Awakening at Wynn is the best thing to hit Las Vegas. Yes, even better than Sphere and all its talking robots. If you find yourself wondering which of the many shows in Vegas to catch, don’t bother with any other shows.
Awakening at Wynn Las Vegas truly deserves its own show category. It’s not quite a cirque show and not quite a magic show. It’s not a musical or a dance show.
It’s a hodge-podge of it all, where world-class production meets magical costuming, technologically advanced special effects, and brilliant creativity. The final product? A spectacular, immersive show like nothing else in Las Vegas right now.
I was always intrigued by the billboards and the mini 10-second commercials of Awakening I’d see all over Vegas. It looked like such a fun show. When I finally got to see the show for myself, I was completely blown away.
It was so much better than I could have ever imagined. There was almost too much to take in during those unforgettable 80 minutes!
There was dancing, aerialists, magic, drama, comedy, singing, acting, lights/lasers, and crazy good production value, but best of all… amazing costuming. So much fantasy! So many mermaids — so many lights! The whole thing was absolutely spectacular.
Long story short: I rate it a 20 out of 10!
It was off-the-charts good. I firmly believe that everyone should experience this show for themselves. In fact, I can’t wait to watch it again in a couple of months!
For those of you interested in tickets:
PRO TIP: We actually bought our tickets on VEGAS.com and the tickets (including all the fees) were cheaper than buying directly on Wynn which was a pretty sweet deal since we needed 3 tickets. We got seats in Row G for under $100 all-in per ticket and the view was amazing. Yup, there is no need to splurge on front-row seats for this one.
For those of you want to know more about the show, let’s do a deep-dive.
What is Awakening actually about?
Awakening depicts “the story of a heroine and fellow travelers seeking to restore beauty & love to the world.”
That really doesn’t tell you much, does it? The storyline, acts, and visuals are so much crazier than that!
Set inside the most technologically advanced theater in the world, Awakening is Wynn’s brand-new spectacular production that will leave you wide-eyed in delight and gasping in awe.
At the core of Awakening is a hero’s quest to confront the forces of Light and Darkness. Light and Darkness are characters in the show. They started off in love, but then Darkness got banished from the realm for defying the laws of nature. Because she was bitter and alone, she ended up turning really evil.
The main character, IO, is then chosen to save the world. She encounters a colorful (and super impressively-dressed) cast of characters, both human and fantastical, as she navigates the challenges that unfold in her mission to reunite opposing forces and save the world.
IO basically travels to different fantasy realms to complete her mission — there’s the fire realm, the water realm, the earth realm, and the air realm. These different worlds are where the visuals and the many different scenes of the storyline get crazy (in the best way possible, of course).
The masterpiece of a show is a collaboration between some of the most creative minds in the world — Bernie Yuman, Baz Halpin, and Michael Curry. These guys have crafted a production that will blow everything else you’ve seen out of the water, seriously!
Let’s take a quick second to appreciate them:
- Bernie Yuman: Legendary entertainment producer best known for his work with Siegfried & Roy.
- Baz Halpin: Renowned director and creative producer famous for high-profile productions (like Super Bowl halftime shows, Taylor Swift concerts, etc.)
- Michael Curry: World-famous designer known for creating larger-than-life puppets and costumes for productions like The Lion King on Broadway and Olympic opening ceremonies.
- Soyon An: As a three-time Emmy Award winner, she is recognized for styling and designing original pieces for artists like Taylor Swift, Britney Spears, Katy Perry, and more.
- Paul Kieve: The master magician responsible for all the cool illusions, previous works include Broadway shows like Groundhog Day, Matilda, and The Phantom Of The Opera.
What kind of entertainment can you expect at Awakening?
At its core, it’s a variety show with a dramatic storyline, with some singing, some magic, and lots of dancing. You’ll get dazzling visuals (there are moments where you’ll feel like you’re in the middle of a music rave), a compelling narrative, and even a touch of lighthearted comedy.
Two-time Academy Award-winner Anthony Hopkins narrates the storyline, which is pretty cool if you like him!
As I said, you’ll experience many different scenes as the storyline brings you to new ‘worlds’ filled with their own unique characters. Some ‘worlds’ specialize in dancing, some in singing, some in cirque and acrobatics.
By the end of the show, you’ll get quite the variety show while feeling as if you’ve watched a whole movie.
What I loved most about Awakening
The singing, dancing, light shows, and costumes made the show what it is — a visually captivating experience. Undeniably so! But I think the four aspects that surprised me the most about Awakening were:
- the costumes – I love costumes, and these costumes were NEXT LEVEL. Even my mom agreed — best costuming ever for a Las Vegas show!
- the magic scenes – I won’t give you any more spoilers than that.
- the puppetry – Also no spoilers here, but after seeing the larger-than-life puppet, I’ll never forget Michael Curry’s name nor his brilliant creations!
- the 60-foot, 360-degree prismatic stage – an architectural wonder that changes shapes, pulses, and expands with the movements of the characters. I’ll tell you now, I’m not usually impressed by stage mechanics, but this stage was something else. The stage gets an A+ in my book.
Fun Fact: The production and theatre took over 5 years to complete and cost over $120 million. Each seat has its own speakers built in them to give you a true a surround-sound experience to enhance the original musical score and make you feel immersed.
It’s hard to pick just one, but my favorite scene had to be the one where IO travels to the underwater realm. Expect whales floating through the venue, jellyfish blobbing about, and the prettiest fantastical costumes in existence.
I’m writing this months after watching the show and I’m still so mesmerized by the photos I took. It helps me relive the show in my mind!
Wait, I heard that Awakening wasn’t that good?
Whoever you heard that from probably watched the old version of Awakening, when it first debuted. Apparently, the original version of the show was a bit slow and ‘just okay’.
This show has always been a visual masterpiece, but problems with the storyline left audiences cold. In early 2023, Awakening was temporarily paused, reinvented, and reopened at end of July 2023. They basically rewrote the beginning and ending, and substituted some acts in the story with more Cirque-style acts.
“Restaged and reimagined, Awakening is set in one of the most technologically immersive theaters ever created. New acrobatics, soaring aerialists, and choreography fill the multi-level stage, driven by an original musical score that is delivered through a custom sound system,” Wynn Las Vegas announced.
The new and improved Awakening (the one that we’re referring to in this review) is AMAZING.
What seats should you buy for Awakening?
I worried a lot about this when I was looking for tickets too. The short answer? All the seats are great.
The theater is pretty small for Vegas standards and there are seats surrounding the circular stage. Honestly, there is not a bad seat in the house.
We had seats in Row G. At first, I was concerned with being too far back. We’re all a bunch of glasses-wearers, after all.
But these seats were actually perfect! Not too close, not too far back. You could see everything that was going on both on stage and around the stage (which is important because there’s a lot going on above the stage too).
This is the view from Row G:
My final two cents: The new version of Awakening is a must-watch that very likely beats most other shows in Vegas. You certainly won’t be disappointed!
- Location: Awakening Theater, Wynn Las Vegas
- Tickets starting at $79 USD + fees
- 80 minutes – No intermission
- Playing from: Friday – Tuesday at 7 pm, with an additional performance at 9:30 pm on Fridays, Saturdays, and Tuesdays. The show is dark on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
- For audiences 5 years and older
Looking to save money on Awakening tickets? Opt for the 9:30pm show.
There are two showtimes on Fridays, Saturdays, and Tuesdays (7pm and 9:30pm). You’ll often find more availability and cheaper tickets for the later showtime.
Don’t wanna take my word for it? Watch the trailer:
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