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Almost everyone knows Madonna, Frankenstein and Sammy Davis Jr. But are visitors to the Movieland Wax Museum willing to pay $12.95 to see likenesses of Celia Cruz and Cristina Saralegui as well?
They will if they are Latino, the museum's managers are betting. Though Cruz is a hit in the Spanish-speaking world as "the Queen of Salsa," she is practically unknown in the Anglo mainstream. The same goes for Saralegui, who is a sort of a Cuban-American Oprah Winfrey. The pair will eventually become part of the Latin Hall of Fame at the Buena Park waxworks.
In creating the new section, Movieland joins a growing number of attractions making special efforts to boost attendance by appealing to ethnic groups. Knott's Berry Farm has been featuring mariachis and folk dancers as a part of its monthlong "Fiesta Family Fun Days" pitched to 600,000 Latino-surname families by direct mail. Sea World in San Diego holds a similar event every fall.
Six Flags Magic Mountain near Santa Clarita has plans to make its annual gospel choir concert, aimed primarily at African-American families, a twice-a-year event. And Universal Studios Hollywood not only offers multilingual tram tours but also features Spanish translation scrolls during the narration of its most prominent attractions.
The trend is an outgrowth of the changing complexion of Southern California and increased competition among themed attractions across the nation.
"In the heyday of theme parks 20 years ago, they didn't have to fine-tune their marketing. As the industry matures, they have to do more of this stuff in order to build attention in a more competitive environment," said Ray Braun, senior vice president for Economics Research Associates,...