Even by Las Vegas standards, the new Wynn show Awakening is an unforgettable sensory experience. Puppetry, choreography, laser lights, more than 300 haute couture costumes and set designs based on the four elements all tell the story of one heroine and two fellow travelers chasing magic and meeting obstacles along the way.
At first glance, the 60-foot stage-in-the-round at the newly rechristened Awakening Theater appears to be just a stage. But as the adventure unfolds, it becomes part of the action. Unlike the tilting and rotating stage in KÀ at MGM Grand, this one is divided into nine pieces that can elevate to different levels and create unique landscapes for characters to traverse.
While 60 cast members are performing, 120 crew members are behind—or below—the scenes, making sure the show goes off without a hitch.
“To run the show, it takes [coordination] between the stage manager calling the queues, and a main board operator who takes care of what the audience sees,” says executive director of technical operations Dale Hurt, “and that’s the running of the lifts. And then there’s what we call a sub deck operator, who is operating [and] moving the scenery and stuff below.”
Above all that, six identical “bridges” are capable of rotating and being raised and lowered 8 to 9 ½ feet. Props like a massive cupula fit for Dionysus himself, or a life-size 26-foot tree can be brought to the stage from above or from below.
“A lot of the scenery for the show comes from above, from what we call the low grid, and is permanently hung there and is designed to telescope down and come to the stage,” Hurt says. “We [also] have scenery that comes through the oculus hole in the middle of the theater, which has a 28-foot diameter.”
Hurt says it can be a squeeze to get large, heavy props in place, especially for moves that take place in the dark.
On the other hand, light—one of the essential design elements in the show—takes up no space. The stage comprises custom LED panels and dichroic glass panels (which appear to be different colors from different angles) beneath a one-inch layer of glass, polished daily.
“You can bring the floor to the mezzanine level, … The video content can travel from the floor up to the mezzanine,” he says.
Emanating from the stage and surrounding screens, light lends impact to choreography and to turning points in the travelers’ journey.
Hurt, who has been with Wynn for 19 years, says regardless of the numerous elements to harmonize,Awakening’s team of dedicated professionals pulls it off with precision, every night.
“It’s everybody working together to make sure that we can make these moves happen … position[ing] people so that we make sure that everybody’s where they’re supposed to be.”
AWAKENING Tuesday-Saturday, 7 & 9:30 p.m., $125-$190. Awakening Theater, 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!
