up in the air.
And the capital "V" is what separates this from the classic John Waters actor.
Yeah, but you can't HEAR the capital.
She looks pretty flexible. But I imagine that would be a requirement if you were going to be a vine.
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