Everyone has imagined living in another place and time. How about transporting 65 million years backward to a time when dinosaurs roamed the earth?

"Walking With Dinosaurs," a spectacular arena show coming to Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, Wednesday, Sept. 2, through Sunday Sept. 6, takes you there.

Fifteen roaring, snarling dinosaurs are brought to life in this awe-inspiring theatrical production based on an award-winning BBC TV series. The life-sized, animatronic creatures in this $20 million spectacle tell the story of the dinosaurs in a true-to-science way.

The show depicts how dinosaurs evolved, complete with climatic and tectonic changes that led to the demise of many species. With almost cinematic realism, the audience sees how carnivorous dinosaurs evolved to walk on two legs and how herbivores fended off agile predators.

The largest of the beasts, Brachiosaurus, is 36 feet tall and 56 feet from nose to tail. A team of 50 engineers, fabricators, skin makers, artists, painters and animatronic experts worked for a year to build the entire production.

One of the show's big moments comes in the second act, when Tyrannosaurus Rex, the terror of the ancient terrain, takes the stage. While not bloody or gory, some of the dinosaurs do go after each other, Director Scott Faris says.

"People from 2 to 92 like it," Faris says. "It's not a kids' show in that it doesn't play down to kids. It's not 'Barney on Ice.' But it certainly is a family show. You're being educated while you're entertained. Parents love that."

Faris, says he started out as an actor, then became a stage manager and director - roles more suited to his self-described "bossy" nature. Working as part of the production team that created the "Siegfried & Roy" show at the Mirage in Las Vegas gained Faris experience in large-scale shows.

"They called me for the dinosaur show and I thought they were crazy," Faris says. "I didn't know anyone who could build realistic dinosaurs. Then I met the dinos and the team and I fell in love."

Since "Walking With Dinosaurs" opened in 2007, it has drawn rave reviews and sold-out crowds all over the world.

"The audience joined in the mix and they loved it and we just kept improving it," Faris says. "I remember calling home and saying the response was so favorable and it was a wonderful feeling."

Ten species are represented from the entire 200 million-year dinosaur reign. In addition to T-Rex, audiences will see Plateosaurus and Liliensternus from the Triassic period, Stegosaurs and Allosaurus from the Jurassic period and Torosaurus and Utahraptor from the awesome Cretaceous period.

Many area children will be clamoring to see "Walking With Dinosaurs" after they were introduced to it by "Roar to Read," a summer reading incentive in Cape May, Atlantic and Ocean county Libraries. Young readers who complete six books can enroll in a random drawing to win tickets to the show through Monday, Aug. 31.

Walking With Dinosaurs

WHEN: 7 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, Sept. 2 to 4; 11 a.m., 3 and 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 5; 1 and 5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 6

WHERE: Boardwalk Hall, 2301 Boardwalk, Atlantic City

HOW MUCH: Reserved seating tickets range from $19.50 to $69.50 and are contingent upon show dates and times. Call 800-736-1420, order online at

www.ticketmaster.com or buy them at the Boardwalk Hall box office. For groups of 10 or more, call 609-348-7021.

MORE INFO:

Go to www.dinosaurlive.com

Cop jazz band

NYC Finest Jazz Band, made up of 18 full-time New York City police officers, is an arresting addition to the free, 10th annual Jazz on the Beach Concert Series at Kennedy Plaza on the Atlantic City Boardwalk at 8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 27. NYC Finest has performed with music greats Wyclef Jean, Bette Midler, soprano Cristina Fontanelli, Cyndi Lauper and Marc Anthony. Members recently performed at the 31st Annual Kennedy Center Honors in Washington D.C.; in Madison Square Garden with The Police; and at Shea Stadium with Billy Joel. Chicken Bone Beach Historical Foundations Inc. presents the concert, which is funded in part by Atlantic City Electric Co., Kramer Beverage Co., COORS and Zeo Brothers. Go to www.chickenbonebeach.org.

Sports cards, comics

and toys, oh my

Collectors and enthusiasts won't want to miss the second free Sports Card, Comic Book and Toy Expo at the Wildwoods Convention Center, 4501 Boardwalk, Wildwood, from 3 to

9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 28, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 29, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 30. More than 100 exhibitor tables will be filled with the hottest collectibles, toys, comics, autographed memorabilia, coins, trains, t-shirts and more. Special guests, including Ron Blomberg,

Elliott Maddox, Fritz Peterson and John Montefusco of the 1970s New York Yankees, will sign autographs from 1 to 3 p.m. Call 732-422-9365 or go to www.RKSportsPromotions.com.

Celebrate Cape May's 400th anniversary

A grand 400th Anniversary Parade begins at 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 29, at Pittsburgh and Beach avenues in Cape May. The parade commemorates Henry Hudson's discovery of Cape Island in 1609 aboard the sailing vessel "The Half Moon." Charles "Bud" Swain and Patricia Mulligan, the 400th Anniversary king and queen, are grand marshals. The Fralinger String Band, below, will march, along with other bands, down Beach to Patterson Avenue. Call 609-884-9565.