When I first saw this show at Wynn Las Vegas in 2005, I liked it but thought the Cirque du Soleil style imagery and acts were derivative and at times disturbing. But like everything else in Las Vegas, it continues to evolve since it opened and now Le Reve manages to impress on its own merits with an improved, clearer, and less threatening storyline, enhanced special effects, and an integration of ballroom dancing that puts it on par with some of the best shows in Las Vegas.
Created originally by Franco Dragone, the man who created Cirque du Soleil’s “O,” Le Reve has many of the same thematic elements, most notably the giant water tank that people dive into, swim through, and do dramatic aerial stunts above. As with “O” the conceit can be a bit limiting but part of the shows’ evolution has been to emphasize more of the non-water based stunts and ballroom dance making it a richer experience.
The story, such as it is, is pretty much the same as it was – a person falls asleep and then wanders through an aquatic dream world of angels and demons, hopes and fears, comedy and drama. The big change, however, is that the lead character is now a woman returning home from a date with a handsome man. This shift has proved seismic in the overall tone of the show, turning it into a romantic quest – a stumble through the kinds of insecurities we all feel when exploring the boundaries of a relationship.
Gone are the misogynistic and homophobic overtones that many people picked up on in the early version of the show, even though many of the set pieces that evoked those feelings are pretty much the same. For instance a human sculpture segment, where two men angrily lock bodies while showcasing almost unbelievable feats of strength, is virtually identical. But whereas before it came across to many as a war between the two sides of human sexuality with the gay side taking a very serious beating, now comes off as a battle between the two sides of the woman’s boyfriend’s personality – is he a good, loving, caring man or is he a jerk?
That’s not to say that all of the disturbing imagery is gone but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. One particularly affecting segment looks like an aerial ballet of angels falling to earth (or water, as the case may be), only to be scooped up by a grim-reaper-esque figure collecting the dead. Whether or not that’s the intended meaning behind that part the show, or whether that’s how you’ll interpret it, is almost irrelevant. The very fact that these elements exist to challenge the willing members of the audience who want something more than people diving into a pool is noteworthy.
But for those who do want the mindlessness, Le Reve can still deliver on that. It is certainly darker than similar shows but it now contains enough humor and all of the eye-popping visual stunts and set pieces that people have come to expect from this particular genre.
And the addition over the last couple of years of some dramatic ballroom style dance is also enlivening. Mostly Latin inspired, the dancing couples are championship caliber even before you consider the fact that often they are dancing on narrow, wet walkways and sometimes actually up to their ankles in water. How they manage to do that without sacrificing the aesthetics of their choreography is nothing short of amazing.
Also noteworthy is the revamped theater. More than 400 seats were removed and the existing ones replaced with larger, more comfortable versions. Plus there is a row of VIP seats – big plushy chairs that ring the top row of the theater with built in monitors to watch the action above, backstage, and underwater. It’s difficult at first to get used to it – as is the case with most of these types of shows there is too much going on at once anyway to catch it all, but once you get the hang of when to look at the video screens (most notably when someone hits the water from a high distance) it really adds to the show. Plus the seats come with champagne and chocolate covered strawberries complimentary in the price of the ticket.
When it debuted, it was impossible to not compare Le Reve to O, but now Le Reve has established enough of its own identity that it stands as a unique and completely satisfying whole all on its own.
Le Reve
Wynn Las Vegas
3131 Las Vegas Blvd. S.
Las Vegas, NV 89109
888-320-7110
website
Price:
$99-179
Show Times:
Thu-Mon 7 & 9:30pm
Vegas4Visitors Rating: A-
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