3-Stage

The **3-Stage** is a stage type found at some Chuck E. Cheese locations. Most locations with these stages were originally Showbiz Pizza Place locations.

The 3-Stage introduced Munch's Make Believe Band, who are still around today, albeit in puppet and walkaround form.

## History

#### Origin

The original format for the 3-Stage dates back to the 1980s at Showbiz Pizza Place restaurants. As this stage design was the default type for the chain's animatronic band: The Rock-afire Explosion.

In the late 1980s due to changing relations with Creative Engineering, which owned The Rock-afire Explosion, ShowBiz Pizza Time decided to replace The Rock-afire Explosion with a different stage show. A few were tested before deciding to use the Chuck E. Cheese's Characters in a process called Concept Unification.

A Prototype was made around 1988 which ended up not being used, using the Pizza Time Theater designs of the characters. According to Jul Kamen (designer of the CU Prototype), after the Prototype, it was decided that Dave Thomas (a former employee of Creative Engineering), would be the one redesigning the show. Dave went on to "Mitzify" Helen to make her more marketable, and placed Munch on the keyboard due to his similar character-design to Fatz.

#### Instillation and Format

As its name implies, the Chuck E. Cheese's characters are placed on 3 separate stages repurposed from the former Rock-afire Explosion animatronic show. Everything remained the same from the Rock-afire stage with the exception of equipment being upgraded, characters being moved or removed, and the Helicopter Light being installed.

#### CEC 3-Stage (1989-)

The first Chuck E. Cheese's 3-Stage was installed in November 1989 at the original Dallas "Monfort", Texas location, and the Showbiz Pizza Time Headquaters. By this point almost everything was finalized such as the band being named "Munch's Make Believe Band". However, there were a few differences from the finalized stage, such as Pasqually's Brick Wall, Jasper's Orange Overalls, the Pink Munch's Make Believe Sign, and The Building, as well as a Singing Flower animatronic that was only installed in a few Texas stores in 1989-1990, before going extinct later in the 90s. A few other 3-Stages were installed and tested during 1990 before the finalized and full rollout of the 3-Stage in 1991.

By 1992 (some sources say 1993) all Showbiz locations open at the time became Chuck E. Cheese, with the exception of Fullerton, CA (now closed) and Tallahassee, Florida (Both were never Showbiz's and opened in December 1991 and April 1992, respectively.). After a location finishes Concept Unification, they would play a specific showatape for a few weeks before switching to the most current showtape at that time. There was a total of around 153 3-Stages installed (which never peaked at that number as a result of a few early closings (the earliest being in December 1992, not even when CU had fully ended) and removals for different stages.

Originally, the animatronics were fitted with latex masks, similar to the masks on Rock-afire Explosion characters prior to Concept Unification. In the late 1990s the characters had their latex masks updated to look more friendly. However, beginning in November 1999, in a cost-cutting measure, the latex masks on the animatronics would begin to be replaced with ones made out of plastic at all locations. Latex masks lasted in stores until 2016.

As early as the mid 1990s, characters such as Pizzacam and Munch Jr. were removed from the stages either due to neglect, or vandalization by children which made them hard to find over the years. Building and Moon also fell down this path after the 2000s. Munch Jr. went extinct in October 2020, when the Wilmington, North Carolina location closed and Pizzacam went extinct when the Huntsville, Alabama location received 2.0 in March / April 2023. However, a Munch Jr. replica was installed in the Pineville, North Carolina location during 2023. Currently one functional Building and Moon animatronics are left, located at the Charlotte, North Carolina (Pineville-Matthews) location. The other location to have them is Billings, Montana. Although, they are in poor condition.

In late 2010, a stage named the CU 1-Stage was introduced as a result of 3-Stage locations moving their showrooms due to expansions / remodels, only 3 were ever installed, and only 1 still exists as of July 2023.

From around 65 3-Stages in 2010; As of October 2023, only 5 still remain.

## Every 3-Stage in Arkansas

 Little Rock
 North Little Rock
 Fort Smith

## Remaining 3-Stages

 Tallahassee, Florida
 Billings, Montana
 Altoona, Pennsyvania
 Charlotte "Pineville", North Carolina