The President's Choice SuperDogs bring a little magic to the PNE
Credit to Author: Harrison Mooney| Date: Sat, 31 Aug 2019 14:00:26 +0000
The President’s Choice SuperDogs have done a disappearing act.
Fortunately, it’s all part of the show. The dogs — a collection of four-legged talent that has been a staple of Vancouver’s annual exhibition for more than four decades — aren’t going anywhere.
After 41 years, the SuperDogs remain one of the PNE’s top draws, filling the house for three free shows daily. As each performance approaches, fairgoers stream into the arena like it’s the only game in town, proving time and again that these pooches haven’t lost the magic.
This year, they have even built the act around it with a magic-themed show featuring invisible dogs and wizarding dogs, alongside the usual stable of incredible dogs. It’s called Abracadabark.
One wonders if that word salad was chosen over Abraca-dog-bra, but it’s clear that the SuperDogs creative director Chase (a.k.a. Leonard Chase, but he prefers the mononym) knows what he’s doing.
Chase is the MC of the President’s Choice Superdogs, appearing at the Fair at the PNE, pictured here in 2006 with Treasure and Flint.
“I own the show, I produce the show, I host the show,” said Chase, sitting on a padded podium on the show floor moments before the arena fills for the third SuperDogs show of the day. “Why is it always packed?”
With an opening statement like that, you’d think Chase was about to pump his own tires, and not for nothing. Chase has been in the dog entertainment business since 1990 when he saw his first SuperDogs show and knew he had to get involved. These days, Chase serves as both the COO and CFO, as well as host of a show that captivates audiences all over North America.
“First of all, it’s real. It’s totally real,” he said. “Second of all, we’re playful. Third of all, we always bring in something new.”
This year, the notable new additions are Nestor Maturana and his dog Chia, who provide the SuperDogs with a Penn and Teller-style magic act — Penn and Yeller, perhaps? The act, which has Chia repeatedly slipping her leash (like magic!) and disappearing on a charmingly befuddled Nestor, gets big laughs. It’s little wonder that the show’s theme is inspired by the duo — they are, after all, a very inspiring pair.
And fourth: Chase says there are only three types of people in the world — those who have a dog, had a dog, or want a dog.
The President’s Choice Superdogs show at the 2016 PNE.
In the end, it’s all about the dogs.
“Say you want a dog,” Chase said. “When you watch this show: ‘That’s the dog I want’ … If you have a dog: ‘My dog could do that.’ If you had a dog, it brings back those memories.”
At this point, the SuperDogs themselves bring back memories, too. For some, it’s memories from one’s own childhood, decades ago, perhaps, when the show was just as much a reason to visit the PNE as it is today. For others, it’s memories of last year, or last week, or yesterday — whenever their kids saw it for the first time, and have been begging for a repeat viewing ever since.
Which brings us to Chase’s unofficial fifth reason that the SuperDogs remain such a big draw in Vancouver.
“Kids never get tired of anything,” he said.
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