Okay, let’s be real–I haven’t seen that many Vegas shows. But I’m certainly no stranger to shows on the strip (or its theater counterpart on Broadway). Live performances are my forté, and I find few things as enjoyable as watching a cast of wonderfully talented individuals. But in Vegas, there’s a BIG problem… there are way too many amazing shows to choose from!

Awakening caught my eye at the airport. Something about a floating whale really drew my attention, and I made a mental note to look into that show if I found myself with an open evening in Vegas.

The next day, I scoped out shows, looking through everything the city had to offer. Then I took a look at the video trailer for Awakening, and I was instantly sold. I could tell it was a show right up my alley—like a mystical type of Cirque du Soleil. I love a great bargain, and I quickly learned that spotlight.vegas always had the best prices, so I grabbed a same-day ticket through their site. Within an hour of my purchase, they even called me to ensure I had my tickets.

The theater enthralled me, and from the moment I walked in I knew I was in for something special. The ceilings were draped in cloth that just swooped around the room, and a glowing circle in the center made it feel like I had walked into another world. There are two speakers around each seat, and as I sat down, I felt myself getting ready to experience something truly unique.

Word of warning–the food choices at the Wynn were crazy expensive, even for a Vegas show. I paid $9 for the popcorn, and $32 for the strawberry-spritzer (black cup). By contrast, the next night I saw a show at the Bellagio and paid $7 and $23 for essentially the same items.

As the show sprang to life, I sat at the edge of my seat for the entire evening. If there was a weak part of the show, it was the story itself, but I found myself not caring about that. Not when everything else was so spectacular. The show hinges around Lightness and Darkness falling together in a forbidden love. They are forcibly separated, their memories are wiped, and Light is divided into three crystals which a warrior named Io must retrieve.

There were so many set changes; the stage was constantly moving in all directions—up, down, left, right, and even under. The walkways moved. The stage moved. There were points where I was genuinely fearful for the performers. The stages looked fairly treacherous for them to navigate, but of course, these are the same people who were flame dancing and doing insane aerial acrobatics. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, because one thing’s for sure: Awakening has nothing but top-notch performers.

Tune in next time to find out what I thought about O at the Bellagio…