Having heard so much about the show, we booked a package including two tickets of the House of Dancing Water as a Christmas gift, with round trip Turbojet tickets departed from Hong Kong.
The show is set in the 2000-seat Dancing Water Theater designed by Pei Partnership Architects; the theater is part of the City of Dreams integrated entertainment resort in Macau. To get to the City of Dreams, there is a Cotai Connection free shuttle that runs every 15mins. The shuttle connects most hotels in the Cotai area including the Galaxy, Venetian, Wynn Palace and so on. The thing you need to know is that you won't be allowed on if all the seats are taken and no standing allowed. So if you want to catch a show, you might make some time allowance.
We had no problem finding our seats in the 270-degree theater-in-the-round. It has a central stage with diameter of approximately 25 meters, surrounded by sloped seating on three sides. The theater arena has a 40-meter-high steel trussed space (30 meters clear) providing generous height to the show’s display of acrobatics.
The show ran for 90 minutes and I had to admit it was a little bit too short. As a huge fan of theatrical show and art, I would say show story line wasn’t really a surprise for me but I was most impressed with the stage design and technology.
It started the show with a lake, whose water disappeared to make walking an ease for the performers on the water surface, then seconds later it turns into a pool again, where performers were jumping from high, which again sprang a surprise by bringing out a ship from the bottom of the pool. As the show continued, you would marvel at the various design elements such as fire, water effects, and atmospheric effects. The water displays and sets were particularly well designed, massive and beautiful. The giant water set was definitely something that sets this apart from other shows.
The main stage is circular and for the majority of the performance, our seats afforded us a marvelous view. Every expression of the performers could be caught perfectly. The artists in the show are well-rounded in dance, swimming and acrobatics. It’s said that it includes over 70 artists from around the globe, including many who come from the famed Cirque du Soleil.
All in all it was a very entertaining show and the light sprinkling of water added to the enjoyable experience.
Know Before You Go
Demand for House of the Dancing Water tickets is high and you’re advised to book ahead. Prices range from HK$480 – HK$880, excluding pricey VIP tickets. It’s also worth mentioning that A zone tickets offer the best views in the house. B zone tickets allow you to be closer to the action on stage and provide good value as long as you do not mind getting wet (the first four rows are in the splash zone; towels are provided by the theater). C zone tickets are located toward the back of the stage and are the most economical option.