Current:Home > reviewsMandy Moore, choreographer of Eras Tour, helps revamp Vegas show -Wealth Evolution Experts
Mandy Moore, choreographer of Eras Tour, helps revamp Vegas show
View
Date:2025-04-15 10:00:34
The Eras Tour brought two creative forces together: choreographer Mandy Moore and producer Baz Halpin.
"We kind of just orbited around each other but just never worked together until this tour," says Moore over Zoom. "One day at lunch, we were literally sitting on these road cases eating a peanut butter sandwich and he's like, 'Hey, you know, I have a show in Vegas and we're going to do a little revamp. And I don't know if you'd be interested in coming in.'"
The "Awakening" show at the Wynn Las Vegas took a brief hiatus in early 2023. As writers reworked the script and production revamped the effects, one element was missing: Moore's magic touch.
Tell me Moore
Moore grew up at the base of the Rocky Mountains in Breckenridge, Colorado. She and her sister would come up with dance routines and fashion shows before collecting their parents in the living room to show off their one-of-a-kind performances. If only TikTok was around in the '80's, Moore would have ruled the social dance sphere.
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
"Bless my mom and dad, they had to sit through many a show," she says. "This is before I was even in class. My mom was eventually like, 'I have to get this kid in dance class, she obviously loves music."
From spinning around her bedroom to circumvolving the dance studio in her hometown, Moore studied different genres of dance.
"I started doing ballet and break dancing," she says. "I just fell in love with movements and the structure of dance."
Her big break came in 2005 on the hit show "So You Think You Can Dance?" In Season 1, she served as an assistant to a choreographer. In Season 3, she moved to dance number choreographer. By Season 14, Moore served as a creative producer. Spinning in her highest heels, Moore ball-changed, brushed and pirouetted her way across Hollywood. Her work was seen on "Glee," "American Idol" and "Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist."
In 2016, she choreographed the Academy Award-winning "La La Land" starring Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling. Stone introduced Moore to Taylor Swift, who asked her to sign on to the billion-dollar Eras Tour enterprise.
As the show evolved during its two-year run, Moore kept getting the call to sprinkle her golden dust on the three-plus-hour concert. Even the newest song added to the set list on the tour's final night in London — “Florida!!!” — benefitted from Moore’s brilliance.
Then, there’s her impact on one show in Vegas.
Moore's awakening
Moore took a leap of faith joining "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 involved with the show, and it was an awesome job that came out of nowhere," Moore says. "What is so incredible about the show is the marriage of the technology, the visual, the artistry with the poetic kind of storytelling, the music."
Lucky for her, a lot of the elements seen in the Eras Tour were included in the Vegas production: levitating platforms that break apart, LED mesh screens that make up the stage floor, lights that fill every space, a magical plot that appeals to all ages and a new soundtrack with a beat you can dance to from your red velvet chair. At one point the stage breaks into multiple platforms at various heights and the dancers jump and flip effortlessly, as if they're not 10-20 feet above the stage floor.
Hear from the Eras Tour movie producer:Baz Halpin explains the production behind Vegas show 'Awakening'
"So much of my process with 'Awakening' was just understanding what we wanted to get from each moment," she says. "I did a lot of research. I watched the show like 6,000 times. I do a lot of charting, a lot of breaking down each song by the second, and I ask 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, embarks on a journey to restore peace in a world divided by darkness and light. In addition to exploring visceral, garish and dreamlike worlds, IO finds herself along the quest. Behind the jaw-dropping acrobatics, dancing and singing, you'll notice Moore's calling cards: dynamic storytelling, clever movements and filling the stage symmetrically.
More Moore
Moore's career has taken her through Hollywood, Las Vegas and — with the Eras Tour — across the globe. So it shouldn't come as a surprise there is another stop Moore would like to make.
"Olympics! I want to do the opening or closing ceremony!" she says. "I'm just going to put that out there."
The Summer Games do happen to be in Los Angeles in 2028.
You can catch "Awakening" at the Wynn Las Vegas. Show nights are Fridays through Tuesdays.
Click here for more information.
Don't miss any Taylor Swift news; sign up for the free, weekly newsletter This Swift Beat.
Follow Bryan West, the USA TODAY Network's Taylor Swift reporter, on Instagram, TikTok and X as @BryanWestTV.
veryGood! (15)
Related
- RFK Jr. closer to getting on New Jersey ballot after judge rules he didn’t violate ‘sore loser’ law
- Athletics fans prepare for final game at Oakland Coliseum: 'Everyone’s paying the price'
- Cardi B says she regrets marrying Offset: 'Always been too good for you'
- How the new 2025 GMC Yukon offers off-road luxury
- Jury selection set for Monday for ex-politician accused of killing Las Vegas investigative reporter
- Harris heads to the US-Mexico border to face down criticism of her record
- Macklemore clarifies remark made at pro-Palestine concert in Seattle: 'Sometimes I slip up'
- Chicago White Sox sweep Los Angeles Angels, remain at 120 losses on season
- 'No Good Deed': Who's the killer in the Netflix comedy? And will there be a Season 2?
- 'Experienced climber' from New York dies after falling up to 400 feet while hiking in Colorado
Ranking
- What were Tom Selleck's juicy final 'Blue Bloods' words in Reagan family
- Madonna’s Stepmother Joan Ciccone Dead at 81 After Cancer Battle
- Led by Gerrit Cole, Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge, New York Yankees clinch AL East
- Athletics fans prepare for final game at Oakland Coliseum: 'Everyone’s paying the price'
- Why we love Bear Pond Books, a ski town bookstore with a French bulldog 'Staff Pup'
- Texas official indicted, accused of making fake social media posts during election
- Safety board says pedals pilots use to steer Boeing Max jets on runways can get stuck
- Joe Manganiello and Girlfriend Caitlin O'Connor Celebrate Anniversary With Cute Family Member
Recommendation
Jamaica's Kishane Thompson more motivated after thrilling 100m finish against Noah Lyles
Lana Del Rey Marries Alligator Guide Jeremy Dufrene in Louisiana Swamp Wedding Ceremony
Why Paige DeSorbo Wasn't by Boyfriend Craig Conover's Side at 2024 People's Choice Country Awards
Menendez brothers' family slam 'grotesque' Netflix show 'Monsters' for 'outright falsehoods'
Your Wedding Guests Will Thank You if You Get Married at These All-Inclusive Resorts
Trump favors huge new tariffs. What are they, and how do they work?
Trump favors huge new tariffs. What are they, and how do they work?
Tori Spelling's longtime manager wants '60 Minutes' investigation after 'DWTS' elimination