Le Reve

Last night after rehearsal we headed back to the hotel to get ready to go out and see a show called Le Reve. We hurried back to shower and get all dolled up by 6:30 so we could meet up with Merrick for a drink and some food beforehand. We met her at this restaurant called the Yard House. A few of us ordered some beers, and when asked if we would like the 'big ones' we agreed, thinking we would receive a 23 ounce or a even a mug. Our waiter brought out glasses full of beer the size of my femur. Needless to say it was the largest Stella Artois I have ever drank. After some appetizers and dinner, we headed to the Wynn for the show.

Le Reve is directed by Dragone, who used to direct some of the shows for Cirque, but left to pursue his own artistic vision. The show is set in a pool of water, some 30 feet deep at parts with rising and falling platforms, trees, and circles of fire. Performers were also dropping in from the ceiling on wires, benches, and harnesses. The show incorporated swimming, acrobatics, dancing, ballroom, and acting. The story revolved around a girl who wasn't so sure if she should let go and love the new man in her life when the old one was still on her mind. She then disappeared into a dream world to figure out this dilemma. Men were dropped from 80 some odd feet in the air, and every dancer dove into the water after completing their routines. Cameron went to school with one of the clowns, and after the show he met up with us and took us to see some of the backstage area. We took an elevator down a few flights to a hallway lined with the costumes we had all seen minutes before. Turning a corner we saw acrobats and dancers scurrying out of a dressing room in their street clothes to go home for the night. Along this hallway were over 80 head shots of all the performers in the show. We then went to a cafe type room with tables and soda machines where we talked to a few performers about the job and where they had been before. A few of them actually did cruise ships before coming to Vegas. Behind us was a list of who was performing what that night. Each night the performers would have to check with this list to find out what their role would be that night; for example if last night you were acrobat 15 partnering with arealist 20, tomorrow you will be swimming acrobat 7 partnering with dancer 3. We left the show, got our car, and went back to the hotel completely blown away by the whole experience. I can honestly say that it was one of the best things I have ever seen in my entire life.

At rehearsal today we finished 'We Are the Champions'. This being the finale number of 'A Touch of Broadway' it calls for an epic finish. With some lifts I have never done, and some I have, this dance is very fast pace. Complete with lots of chest pumping, back bending, and hair flipping, it definitely pushes the envelope.

After doing a full run through of what we have of this show so far I have trouble holding my water bottle still while I try to drink from it. My feet crave the open air after being crammed into character shoes all day, and my neck goes numb after about 5 seconds of hair flipping in 'Be Italian'. On a good note, we have one more dance to learn tomorrow ('We Will Rock You'), and then we are finished learning choreography.

We leave Vegas one week from today to head for the ship, where we will install all of these shows. 7 days to go.