BANGOR, Maine — A large crowd has turned out Thursday to attend a stage version of a popular television game show.
“The Price is Right Live!” is at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor for a 7:30 p.m. show. The production then will head south on April 3 to the Augusta Civic Center and on April 4 to the Merrill Auditorium in Portland. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster.
A long line of people stretched outside the arena in Bangor late Thursday afternoon waiting to get in.
“The Price is Right Live!” producer Jeff Palmer calls the live production “a big celebration.” It’s hosted by Todd Newton, who won an Emmy for his role on “Family Game Night.”
“It’s so fun. People have been watching the show for over 40 years. And we’ve been such a part of people’s lives,” Palmer said.
Though the traveling show isn’t televised, the live audience will get the familiar action, scenery and prizes of the beloved show.
“We couldn’t bring all 80 games, so we picked the greatest hits,” said Palmer. That includes fan favorites such as Plinko and Cliffhangers.
Unlike the TV show, where contestants are hand-picked by producers, during the live show, four contestants are randomly selected each time, Palmer said.
“Everybody watches everyone come down,” he said, adding that some folks get so excited they do cartwheels.
“When people win, those are the real fun moments. We’ve had people pick up the host and carry him around. We’ve had marriage proposals up there,” Palmer said.
BDN Features Editor Sarah Walker Caron contributed to this report.