LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — "O" at the Bellagio is celebrating its 25-year anniversary. Artists in the show take the audience to new heights not only above the stage but through aquatic performances.
More than 11,000 performances have taken the stage since opening in 1998, with water as the main canvas where performances are choreographed above and even below the surface.
UNDERWATER
When you step inside the "O" theater, you see a performance on stage and on the water. But what the Aquatics Team Supervisor says you don't see, is what goes on underwater.
"You got so many different talented people that all work well together and you see it when you're out in the theater, you're watching the show, how it seamlessly comes together but there's so much going on in the background that work together seamlessly," said Chum Stine, Aquatics Team Supervisor at "O".
We had a chance to go beneath the stage for an entirely unique view where a team of scuba divers and technicians conduct their own choreographed performance during each show inside this massive tank holding 1.5 million gallons of water.
Performers swim and dive as deep as 17 feet but this pool reaches a total depth of 25 feet, with hoses and important mechanic components sitting at the very bottom.
A yellow line shows where performers wait just below the surface.
"They grab that line and pull them into whatever air station and the center of each window will have regulators that are hanging down that's hooked to an air regulator system that we have," Stine said. "They'll just grab it and start breathing and wait for their cue to move and do their water dance or whatever it is they got to do. Then they can move back to this spot, get more air and go back and forth, back and forth."
The pool is also surrounded by speakers so performers can clearly hear any cues and or guidance from stage managers.
"The only time you'll have a hard time hearing is if you're in the bubbles, the masking, and you're in the center. That will dissipate that sound and you won't hear anything but the pool audio is great," Stine said.
AERIAL HOOPS
This cast and crew rehearses stringently. Aerial Hoop Artist and Coach, Mike Wynn, took time to actually show us some moves.
"We'll go slow. We will straddle but we're going to put the hoop in between, cross the leg, cross the leg, then you can actually keep one hand on and let go or if you get it high enough, you can actually let go. But I don't think we're going to go that far," Wynn said.
"I think I bit more than I can chew," Channel 13 anchor, Justin Hinton, said.
Of course, it all comes with lots of practice.
"Every day is a little different. We'll have training. Sometimes as early as 12:30 even though we're here until 11:15 -11:20 at night but some days you're here at 6. You get your makeup on, get warmed up and the show starts at 7," Wynn said.
Through it all, Wynn said he's still in awe of what he gets to do for a living.
"Towards the end of the show, there's this moment called 'Family Portrait' and we're all sitting back there and posing," Wynn said. "You either have the choice just to be like ugh, it's almost over. I get to go eat after this or like you look around and you see the proscenium and you see the 1,800 and you're like whoa. How? How did this happen?"
OLDEST RUNNING SHOW
Meantime, "Mystère: is the oldest permanent Cirque show in Las Vegas.
It makes sense that Cirque's first permanent show and longest-running show in Las Vegas is "Mystère". It's a story about life's journey from infancy to adulthood and the search for answers along the way.
In the beginning, there was "Mystère", opening Christmas Day 1993. Since then, acts have come and gone. So have some of the people. However, the integrity of the show remains the same. That's the job of Senior Artistic Director, Timothy Smith, and it's one of the reasons he watches the show about once a week.
"Are there still things that blow you away when you watch," asked Channel 13 anchor, Justin Hinton.
"Every single time I watch it, mainly, the people. The people. The skillset," Smith said. "I'm not sure anyone knows but we change it on a nightly basis due to lineups, the cast. So you might come back the next time and see a new act, a different lineup, see a different visual or music."
COSTUME CARE
Maybe even a different costume. The Head of Wardrobe said some head pieces were used 30 years ago when the show started. However, new technology led to adaptations making it easier to wear, especially when upside down.
"In the last five years, we've changed it to a very lightweight fabric that makes it a lot easier," said Gabrielle Lyster-Allen, Head of Wardrobe at "Mystère".
It's just one of the details she pointed out among the sea of costumes, helping us get a clearer picture of just how intricate and specific certain pieces are.
"A belly button on the costume. So, to me, they are little details that you wouldn't see when you're watching the show because the artist is moving and you're watching everything they do," Lyster-Allen said.
She has a crew of 14, managing costumes for 64 different artists.
"They each have three to four character looks and those costume pieces, there might be five costume pieces per character look, so you start timesing all of those and then on top of that, we have backups for everybody for every costume," Lyster-Allen said.
So yeah. A lot of costumes, which also means a lot of laundry. Twenty loads a night, she says, with one person making sure they're ready to go well before show time so the artist can do what they do best: perform.
ARTISTIC PERFORMANCE
It's no easy task. Peter Marakhovsky, Senior Advisor of Artistic Performance of "Mystère" said depending on which role, it can take months to just start in the show.
"It could take up to six months to be fully fully integrated in all the roles," Marakhovsky said.
"I mean, that's just indicative of the difficulty of what you all are doing here," Hinton said.
"It is. It's not easy," Marakhovsky said.
And he has first-hand experience.
As we watched rehearsals, the recently promoted Senior Advisor explained he came to this show when he was just 21 years old, after he saw a video of a college friend performing in a touring Cirque show and thought he could do it too.
"It's been 19 years," Marakhovsky said.
"Did you think when you joined, at that young age, that you'd still be doing this 20 years later," Hinton asked.
"No. Honestly, I didn't. And then, in a moment, I'm pushing 40 but I'm still on stage and still keep up with those young kids," Marakhovsky said.
From performer to management, his role may have changed. But the work is largely the same and stretches far beyond your typical 9 to 5.
There are rehearsals before the show, strength and conditioning sessions, performance medicine appointments, costume fittings and so much more.
"It's a lifestyle in a sense," Hinton said.
"It is. It definitely is. I mean, of course, being in the same place, a resident show, makes it a little bit easier. For example, with the family. You can build your life here," Marakhovsky said.
