“The Wizard of Oz” at Sphere in Las Vegas opened the gates to the Emerald City for all fans to enjoy! Here’s what you can expect.
We all know and love “The Wizard of Oz.” Everyone has a story to go with their first time seeing the classic, and this time won’t be different. This experience makes you feel like you’re actually at Auntie Em’s farm, inside the twister, in Glinda’s bubble and that you’re really in Munchkinland.
This immersive experience truly makes you feel like you’re following The Yellow Brick Road with Dorothy, The Scarecrow, The Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion, but don’t get scared of the amount of artificial intelligence that was used to create and reformat the classic for the 16,000 square foot LED display inside Sphere.
Once the film begins and the screens come to life, it’s truly a sight to see. There were “oohs” and “awes” coming from the audience who were taking in the spectacle.
This version of the 1939 classic sees technicians rather than wizards behind the curtain, making the magic of each show happen. The audience gets foam apples thrown at them (just like how Dorothy was pelted with them by the talking trees), drone-powered flying monkeys start circulating the arena, and foam resembling snow falls from the sky when the gang is in the poppy field. But the most immersive experience is the twister that is made to feel like you’re actually inside of it.
You’re almost able to feel the humid heat a Kansas tornado produces when the funnel clouds roll onto the massive screen. High-powered wind machines are powered on, whipping through the audience, and your seat starts to rumble in sync with the thunder from the film. Suddenly, paper leaves are being swept up by the wind and smoke, with the screens showing inside the twister (which is a new scene for this version), creating the feeling that you’re swept up in the funnel cloud with Dorothy herself.
Once you’re in Munchkinland, don’t be shocked when you see all the Munchkins, though. Some of them have been enhanced or rebuilt using AI. You have to know going into this version that some characters, settings and moments will look a tad different than you’re used to.
A major feature that was added to the Sphere version of ‘Wizard’ is that every time Glinda comes to visit Dorothy, the screens and lights turn pink, and you’re transported into her pink bubble as if it were passing right through you.
All in all, the Sphere is an amazing venue for experiences like this for all ages to enjoy! If you’re a massive “Wizard of Oz” fan, it’s a must that you check this off the bucket list, as long as you go into it knowing it will be a tad different from the original…