H'2.0': Macau's highly acclaimed show 'House of Dancing Water' levels up for relaunch

An image of a past performance for "House of Dancing Water" before it ceased in 2020. [MELCO RESORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT] MACAU — The long-awaited relaunch of Macau’s extravagant and highly acclaimed aquatic show, “House of Dancing Water,” is officially slated for May, with the artistic director Giuliano Peparini calling it a “2.0 experience.” The live stage production has undergone a complete makeover, from the characters and the plot to the choreography and stage technology. Everything has changed except for the venue and use of water, the 52-year-old choreographer told Korean reporters in a recent interview in Macau. Related ArticleSeoul Arts Center's first English-language opera production to premiere in MayActing, singing, instruments: Stars display 'triple threat' in Korean production of musical 'Once' Artistic director Giuliano Peparini speaks during a press conference for the upcoming relaunch of "House of Dancing Water" in Macau on March 27. [MELCO RESORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT] It’s been a busy year for Peparini, who wrote the first letter of the show's new script just a year ago, and also for the hundreds of cast and crew members that have been hammering away at perfecting the upcoming revamped version. “My relationship with ‘House of Dancing Water’ is like a love story that began in 2010 and that never ended, although we were separated for a time,” Peparini said. Since premiering in September 2010, “House of Dancing Water” put on nearly 4,000 performances to an estimated 6 million theatergoers until it was forced to cease in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The show took place at the Dancing Water Theater inside the City of Dreams, an integrated casino resort owned and managed by Melco Resorts and Entertainment. City of Dreams is located in the Cotai Strip area and is home to four hotels: Nüwa, Grand Hyatt Macau, The Countdown and Morpheus, which was designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, and multiple fine dining restaurants, casinos and a shopping center for luxury brands. An image of a past performance of ′′House of Dancing Water′′ before it ceased in 2020. [MELCO RESORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT] An image of a past performance of "House of Dancing Water" before it ceased in 2020. [MELCO RESORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT] A whopping 2 billion yuan ($274.4 million) was put into producing the first edition. Although Melco declined to comment on how much went into the second edition, chairman and CEO Lawrence Ho didn’t shy away from flaunting that the water extravaganza has bigger and better things in store. “It has been and will continue to be a significant force in establishing Macau as the city of performing arts,” he said during a recent press conference. “Melco’s continuous investment in this world class production symbolizes our never-ending efforts to create a world-leading entertainment experience for visitors.” An image of a past performance of "House of Dancing Water" before it ceased in 2020. [MELCO RESORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT] A view of the Dancing Water Theater, a 270-degree theater-in-the-round that can seat some 2,000 people and has a large circular pool in the center [MELCO RESORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT] “House of Dancing Water” is comprised of 300 acrobats, stunt performers, motorcyclists, certified divers and stage technicians from more than 30 regions, a stark increase from its initial 160 cast and crew members. At the core of this aquatic show, which is set to feature flying gymnasts and a 5-meter-tall (16.4-foot-tall) giraffe driven by motorcyclists, Peparini describes “House of Dancing Water” as a love story. The production follows Princess Aani, imprisoned by her stepmother, who became queen after the king died. A stranger attempts to rescue Princess Aani, but in the end, she saves the stranger using her water powers. “It’s sort of a cliché,” Peparini acknowledged, likening the plot to a children’s story. “But clichés are important and powerful,” he added while citing the example of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet.” “It’s full of clichés, but it’s a beautiful love story. I’m a big fan of tradition, so I really hope that the audience will go out of the show with something that made them feel an emotion that is not just from the power of the technology.” "House of Dancing Water" is set to feature dozens of certified scuba divers, shown here. [MELCO RESORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT] Water, the merit of the show, had the biggest complications for the artistic director. Peparini, despite having an extensive background in the performing arts — ballet, musical and opera — struggled at times during the show's preparation. “The water makes things twice as difficult because [performers would be] jumping with a costume from 30 meters and then coming out of the water and starting to dance with a wet costume that would be three times heavier,” Peparini said. “There is always some surprise with the water that we can’t really control the nature of.” He assured that the behind-the-scenes technology has been upgraded, which some 100 reporters from numerous Asian regions were able to get a glimpse of during a backstage tour. Aerial view of Dancing Water Theater, a 270-degree theater-in-the-round that can seat some 2,000 people and has a large circular pool in the center [MELCO RESORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT] A 270-degree theater-in-the-round that can seat some 2,000 people, the Dancing Water Theater contains its flagship circular pool in the center of the venue measuring 50 meters wide and 9 meters deep. It can also swiftly switch between wet and dry stages. The pool requires 3.7 million gallons of water, which is roughly equivalent to five Olympic-size swimming pools. Other precautionary methods taken against the challenges imposed by water included tailoring harnesses to each performer, due to differing weights and frames, and double-checking equipment before the performers dived from 18 meters or 24.6 meters high from the stage. The pool’s temperature is maintained at 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit), closest to human temperature, to prevent performers from catching a cold as they repeatedly jump in and out. The wardrobe department for "House of Dancing Water" prepares wigs in this behind-the-scenes photo. [MELCO RESORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT] The wardrobe department, comprised of 27 members, was also working like clockwork, responsible for creating, altering and repairing 688 costumes for the upcoming show. Forty percent of the pieces are new designs, and the team has already used 350,000 Swarovski crystals for the garments and accessories. In one of the acts, dancers face away from the audience, each donning crystal-laden skull masks on the backs of their heads. The intricate craftsmanship was admirable enough, but gasps came from reporters when the wardrobe team said that more than 3,000 crystals went into each mask. Each and every costume, as well as the makeup, are also water resistant. Surprisingly, even some garments appeared to be velvet. Synthetic materials shipped in from mainland China were used, such as neoprene, which is frequently used for wetsuits. Dancers donning crystal-laden skull masks perform during a press conference for the upcoming relaunch of "House of Dancing Water" in Macau on March 27. [SHIN MIN-HEE] A wardrobe crew member from "House of Dancing Water" glues crystals onto a skull mask in this behind-the-scenes photo. [MELCO RESORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT] At this point, it’s no question that “House of Dancing Water” is the entire package in terms of visuals, music, scale and plot. Peparini says his lifelong experience in the performing arts is what created the end results that will be unveiled to the world in May. “In my academy, I try to teach younger students to understand how the experiences that we've had in our lives is important,” he said, “to listen to people and [understand] that they were there before us and that they have lots to teach us. “Everything is good, everything is inspiring, but there are things that come from the past that are still there and still big and very strong.” Tickets go on sale starting Monday, with prices ranging from 538 Hong Kong dollars ($69) and up to 1,498 Hong Kong dollars. BY SHIN MIN-HEE [[email protected]]