The only other live show after Barney Live! In New York City where its vocals for the " Barney Theme Song" are sung differently compared to the one that was used from the television series. This one uses a mixture from the fourth season including the permanently closed attraction, A Day in the Park with Barney, formerly at Universal Orlando Resort. After doing the music for the attraction A Day in the Park with Barney, Joseph Phillips was approached by Sloan Coleman to do the music for the tour of Barney's Big Surprise. Phillips (and his crew) mixed and edited the show while it was being rehearsed at the same time. The show opens with a Barney plush doll sitting on a stool in the spotlight. The announcer announces that this show is made possible by the audience's imagination. As smoke fills the stage, the "Barney Theme Song" builds and erupts, in which Barney arrives. When he arrives, he greets the audience as he skips. After the song ends, Barney notices that he has so many friends in the audience, that he can’t see everyone’s smiles, leading him into the song, “If You’re Happy and You Know It”, so he knows that everyone is happy. Barney's Sense-Sational Day • Barney's Colors & Shapes • Barney's Musical Scrapbook • Camp Wannarunnaround • Barney's Adventure Bus • Barney's Stu-u-upendous Puzzle Fun! • Barney's Good Day, Good Night

From 1996-1997, some performances would feature the costumes based on the season three Barney costume and the 1996 Baby Bop and BJ costumes, but sometimes they use the 1995 Baby Bop and BJ costumes on the tour. However, in the filmed version and the 1997-1998 performances, the costumes based on the season four Barney costume and the 1997 Baby Bop and BJ costumes would be used. The original North American tour of the tour ran from September 1996 through May 1998 in four legs, separated by Winter and Summer holidays. Let's Pretend with Barney • Barney's Alphabet Zoo • Barney Live! In New York City • Imagination IslandMusical Zoo • Shapes & Colors All Around • I Can Do It! • 1-2-3 Learn • Big World Adventure • A Very Merry Christmas The first filmed live show not to have David Joyner as Barney's costume performer. Now, Carey Stinson takes that position, having done so in previous mall tours and as an alternate costume performer in Barney Live! In New York City. Please & Thank You • Egg-Cellent Adventures • Let's Play Outside • Furry Friends • A-Counting We Will Go • Best Fairy Tales In the Barney News on the 1996 Family Magazine, the songs, " John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt" and " Everyone is Special", were mentioned, but they do not appear in this live show.

The following cast of Barney's Big Surprise performed from September 19, 1997 to June 7, 1998. This was also the cast that performed on the home video release.The stage show was adapted into a book of the same name in the same year it began touring. It was written by Guy Davis and photographed by Dennis Full. The final video to have Sheryl Leach as an executive producer. Dennis DeShazer solely took over the position starting with the next video. Barney Songs from the Park • Read With Me, Dance With Me • Barney's It's A Happy Day! • It's Nice To Meet You • Barney's Red, Yellow and Blue! • Barney's Numbers! Numbers! • Barney's Best Manners: Your Invitation to Fun! • Happy Mad Silly Sad Starting with this live show onward (excluding the filmed performance of Barney's Colorful World!), a child with his/her voice being heard off-screen would usually say their introductory lines before Barney comes to life through the curtains as he greets the audience.