Awakening (Wynn Las Vegas show)

Awakening
GenreContemporary pop theater
Show typeResident show
Date of premiereNovember 7, 2022
Creative team
Executive ProducerBernie Yuman
Producer and DirectorBaz Halpin
Producer and Character DesignerMichael Curry
Producer for WynnRick Gray
WriterKelly Sue DeConnick
ComposerBrian Tyler
Composer (water and air)Kris Pooley
Production DesignerGeorge Tsypin
Costume DesignerSoyon An
Lighting DesignersJules Fisher
Peggy Eisenhauer
Sound DesignerPeter Hylenski
Illusion DesignerPaul Kieve
Screen Graphics DirectorTom Colbourne
ChoreographersMandy Moore
Phillip Chbeeb
Kevin “Konkrete” Davis Jr.
Tracy Phillips
Alex Suarez
Zoi Tatopoulos
Supervising ChoreographerNolan Padilla
Official website

Awakening is the current marquee theater production at Wynn Las Vegas.[1]  It is set in a 360-degree theater and includes illusions, music, dance and puppetry. It replaced Wynn’s long-running show, La Rêve, following five years of development and $120 million in production cost, including a custom-built 60-foot stage for theater in the round,[2] with custom LED screens built into the stage.[3]  The show’s recorded narration is provided by Academy Award winner Anthony Hopkins[4] and led by producers Baz Halpin, Bernie Yuman and Michael Curry.

Development

The show follows La Rêve as Wynn’s marquee show in Las Vegas.  It launched following “extensive” renovations to the Awakening Theater at Wynn that include a glass stage and custom LED screens.[5] At a $120 million investment, the show is the single most expensive production put on by Wynn.  Producer Baz Halpin, who also worked on Usher’s Super Bowl halftime and the Taylor Swift Eras Tour,[6] described the team’s goal as to create the "most technologically advanced show on the Strip."

According to the show’s creators, Awakening is an 80-minute show that “tells the epic tale of IO, a reluctant hero” who "braves the trials of unique worlds on her quest to reunite Light and Darkness." The show is set in a 360-dgree theater in the round with dichroic glass and embedded lights and screens, resulting in a "kaleidoscope of light" effect.[7]  Each of the 1,600 seats has individual stereo speakers, for a total of 3,200 speakers of surround sound.[8]

Awakening features a cast of 60 artists, with a total of more than 300 costumes inspired by haute couture.[2] It is produced by Baz Halpin, Bernie Yuman and Michael Curry in a team with "multiple Emmy and Tony award winners."[2] Choreographers include Mandy Moore, Phillip Chbeeb, Kevin Davis Jr., Tracy Phillips, Alex Suarez, Zoi Tatopoulos and supervising choreographer Nolan Padilla.[9]

The original score was created by Emmy-nominated composer Brian Tyler.[2][10]  The score includes music inspired by electronica, hip hop, reggaeton and dancehall. It is played through a system that includes two speakers at each of the 1,600 seats in the theater, for a total of over 3,200 speakers.[8]

Animatronics, including large-scale puppetry, were designed by Michael Curry.[11] The show includes "elaborate, oversized pieces" of puppetry, including "a larger-than-life whale floating through the air."[12]

The show’s producers claim that the show incorporates at least three "illusion techniques" "that have never been seen before."[2]

In 2024, Halpin invited Mandy Moore to refresh the show following their joint work on the Eras Tour.[13]

Reception

The USA Today said that Awakening’s "producers set out to make a show that was unlike anything else in Las Vegas."  The Las Vegas Review Journal’s initial review called the show "powerful" and noted that the dancers "impressively mix traditional styles with the show’s powerful light-and-sound technology."[14] A separate review called it "lavish, ambitious and adventurous."[15]  The Las Vegas Sun called it "next bar-setting Las Vegas entertainment spectacle."[16]

The show was named "Best Production Show" by the Southern Nevada Hotel Concierge Association.  It was also named “one of the best Vegas shows” by US News[17] and Travel and Leisure.[18]

References

  1. ^ "Bernie Yuman is 'Awakening' to his next act". Las Vegas Sun. Archived from the original on 2023-08-20. Retrieved 2025-03-03.
  2. ^ a b c d e Pener, Degen (2022-10-04). "Wynn Las Vegas Preps New Show 'Awakening' on Glass Stage in Custom 360-Degree Theater". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2025-03-03.
  3. ^ Schulz, Bailey. "Wynn Las Vegas' new show is a bit hard to describe. Producers say that's why it's a must-see". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2025-03-03.
  4. ^ McCarver, Katie Ann (2023-12-13). "Anthony Hopkins basks in the afterglow with cast at Wynn Las Vegas' 'Awakening'". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved 2025-03-03.
  5. ^ Schulz, Bailey. "Wynn Las Vegas' new show is a bit hard to describe. Producers say that's why it's a must-see". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2025-03-03.
  6. ^ West, Bryan. "Executive Producer of Eras Tour film, Baz Halpin, is behind Vegas show 'Awakening'". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2025-03-03.
  7. ^ "'Awakening' is the newest spectacle to hit the Las Vegas Strip, Sponsored by The Wynn Las Vegas". wcnc.com. 2023-08-11. Retrieved 2025-03-03.
  8. ^ a b "With debut of 'Awakening,' a celebrated showman's dream becomes reality". www.travelweekly.com. Retrieved 2025-03-03.
  9. ^ https://lasvegasweekly.com/ae/2022/nov/03/wynn-las-vegas-has-an-audacious-new-awakening/
  10. ^ Hall, Debbie. "Feature: AWAKENING (REIMAGINED) Scores Tale of Light vs. Dark at Wynn Las Vegas". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2025-03-03.
  11. ^ "Awakening at Wynn Las Vegas Continues to Dazzle Audiences". KLAS. 2024-08-27. Archived from the original on 2024-08-31. Retrieved 2025-03-03.
  12. ^ Singh, Chris (2024-09-16). "Awakening at Wynn is the most ridiculous Vegas show in history (and I love it)". The AU Review. Retrieved 2025-03-03.
  13. ^ West, Bryan. "Mandy Moore, choreographer of Eras Tour, helps revamp Vegas show". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2025-03-03.
  14. ^ "'Awakening' delivers powerful performance in Wynn premiere". Las Vegas Review-Journal. 2022-11-08. Retrieved 2025-03-03.
  15. ^ "'Awakening' to open Nov. 7 at Wynn Las Vegas". Las Vegas Review-Journal. 2022-10-04. Retrieved 2025-03-03.
  16. ^ Greenspun, Brian (2023-07-02). "Bernie Yuman is 'Awakening' to his next act". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved 2025-03-03.
  17. ^ Hood, Rachael. "The 24 Best Las Vegas Shows of 2025: Cirque du Soleil & More".
  18. ^ "15 Best Shows in Las Vegas Right Now—From Jaw-dropping Acrobatics to Mind-blowing Magic Performances". Travel + Leisure. Retrieved 2025-03-03.

Official website - awakening.com

Wynn Las Vegas - wynnlasvegas.com

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