Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

‘Awakening,’ Ed Sheeran, Penn & Teller and more Vegas showbiz news

Awakening

Courtesy

Awakening” premieres at Wynn Las Vegas in November.

Wynn Las Vegas has finally pulled back the curtain on the production show that will replace the shuttered “Le Rêve.” “Awakening” is set to premiere Nov. 7 in the Awakening Theater (formerly Wynn Theater), “an unprecedented spectacle” conceived and created by Bernie Yuman, Baz Halpin and Michael Curry, and narrated by Anthony Hopkins.

Craig Billings, CEO of Wynn Resorts, said in a release that the show will include “state of the art lighting, sound and stage technology, coupled with intricate storytelling, glamorous costumes and large-scale puppetry.” It follows the quest of a heroine and her fellow travelers seeking to reunite two lost lovers, combining myth and magic and fantastic creatures.

“I’ve been fortunate to work with many of the greatest artists in the live entertainment space, but with ‘Awakening’ I had the opportunity to explore completely new territory,” producer and director Halpin — who has produced everything from Super Bowl halftime shows to Katy Perry’s and Gwen Stefani’s Las Vegas residency shows — said in a statement. “Our theater at Wynn has afforded us the ability to create something unlike anything else in entertainment. ‘Awakening’ is a Las Vegas spectacle on an epic scale.”

Tickets are on sale now at Ticketmaster and “Awakening” will launch with 7 and 9:30 p.m. performances Tuesdays through Saturdays. You’ll find more info here soon as well as in Las Vegas Weekly.

There was an absolute avalanche of Vegas concert and entertainment event announcements in the past week plus, so let’s try to recap: Longtime former headlining comic Rita Rudner will take the stage at the Stirling Club for one night only Oct. 28; Rod Wave brings his Beautiful Mind Tour to T-Mobile Arena on Dec. 16 with special guests Toosii and Mariah the Scientist; the Original Misfits featuring Glenn Danzig, Jerry Only and Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein will ring in the new year at Mandalay Bay’s Michelob Ultra Arena, taking the stage on Dec. 31; Bob the Drag Queen returns to Virgin to perform again at 24 Oxford on Dec. 31; Electronic music artist Subtronics will bring his immersive extravaganza to the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center on Jan. 13; Chris Tucker will be back onstage at Encore Theater at Wynn on Jan. 20-21; REO Speedwagon is ready to rock the Pearl Concert Theater at Palms on Jan. 21; Country singer Mitchell Tenpenny will perform at the Chrome Showroom at Santa Fe Station on Jan. 27; Styx will host another limited run at the Venetian Theatre of five nights from Jan. 27 through Feb. 4; Mike Epps will once again bring the laughs to the Venetian Theatre on Feb. 10-11; Dancing With the Stars Live: The Tour lands at the Pearl on March 12; Tesla will rock out a miniresidency at the House of Blues with five concerts starting on March 17 running through March 25; Mexican pop group OV7 visits the Pearl on March 17; John Mellencamp will take a break from his Live and In Person Tour to play two nights at Encore Theater on March 24-25; Depeche Mode is releasing a new album and embarking on a new tour in 2023 and that tour is scheduled to stop at T-Mobile Arena on March 30; Muse will take over T-Mobile on April 8; Jim Gaffigan returns to what feels like a solid comedy residency at Encore Theater on May 19-20 and August 25-26; and Ed Sheeran’s first stateside trek in nearly five years will stop at Allegiant Stadium on Sept. 9.

Two superstars have added new dates to their successful residency shows on the Las Vegas Strip. The inimitable Rod Stewart has extended his Colosseum concert series into its 12th year with 13 dates on tap for 2023, beginning on May 3. And one of the newest Strip residents, Luke Bryan, has put tickets on sale for a dozen shows at Resorts World Theatre running from Febr. 1 through April 1. Bryan already has six concerts scheduled to close out the year, beginning Nov. 30.

The long-running Penn & Teller magic and comedy show at the Rio is on temporary hold as Teller recovers from open-heart surgery performed last week. The famously silent 74-year-old illusionist is hoping to be back onstage in late November. Penn Jillette could return with a different version of the show featuring guests stars, as he’s done in the past, and tickets are currently on sale for Oct. 22 though no official announcement has been made.

For the first time in the local University Medical Center’s history, the hospital’s foundation will host a large-scale gala to raise funds for its mission, and the evening will be headlined by Katharine McPhee and Erich Bergen and feature a slew of artists from the Broadway stage and the Las Vegas Strip. The inaugural Evening of Hope gala is set for October 20 at Wynn, a “blue-tie” event sponsored by Felicia and Ben Horowitz and the Tony and Renee Marlon Charitable Foundation. Guests will be treated to a dinner from chefs Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger, Nicole Brisson and Bruce Kalman, and other entertainers on the bill include Jeff Civillico and artists from the Spiegelworld family of productions. Tickets are available at umcsn.com/gala.