The “wow” factor of Awakening, the new production show opening November 7 at Wynn, kicks in well before you enter the theater, when you parse the list of creatives who made it.
Its executive producer, Bernie Yuman, masterminded Siegfried & Roy’s 25-year engagement. Baz Halpin, who conceived Awakening and now produces and directs it, has produced concert tours for Taylor Swift, Bruno Mars and Pink. Producer/character designer Michael Curry had a hand in designing the giant puppets for Disney’s Lion King on Broadway; he goes even bigger in Awakening, with creations that can legitimately be called massive.
The show story is by comics writer Kelly Sue DeConnick, whose acclaimed run of issues on Captain Marvel inspired the Marvel movie. Composer Brian Tyler has scored dozens of hit films, from Fast Five to Crazy Rich Asians. Illusion designer Paul Kieve, set designer George Tsypin, costumer Soyon An and choreographer Nolan Padilla all possess deep stage and screen credentials. And narrator Anthony Hopkins has been in a couple of things you might have seen.
Combined with a 60-strong international cast of what Yuman calls “loyal, talented, committed, gifted, amazing performers” of all body types, and a wholesale reimagining of the former Le Rêve space that includes seats wired for individual 3D sound and a one-of-a-kind stage that’s essentially a gigantic glass LED screen, Awakening is pure Vegas audacity, on a scale the Strip arguably hasn’t seen in years.
“Awakening will redefine the Vegas spectacle,” Yuman says in a press statement. “This is a groundbreaking collaborative effort between Wynn Las Vegas and our creative team ... It will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for anyone fortunate enough to see it.”
Curry agrees, stressing that the show—which opened for previews on October 28—is a complete package, a union of performance, technology and storytelling that will startle even the most jaded of audiences.
“[Awakening] makes it possible for people to escape into a world that pushes the boundaries of entertainment,” Curry says. “The transformational stage acts as a character itself, allowing vast changes—from giving viewers the impression that they are submerged underwater to floating in a world in the clouds. These worlds come to life with imaginative characters and creatures unlike anything audiences have seen before.”
Yes, but what’s it about? At press time we hadn’t seen it yet, but according to the production team, Awakening is an archetypal heroine’s journey, with its protagonist and her two cohorts questing through a realm of magic, danger and modern myth to reunite a pair of estranged lovers.
And, as Halpin says in his press statement, the story has ample room for whatever you bring to Awakening’s 1,600-seat theater in the round.
“I’ve always been fascinated with the 360 [degree] experience and the intimacy that it creates between the audience and performers,” he says. “It allows for a level of immersivity that brings the theatrical experience to life.”
But as high-tech and unprecedented as the theater space might be, the heart of Awakening is in the commitment of its performers. And during a press launch for the show, Yuman says “the kids” are more than ready to give it.
“They’re in the moment. They’re not thinking about rewriting the past or projecting the future,” he says. “And they all deliver the promise every time they touch the stage.”
AWAKENING Opening November 7, Tuesday-Saturday, 7 & 9:30 p.m., $114-$175. Awakening Theater at Wynn, ticketmaster.com.
Click HERE to subscribe for free to the Weekly Fix, the digital edition of Las Vegas Weekly! Stay up to date with the latest on Las Vegas concerts, shows, restaurants, bars and more, sent directly to your inbox!
