Delaware History Museum

Note to Dragone, former Cirque impresario, the man behind both O and Céline Dion's show down the street, and the producer of this it's-not-Cirque-even-though-it-looks-just-like-it production: If you must subtitle shows, be careful when doing so because calling something "a small collection of imperfect dreams" is just begging for a reviewer to seize upon the latter adjective and write things like "and boy is it ever." And while we are at it, why invite still more comparisons with Bellagio by setting this production, like O, in, around, and above a stage made of water?But that is Le Rêve, named for the most significant of the paintings owned by Steve Wynn, a Cirque-like and, specifically, O-evoking extravaganza featuring all the usual elements: gorgeously sculpted athletic performers who twist, contort, and mostly pose in filmy tattered outfits before and after diving in and splashing out of a giant pool. Intermittently funny clowns do their thing. Magritte figures float by. Fountains rise out of the stage. The result is pure spectacle, and that is the problem; were this a genuine Cirque show, there would be skill acts built into the proceedings -- tiny Chinese contortionists, aerialists, and so on. Here, the performers do very little, apart from some synchronized swimming and diving, and some balance work, until about 15 minutes from the end, when more traditional (but not all that challenging) skit stunts appear, along with Cocteau-inspired sets and scenes that are the most striking of the entire show. It's like the biggest, most impressive Esther Williams production you can imagine, beautiful and devoid of any content, plus some casual references to sexual violence and homophobia. And, not to take away from the performers' abilities, a lot of what they do is passive -- they are pulled, hoisted, and flown every which way, as they are called upon merely to spin, stretch, and gaze enigmatically at the audience. Speaking of which, you may wish to avoid sitting in the front rows, unless you don't mind spending 90 minutes huddling under the provided towels -- not only does the in-the-round staging mean the performers routinely splash water, but also that long, filmy costumes, when hauled out of said water and lifted high in the air, drip most impressively and most wetly on the first couple rows. Since no seat is that far from the stage, and since the farther back, the more of the complex imagery you can take, there really isn't a bad seat, so stay back and stay dry.As we were going to press, Wynn, having apparently noticed (rather late in the game) the detractions, announced that Dragone would be, shall we say, less associated with the production. A revamped version of the show will be forthcoming, courtesy of revered avant-garde choreographer Moses Pendleton (of Momix fame) and the costume designer from Spamalot! The latter makes us scratch our head, but we are eager to see the results from the former, because now the show might turn into a genuine original, as opposed to a pretension. Saturday through Wednesday 7:30 and 10:30pm. Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

Price

Tickets $100-121 (discounts available if purchased online at www.wynnlasvegas.com)

Area

In Wynn Las Vegas

Hours

Mon-Fri noon-4pm; Sat 10am-4pm

Information by Frommers