LowLife Staff Reviews

"O on Steroids"

From Karen D'Souza of Mercury News

"Le Reve -- "O" on steroids. As lovely and lyrical as "O" may be, "Le Reve" makes "O" look like the kiddie pool in terms of sheer, gut-grabbing theatrics and wince-inducing, free-fall high-dives. While arts purists may prefer the leisurely unraveling stage pictures that light "O," adrenaline aficionados will appreciate the Roman amphitheater atmosphere in "Le Reve." Dragone has outdone himself on aquatic thrills and chills here. The death-defying swimmer/divers plummet from the rafters to the deep end. Ziegfeld-style escapades add a dash of whimsy to the edgy, visceral non-stop action. Oh, and if you're in the mood to splurge, the "Reve" VIP package is a dream (champagne and strawberries, anyone?). VIPs also get mini TV screens on which they can admire the extreme underwater ballet of swimmers and scuba divers, in addition to the show at the surface."

More LowLife Reviews

"Flip, Flop and Fly"

(From August 29, '08)
Flip, Flop and Fly
Since we liked one of the many earlier versions of Le Reve we were anxious to see the show after they shut it down for awhile and made it "happier" for Elaine Wynn. Being big fans of Dancing with The Stars, Steve and Elaine brought in one of the DWTS choreographers to add some ballroom dancing scenes and changed many other things, too.

I'll just start by saying that we were pretty disappointed with the new show. I guess when you have the star of the show fall asleep on a bed then it gives you license to do anything, even if it's a series of totally disjointed yet often repetitive sequences.

They flip and flop on stage and then jump into the ever-present water over and over (and over) and then they take a break from that and fly down from the ceiling. And then sometimes they do all three. Some of the bits, as individual parts, are kind of cool, kind of sexy and always wet. However, ya just wonder why they added this or that as it mostly didn't make sense why it was there. I guess dreams are like that.

The lead girl who is having the dream is often just standing around watching all the action which invariably involves pale, bald muscle men. While there are some definite visually appealing dancers and acrobats doing some well-choreographed moves, we had a tough time picking up any sort of through-line of plot so the routines lost some of their power after awhile.

The ballroom dancing was good but there was just something weird about men in long black pants tucked into their shoes and women in evening gowns dancing in a couple of inches of water, splashing and slopping around, getting their finery all wet. Like many of the other bits, they just didn't seem to fit.

If I take a step back and just watch some of the acts I would say it's a visually spectacular show but if you are trying to find meaning and plot and substance, well, good luck.

It might make Elaine Wynn happier but it doesn't do the same for us.

(Our review of one of the early versions of Le Reve, before the extensive overhaul in early '08)
Le Magnifique!
After seeing Mystere at least a dozen times over the years and O several times (along with Zumanity and a couple of touring Cirque shows), I never thought I'd see a show that went one better than Cirque du Soleil. And maybe 'cause the show is so fresh on my mind having just left the theater but I gotta say I felt Le Reve was a better show than the Cirques, at least for my tastes.

Part of it was the staging itself as the theatre in the Wynn is in the round and there's not a bad seat in the house. You are literally right on top of the action although sometimes the action is right on top of you. There's water everywhere--it surrounds the stage, it shoots out of fountains, from the ceiling, even from the performers' mouths.

The story is about a girl who has a series of sexy, sensual dreams in the water and in the air. While the Cirque shows may have just a bit more athleticism (but not much more), Le Reve has more eroticism, more sexy dancing and even a topless acrobatic piece--now that's what I'm talkin' about! I also felt the females overall were sexier than the Cirque ladies (the guys are certainly buff but all of them are bald--what's up with that?)

If you have to make a choice between another Cirque show and Le Reve, I don't think you'll be disappointed with Le Reve.

"Visually stunning, a little confusing on the story part..."

Tip for Locals: You can get 2 for 1 tickets for certain shows. (A Thursday show, and the late show on Saturday.) NO BAD SEATS IN THIS PLACE!

Two for one at the Wynn, so what the heck, we decided to go. This was after they revamped the show earlier in the year, trimming out some slow spots and streamlining to about 75 minutes. The staging, the cast, the music, the special effects: All awesome.

Where I got a little lost: The story (or lack thereof), choreography, some annoying "clowns", and some of the costuming. If I hadn't read a little about the show before hand, I wouldn't have had a clue what the story was about. (Note: This is an area where apparently Mr. Wynn and the creator are putting some work on.) The show doesn't seem to flow, and the constant infusion of the four "comedic relief" characters into the show seemed to interrupt it. They weren't that funny, and I found them annoying.

Some of the costumes and choreography didn't seem that great to me. (This is where the wife and I differed a bit.) I just don't see a bunch of bald, buff men, waving their fluffy, strippy red pants at the crowd as that ground-breaking. But okay, I can get over that. But what the hell was the story with the guy in the background with the bare breasts prosthetic? Why was there a hint of lesbianism with girls stripping the other girls down to their bras? Is any of this making sense?

That being said, we still enjoyed the show. But we walked out scratching our heads a little bit. Maybe we were just overthinking it, or should have had a couple extra drinks before the show.