| Tournament of Kings | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Kings on horseback during the 2006 performance | |
| Genre | Medieval |
| Show type | resident |
| Date of premiere | June 19, 1993 |
| Location | Excalibur Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas Strip |
| Creative team | |
| Producer | Peter Jackson |
| Producer | Patrick Jackson |
| Writer | Doug Baker |
| Director | Phil Shelburne |
| Stunt coordinator | Ivan Caulier |
| Official website | |
Tournament of Kings (ToK;[1] formerly known as King Arthur's Tournament) is a medieval-themed dinner show performed on the Las Vegas Strip at the Excalibur Hotel and Casino. Opened in June 1990, Tournament of Kings was the third-longest running show on the Las Vegas Strip in 2018.
As Excalibur Hotel and Casino was being architected, owner Circus Circus Enterprises's entertainment director Mike Hartzell wanted to install a show that fit the hotel's medieval theme. Inspired by watching Medieval Times in Los Angeles, Hartzell enlisted the father-and-son producer duo Peter and Patrick Jackson to create a jousting show. The Jacksons hired Doug Baker to play the main character Merlin and to write the script. King Arthur's Tournament opened in June 1990 at the Excalibur. After running for about 6,000 performances, the show closed in January 1999 and reopened the next month with a new name, Tournament of Kings. The new show featured a new script written by Baker, upgraded costumes, and a modernized set. The show is directed to families, and its cast members encourage audience participation.
Tournament of Kings is a dinner show where audience members are served a three-course meal featuring a Cornish game hen. Diners are typically not given utensils. In the show, King Arthur asks eight European kings to participate in a sporting contest to celebrate Christopher, his son. Riding horses, the kings engage in jousting and Capture the Flag. King Arthur's enemy, Mordred arrives and kills the king. The show uses a large amount of pyrotechnics as Mordred and Christopher fight. Christopher vanquishes Mordred and is crowned king.
- ^ Katsilometes, John (2017-11-25). "'Kings,' 'Legends' serve different holiday feasts on Strip". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on 2023-10-16. Retrieved 2023-10-16.