The Vegas Show Dreams are Made of. Literally.
With all due respect to high-roller penthouse suites and VIP sky lounges, one of the most over-the-top experiences in Vegas happens at ground level—and largely underwater. More than a million gallons’ worth, in fact.
We’re talking, of course, about Le Rêve—The Dream at Wynn Las Vegas—the city’s best production show for a record-breaking nine consecutive years, per the esteemed Southern Nevada Hotel Concierge Association.
Le Rêve follows the titular Dreamer on her journey through a fantastical world, where she’s torn between her true love and a darker attraction. (The mysteriousness is only amplified by partially obscured live musicians and singers in the wings.) And however intriguing the resulting storyline may be, the truth is that you’ll be at least as drawn in by the dazzling water effects, dancing and acrobatics. We certainly were on our recent trip to see what all the buzz was about.
And now that we know, we’re sharing four more reasons you’re going to want to see this show ASAP—whether you’ve already got a trip to Vegas on the books, or still need to book one.
Even if you’ve seen Le Rêve before, it’ll be new to you
The show was recently re-imagined—so even return audience members will have a different experience now. There's a new score with 13 original songs; new costume design by a decorated Broadway veteran; new choreography by the first person in Emmys history to win three consecutive awards for Outstanding Choreography; new lighting by a Tony Award-winning team—and the tweaks go on. Point being, even if you've seen the show already, you'll really want to see the latest incarnation.
There’s not a bad seat in the house
Both the theater and the stage are built in the round, and you’ll never be more than 42 feet from the stage, so every one of the 1,600 seats at the Wynn Theater offers a great vantage point.
That said, a few factors could inform your choice of seating: The front rows tend to form a mild splash zone, so if you’re into immersive theater, there you go. The middle rows are probably the best place to catch the facial expressions of the performers. And the Dream Seats—oversized, extra-plush chairs in the last row—come with foot-level HDTV monitors where you can check out what’s happening underwater in real time. Often, that means you’ll see the scuba diver stage hands as they move set pieces, but sometimes, you’ll see the performers dive into the water or explode through the surface.
The work that goes into this show defies imagination
Because nearly every scene in this show involves water, Le Rêve is infinitely more complex to produce than the average theater show. Thus the 14 stage hands in scuba gear(!) for the duration of the 80-minute show. The stage itself acts like a French coffee press, rising up and plunging, while below the surface, performers and props wait in the wings.
The 94 performers, six of whom are former Olympians, also spend a week getting scuba-certified before they can go on stage. While performers aren’t fitted in scuba gear during the show, they often use underwater “hookahs” that allow them to take in oxygen as they wait in the submerged wings of the stage.
Backstage in the Wardrobe Shop, costumes and wigs are washed and dried immediately after the show. The next morning, staffers make sure each piece is thoroughly dry and ready for the following show. This is when they’ll also glue, sew or paint any costume that needs repair. Yet despite the daily care, Le Rêve’s gorgeously detailed costumes last only about six weeks because of the watery wear-and-tear.
The same goes for props and set pieces. Not only do these components need to look good on stage and fit the scene, but they also have to be water-resistant. And whenever a new prop is added, it has to undergo rigorous testing (Consumer Reports would be seriously impressed) to meet the show’s underwater performance standards.
You can, quite literally, dive in
Thanks to a unique, occasional offering—the Diver’s Dream package at Le Rêve—you can actually go behind-the-underwater-scenes for an up-close look at how the show is run. The only backstage access of its kind in Las Vegas, this tour leads you into every corner of the production (even the performers’ fitness studio), before taking you into the tank itself—as long as you have your scuba certification, that is.
Working with the show’s diving team, you’ll go over the basics of what to expect and learn some hand signals. And when everyone is confident and comfortable, it’s show time! “Dream Divers” (that’s you) will get to watch a live performance of Le Rêve from the “shores” of the stage, about nine feet below the surface. The package also includes a two-night stay in a Resort Room at Wynn or Encore, plus—naturally—Dream Seating tickets to a performance.