Eras Tour choreographer Mandy Moore is helping recreate the Vegas show

The Eras Tour brought together two creative forces: choreographer Mandy Moore and producer Baz Halpin.

“We kind of circled each other, but we just never worked together until this tour,” Moore says over Zoom. “One day at lunch we were literally sitting on these road cases eating a peanut butter sandwich and he said, ‘Hey, you know, I have a show in Vegas and we’re going to redesign it a little bit. And I’m not doing that.” “I don’t know if you’d be interested in coming along.”

The “Awakening” show at Wynn Las Vegas took a short break in early 2023. When the writers revised the script and the production reworked the effects, one element was missing: Moore’s magical touch.

Tell me, Moore

Moore grew up in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Breckenridge, Colorado. She and her sister dreamed up dance routines and fashion shows before gathering their parents in the living room to show off their unique performances. If only TikTok existed in the ’80s, Moore would have dominated the social dance scene.

“Thank God, Mom and Dad, they had to sit through a lot of shows,” she says. “That was before I was even in class. My mom finally said, ‘I have to take this kid to dance class, she obviously loves music.’

From dancing in her bedroom to touring the dance studio in her hometown, Moore studied various dance genres.

“I started doing ballet and breakdancing,” she says. “I just fell in love with the movements and the structure of the dance.”

Her big breakthrough came in 2005 with the hit show “So You Think You Can Dance?” In season 1, she acted as a choreographer’s assistant. In season 3, she transitioned to dance number choreographer. From season 14 onwards, Moore served as creative producer. Moore twirled on her highest heels, changing the ball, stroking and pirouetting around Hollywood. Her work has been featured on “Glee,” “American Idol” and “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist.”

In 2016, she choreographed the Oscar-winning film “La La Land,” starring Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling. Stone introduced Moore to Taylor Swift, who asked her to sign on with the multi-billion dollar company Eras Tour.

As the show evolved over its two-year run, Moore continued to be called upon to sprinkle her golden dust on the three-hour-plus concert. Even the newest song added to the setlist on the final night of the tour in London – “Florida!!!” – benefited from Moore’s brilliance.

Then there’s her influence at a show in Las Vegas.

Moore’s Awakening

Moore took a leap of faith and joined Awakening. The Wynn Las Vegas show already had a story, production and dance numbers. She brought her fresh eyes and lived by one of her mottos: “Let’s just try.”

“I just became more committed to the show and it was a great job that came out of nowhere,” Moore says. “The incredible thing about the show is the marriage of the technology, the visual, the artistry with the poetic style of storytelling and music.”

Luckily for them, many of the elements seen on the Eras Tour were included in the Vegas production: floating platforms that break apart, LED mesh screens that form the stage floor, lights that fill every room, a magical act, that appeals to everyone for ages and a new soundtrack with a beat you can dance to from your red velvet chair. At one point the stage breaks up into multiple platforms at different heights and the dancers jump and turn effortlessly as if they were not 10-20 feet above the stage floor.

Hear from the Eras Tour film producer: Baz Halpin explains the production behind Vegas show ‘Awakening’

“A big part of my process with ‘Awakening’ was understanding what we wanted to achieve from each moment,” she says. “I did a lot of research. I’ve seen the show about 6,000 times. I do a lot of charting, breaking down each song down to the second and asking a lot of questions. I want to understand what (Halpin) and the team ultimately want.”

As Anthony Hopkins narrates the plot of “Awakening,” the story takes the audience through an immersive world. The main character IO goes on a journey to restore peace in a world divided by darkness and light. IO not only explores haunting, bright and dreamlike worlds, but also finds herself searching. Behind the breathtaking acrobatics, dancing and singing, you will notice Moore’s calling cards: dynamic storytelling, clever movements and symmetrical filling of the stage.

More Moore

Moore’s career has taken her through Hollywood, Las Vegas and – with the Eras Tour – around the globe. So it shouldn’t be a surprise that Moore wants to make another stop.

“Olympic games! I want to do the opening or closing ceremony!” she says. “I’ll just get this out there.”

The Summer Games will actually take place in Los Angeles in 2028.

You can see “Awakening” at Wynn Las Vegas. The show evenings take place from Friday to Tuesday.

Click here for more information.

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