The first land visitors to Busch Gardens Williamsburg pass through has always been England. It’s the home of such “fine attractions” as guest services, lost and found, and several gift shops. It’s not exactly the most welcoming of entrances for such a fantastic theme park.

However, smack in the middle of England is the Globe Theater, which until recently was the home of various 4D attractions, such as Pirates 4D and R.L. Stine’s Haunted Lighthouse. The theater hasn’t been used as a live performance venue in 20 years. In short, this area has been begging for some sprucing up and updating for a long time now.

The wait is over.

This weekend, May 23, marks the return of live entertainment to the Globe Theater in the form of London Rocks, Busch Gardens’ newest theatrical performance.

Make a quick left turn beyond the entrance turnstiles now, and you’re assaulted with color and vibrancy. In a good way. The Union Jack hangs in multitudes overhead, 1960s British rock blares from every corner, and red carpeted stairs lead to bright red doors adorning the newly tie-dyed exterior walls of the Globe. You really can’t miss it.

The show inside is essentially a patchwork musical journey through the British Invasion of the 60s and 70s, employing songs that even the most musical illiterate will recognize. It’s heavy on The Beatles with a healthy dose of Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Eric Clapton, and the like.

However, this is no mere musical revue; the songs are woven together to tell the narrative of young lovers Lucy and Guy as they navigate the streets of London, music, and life. It’s a compelling story with infectious music wrapped in a visual spectacle. London Rocks is very much a taste of Broadway or the West End in Williamsburg. (At 27 minutes, it really can only be a taste.)

It’s certainly the biggest, loudest, and most ambitious production of all the shows currently on stage at the park.

The show’s creators have thankfully gone with some of the best music ever written (subjective, I know). Nevertheless, it’s music made for moving, and they chose to include all the right songs in this multimedia extravaganza. Even though the cast performs many of the songs on stage (including instrumental accompaniment), they will realistically rank third for most audiences—behind the music and the visual effects.

Custom animations, projection technology, outstanding costume design, and a few theatrical smoke-and-mirrors tricks all but steal the show from the incredibly talented cast. It may be the music that draws you in, but it’s the visual spectacle that will bring you back for repeat visits.

The theater itself was basically gutted. It received a complete renovation for the show, which has been five years in the making. A team of more than 500 people worked on every facet of the show, which included a new stage for the Globe, concert-style lighting, and nearly 2,000 speakers (including 2 in every seat) to provide an immersive surround-sound experience for the audience.

There are still some 4D gimmicks in the show—including puffs of air to the face, some rumbling in the seat beneath you, and bubbles dropping from above—but they don’t seem unnecessary or desperate. In fact, you’ll probably be so taken with what’s happening on stage that you won’t even notice them.

Will the kids like it? If my two are any indication, the answer is a resounding yes. Children may not know these specific songs, but they certainly respond to them in a very visceral way. In contrast to the rather stoic reception given the performers during the media preview performance, my kids were up and dancing for the entire 27 minutes. The vibrant and unconventional costumes (including giant lips and an octopus drummer) and a brief puppet show segment will further draw in the young ones.

Despite the countless other diversions at Busch Gardens Williamsburg, Zoey (5 years old) asked to see London Rocks again that very same day. Keeping the fickle whims of a 5-year-old in mind, I’d chalk that up in the win column.

For more information about London Rocks (including the new Backstage Experience tour they’re offering), please visit the Busch Gardens Williamsburg site.

(Disclaimer: I was invited to the media preview performance of London Rocks and was a guest of Busch Gardens Williamsburg for the day. All opinions are my own.)