Jett and I were in Vegas in 2005 but did not attend any of the shows because we are cheap. As much as we love Shania Twain’s music, we would rather hear it for free on the radio – or pay $10 for a CD that we can keep for years – than shell out $300 for a pair of tickets so that we can see her in person for 90 minutes from 200 feet away.

And we probably wouldn’t have seen any shows on this trip if not for the extraordinary generosity of Jett’s son, Devin. Besides arranging the MGM Grand stay for Sybil, he also gave us 3 tickets to two ton-notch shows: KA, a Cirque du Soleil production at the MGM Grand, and Le Reve, at the Wynn.

Now that we have actually seen a couple of shows I can comment like I am an expert.  First, are they as good as the hype?  Yes.  We were not disappointed.  Are they as good as Broadway shows?  In their own way, yes, but it is an unfair comparison.  You don’t find Phantom of the Opera in Vegas and you don’t find KA in New York.  Phantom is dramatic and KA is acrobatic.  Different cities, different audiences.  But the Vegas shows, while lacking dramatic storylines, are indisputably dramatic in a circus sort of way (we found ourselves holding our breath at both) and thoroughly entertaining.

First, KA. You can click on the link to get all the details, but the general idea is this: imperial twins, a brother and sister, are separated by an attack from a rival tribe of archers. They suffer through a series of ordeals and adventures – and find new loves – before being reunited.

Not much of a story, but the presentation is incredible. First, I was surprised by the size of the theater – almost 2,000 seats – and the elaborate stage which includes bamboo-like scaffolding from floor to ceiling. This scaffolding is integrated into the play by providing places for the archers to launch their attack.

The true star of KA is the stage. It is simply amazing. The space rises nearly 100 feet above the stage level, if there were a stage (which there isn’t, for much of the production). Apparently the stage pit drops 50 feet below the stage level, creating a total drop of about 150 feet. The main “stage” is a huge hydraulic platform that rotates, tilts and basically transforms itself in each of the scenes, becoming a beach in one and an icy cliff in another. In the most breathtaking scene it tilts to be nearly vertical to serve as a mountain wall and, as the archers attack, “arrows” (actually steel posts) appear on the surface and provide bars on which the performers may swing and twirl. Doing acrobatics, without safety harnesses, nearly 100 feet in the air, is truly breathtaking.

There are other acrobatics – most notably two guys doing a “wheel of death” act – and some other amazing tricks from the set, including a very dramatic boat-in-a-storm scene. But, oddly, our favorite scene was a very serene hand-puppet act in which the boy twin and his protector create hand shadows. I have never seen hand shadows done this well. You simply have to see the cat lapping milk from a bowl to believe that it is all done with just 4 hands.

Photography was prohibited in the KA theater so I didn’t get any shots inside. I got one of the KA ad on the MGM hotel itself.

KA ad on the MGM Grand

Second, Le Reve. This production reportedly cost over $100 million to produce, which is a lot, but much less than the $220 million production cost of KA. The story line of this show is very simple: a man proposes to a woman who is unsure. She sleeps on it and has a dream in which various other suitors appear to woo her. The suitors include some comic magicians and a few monsters. She eventually wakes and, realizing that her real suitor is better than a magician or a monster, accepts.

As with KA, one of the big stars of this show is the stage. It is also hydraulic and undergoes many transformations. But this is essentially a show that features aquatic acrobatics and it does this superbly. Many of the scenes involve actors rising from beneath the surface of the water, so there are obviously underwater entry and exit points. One scene involving Ester William-like “legs above the surface” synchronized choreography has the swimmers under water for nearly 5 minutes, so there must be underwater breathing capability. And while some of the scenes involve a dry platform, others require deep dives, so the platform can very quickly and quietly raise and submerge.

Like the KA theater, this one rises nearly 100 feet into the air (actually 82 feet, as I found out later). In this theater the dome is a major entry and exit point – many actors drop down from the ceiling or are raised to the roof to exit. It is on the lines that drop from the ceiling on which the most incredible acrobatics are performed. In some cases couples engage in a variety of twisting, spinning movements while dangling 40 or 50 feet above the surface. Falling from there might not kill, but it would certainly hurt. And in some scenes actors are raised to the dome while being held only in wrist grips.

I give these actors a lot of credit for courage. I couldn’t do it.

One big difference between KA and Le Reve is the theater. While the KA theater is huge, the Le Reve theater is in-the-round and had a more intimate feel. We were fortunate enough to have aisle seats right next to one of the three non-water entry/exit points, so we got a very close view of some of the gymnast/actors.

Jett and Sybil before the show

Lobby poster

Photography was allowed before and after the show, so I can give you a few shots of the theater.

The watery stage before the show

The theater top

Curtain call

After the show we met two of the actors in the gift shop. We got a photo of Sybil with them.

Sybil with magician and acrobat

Bottom line: both shows were incredible. Thanks, Devin!