Le Rêve: A Small Collection of Imperfect Dreams debuted in April at the fabulous new Wynn Las Vegas, Steve Wynn's $2.7 billion entry as the latest and greatest on the Las Vegas Strip. Created by Franco Dragone, formerly of Cirque du Soleil and the man behind such legendary shows as O, Alegria and Celine Dion's A New Day, Le Rêve is an acrobatic water show that pushes technology and technologists to new heights–and new depths. Played in the round under a soaring dome, the production features a pool as its centerpiece, which is 27 feet deep at its middle and filled with one million gallons of water. The 2,087-seat theatre itself is also trisected by channels of water that branch from the main pool and flow beneath three massive platforms housing the production's live band. No seat is more than 42 feet away from the action, and due to the theater's circular design, there is neither a backstage nor wings.
Instead, performers and sets appear from the depths below and fly from the space above. Lights reflecting off the water, along with projection and special effects, create a multitude of environments from peaceful to frightening, complete with rain, snow and fire. In the pool, a series of lifts rise and lower, joining at times to form a stage and–for the finale–a giant fountain. Approximately 175 technicians and other staff support the show's 68 performers, many of whom are immersed in water for much of the show.
Le Rêve's sonic challenges are mind-boggling; not only is there a combination of live and recorded music in 5.1 surround sound (composer Benoit Jutras' haunting score includes a mixture of live singing and recorded choral music from Serbia), but underwater monitoring is required for both the performers and the scuba divers of Wynn's aquatic department.
Provider of the sound system (as well as the infrastructure for both sound and video) for this unusual production was the Las Vegas office of SPL Integrated Solutions. Not long after the show opened, FOH caught up with Peter Aaronson, SPL's general manager of Western operations, and project manager Paul Turner for a chat about the project. We also spoke with Pascal Von Strydonck, assistant designer for Dragone and head of audio for the Wynn Las Vegas Aqua Theatre. "Water is the stage," explains Aaronson, who worked on the project for close to three years. "But, in addition, there are the platform elevator lifts and concentric rings around the center that allow for movable staging. Overhead are six projection screens and the mechanical means for actors to fly, and to make entrances and exits through the ceiling."
Aaronson adds that the show results from an incredible collaborative effort between the director, the producer and the cast members. Franco Dragone, the overall producer and
designer, provided the visions, and his technicians came up with the means to realize them. Daniel Leon was the audio specialist on Dragone's staff who came up with the overall
sound system design and functionality. The actual sound design was a collaboration between Daniel and Pascal Van Strydonck. Synchronized audio visuals are a large component of the show. The designers wanted the capability to use only live band, only playback or a combination. To provide the most creatively flexible environment possible, a full recording and playback studio was included in the design. Fitted with Avid/Digidesign gear, including two ICON consoles and two Pro Tools HD systems, the studio provides the capability for building audio and video programs within the theatre itself as the show evolves.
Audience seating is broken up into six trapezoidal areas within each section, which are served by their own 5.1 surround systems that also comprise the main house system. "The sound is mixed to give the entire theatre the overall program," explains Aaronson. "But each of the seating sections is also designed to have a surround sound impact."
The Meyer Sound Lab house system is flown through the open grid ceiling, which also has openings for lighting portals. Each of the six seating sections has four MSL4 enclosures, two each on the left and right for front, with UPM1Ps for rear speakers, MSL6s forcenter speakers and a cluster of four Meyer 650Ps positioned at each screen location as .1 subwoofers.
An LCS (Level Control Systems) VRAS (Variable Room Acoustic System) system uses six UPM1Ps dedicated to VRAS and also accesses the rest of the system to provide, Aaronson says, "a very convincing portrayal of different ambiences from small to large rooms as well as different outdoor effects. Depending on the intent of the composer, or the director, the system can directionally highlight screen imagery, musical imagery, or the actors. It can direct and focus the sound, and the audience's attention, to various points in the room. Not only is it extremely versatile for this show, the designers made it so the room can be configured for other purposes."
Of course, as everyone knows, sound systems and water don't mix. Except at Le Rêve, they do. So how is all that moisture dealt with?
"There's a significant ceiling height, 55 feet at the center of the dome," comments Turner. "So no matter how high something may splash from the performers, the water won't get too close to the cabinets. But there is a very high humidity factor, and the MSL center channel speakers are–literally–just a few feet away from a misting system that sends a cloud down the center of the dome. It was necessary for virtually all of the speakers [and also much of the rest of the sound package, i.e. beltpacks, microphones, Clear Com boxes. –Ed.] to be weatherproofed."
FOH and monitor consoles are Yamaha DM2000s. The band, comprised of five musicians and two singers, is split into three locations, and their personal monitors are Sennheiser SR3056 in-ears. "Using a system of MADI RME ADI648 units (provided by Brian McAll of Synthax) we bring, in and out of each of those locations, 64 audio lines," says Van Strydonck. "So there are 128 lines total on each of the three locations. The lines go to a central point, from which three identical splits are sent to the FOH console, the monitor console (manned by Steve Weiss), and a Pro Tools rig. The monitor console sends back, via MADI, mixes to the five musicians, each of whom is equipped with a Yamaha DM1000 where they can combine a stereo monitor mix with feeds of talkback mics, click track, ambiences and sound effects."
According to Von Strydonck, show control is switchable so synced sound effects can follow the actors. Sometimes, video sends MIDI to trigger audio events, and sometimes MIDI
triggers a video effect. "Daniel Leon came up with an amazing, really unique design," he says. "I'm working with three different parallel front ends while I mix the show. I have the DM2000, a Pro Tools rig and the LCS system."
"In combination with projection and effects, that provided quite a challenge in the digital domain with continuity, fiber optic and clocking issues," notes Aaronson. "It took a tremendous collaborative effort among the Wynn audio technicians, SPL engineers and outside vendors to come up with a hybrid system where all the components would talk to each other. Ultimately, the MADI system provided the solution."
Now, about that intricate underwater monitoring system (remember, sound travels faster through water than through air!), which was custom-built in-house by the Wynn audio department: Aqua performers hear the soundtrack (and, if necessary for emergency page or other reasons, the aqua managers) through a combination of speakers. Divers use helmet and face mask communication.
"A DM1000 gathers stem mixes of the main musical portion of the show from the main monitor console," explains Von Strydonck, "along with signal from 'Neptune mics'–the equivalent of a 'Voice of God' theatrical cue announce mic–which only speak under water. Those provide the show cues for the artists and technicians. They can also hear click track and the alarm tone for when the lifts will be moving. We matrix the system into four discrete underwater zones, comprised of 30 Clark Synthesis tactile drivers–basically big shakers–that are delayed to match the P.A. slap.
"So the music plays under water, there's a click track and there are multiple zones where microphones duck the music, or music ducks the microphones, depending on where we are in the show. All of this is aligned with SIA-Smaart software, using a DPA 8011 hydrophone." [Trust us, it's a lot more complicated than this, but we're out of space. –Ed.]
An extensive underwater video network is also part of the system, with cameras linked to a video control panel where the divers' stage manager can observe what the divers are seeing underwater, with the ability to communicate with them all. Controlling all of this is an aquatic managers' platform in the ceiling grid, where an "aqua console" of 13 monitors, built by SPL, is capable of tuning into whichever underwater camera the safety manager needs to observe.
"This is for safety," Turner emphasizes. "In addition to the fact that they are performing, and making entrances and exits underwater, there are oxygen issues with the scuba apparatus. There's also all the elevator machinery. Without clear vision, lighting and pathways, none of the machinery can move for fear of injuring the performers."
"Every manufacturer we dealt with was terrific," notes Turner. "Everybody pulled together and offered suggestions and information. There were a lot of things done here that hadn't been done before, and everyone went out of their way to help us out. Implementing a system of this complexity in the field, there of course had to be some adjustments to configure with the realities and contingencies of the staging and how the show needs to be supported. In the end, it's really a technical marvel."
