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The awakening is, it’s not 2005 anymore.
those days, huh? You can start a big production, weather early misfires, internal combustion and external criticism, get the boat right and ride the waves… 15 years.
When “Le Reve” opened at Wynn Las Vegas, there was more time to get it right. The show hasn’t always been a darling on the Strip. From the dark beginnings, it takes some pretty big ratchets. But that production took more than a year to get where it was needed.
Back then, people didn’t have to worry about sentencing snapshots or videos of sparse homes circulating on social media.
Alternative to “Le Reve”, The Awakening has no such advantages. The producers of the Las Vegas spectacle at the old Le Reve Theater (renamed the Awakening Theatre) had a two-week “dark” period that ended on January 31, less than three months after its January 7 premiere The show started.
Co-producer Baz Halpin said one of the holiday weeks was already planned. It was some random timing. Dark Times was wisely used for the retooled parts of the production. Halpin and his production team are preaching patience as they work on “The Awakening.”
Halpin has previously made a splash on the Las Vegas Strip. From 2007 to 2008, he designed Cher’s show at Caesars Palace Colosseum and Katy Perry’s “Play,” currently at the Resorts World Theatre.
“Like any show in Las Vegas, I think every show will go through this evolution,” Halpin said in a recent phone interview with co-producer Bernie Yuman ( Bernie Yuman also joined him. “And I think every Vegas show is built to deal with those evolutions. So this is the first step in our evolution. We’re very happy with that.”
Of course, this evolution works for “Le Reve.” Criss Angel didn’t correct ‘believe’ overnight at Luxor, but he made a decade-long run at the resort. Even “Mystere,” the granddaddy of circus acts in the Strip, took months to sell out at Treasure Island.
But other shows that did manage to get an instant fix never quite recovered.
Aria’s “Viva Elvis” and “Zarkana” are leading examples. They improved over time, but couldn’t turn a profit and closed (the great Aria theater was turned into a meeting space). With the “RUN” experiment in Luxor, the circus certainly learned an expensive lesson from the appetite of the Las Vegas market.
After careful tweaking, “The Awakening” returns with an all-new waters scene (so convincing that the show should issue outtakes to ticket holders) and new music from brilliant composer Brian Taylor.
“Brilliant” is actually a word that’s easy to attach to this show, despite the reluctance of former “Le Reve” cast members and devotees to use it. “Awakening” remains an entertaining experience for all the senses. If anything, it’s the ability to craft storylines that often paralyze viewers following the magical journey of light and dark through the three realms of light (water, earth, and air).
Audiences follow the thieves trio – IO, Bandit and Boo – while enjoying Michael Curry’s superb puppet show (Nymph the monster is sure to scare the whole family), a series of meticulously rendered hallucinations, Tyler’s whimsical score, dreamlike Costumes and dazzling choreography.
Just admiring the theater’s sound system, with external speakers built into each seat, is a unique Vegas experience in itself.
The investment in production was clearly ample, at around $120 million. The most important thing about the success of this work is its fantasy plot. That’s why legendary actor Anthony Hopkins (who was rumored to be close to Yuman) was hired to provide the narration. When you invite an Oscar winner to tell the story, the story stays.
“A big takeaway from the feedback was that viewers wanted more clarity on the storyline, the importance of the crystal (the shards of light that exist in the three realms, in this well-conceived episode) and how it was developed,” Halpin said . “So we’re weaving more detail throughout the show, and for those elements, I think in a way that I think will give more clarity to the journey that the heroes go on.”
Halpin and (especially) Yuman believe audiences will pay 80 minutes and $125 per ticket to see “Awakening.” The feeling from here is that the show’s marketing will determine its success. What happens inside the theater is amazing. Attracting a crowd that appreciates its artistry was integral to the show’s growth. PR representative Michael Weaver also said in conversation with Halpin: “We have a major digital marketing push behind the show.”
Push away, we say.
“I think it’s for publicity, right?” Halpin said. “We had a great show. The feedback from the audience walking out of the theater was very positive.” No arguments there. “Awakening” topped the league with stunned audiences.
When Halpin spoke, it seemed he was giving a pep talk about the future of The Awakening.
“I believe in what we’re doing. I believe in the show. I believe in the market,” said the veteran entertainment visionary. “As we know, Las Vegas is a town with a lot of entertainment options at night. So it’s really about making sure we get out there and let everybody know that’s the best show in town.”
cool hang alert
How about a glass of Rita Lim at Toscana Plaza Lounge on Sunday night from 7pm to 10:30pm? There seems to be no limit to the music that Lim and music director/keyboardist Dave Siegel perform live. For the next show, we had Irving Berlin, and then 80’s band Berlin. They can play medley. This favorite Cool Hang has no cover.
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily on Section A.His “PodKats!” podcast is available at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. contact him jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. follow @johnnykats on twitter, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.
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