The Wizard of Odds at the Sphere – Las Vegas Advisor

I rarely go to movies and don’t remember if I’ve ever recommended a movie in my blog, but here goes a rave review. 

After hearing several positive things about the experience, Bonnie and I decided to go to the Sphere and see The Wizard of Oz. The Sphere is a big ball, just east of the Palazzo on Spring Mountain, and the entire inside of the big ball is the movie screen.

While this is the original 1939 movie, it was color enhanced sometime along the way and shortened by a couple of songs so they could have back-to-back shows in the same day, the experience at the Sphere is immersive and different from anything I’ve previously witnessed. 

I suppose I should offer a spoiler alert here — but this is an 86-year-old movie, with a couple of sequels out there, and I’m guessing most of you are generally familiar with the story. 

The first and last scenes, in mid-19^th-century Kansas, are in black and white — actually brown and white. When the tornado strikes, the theater rumbles, lights flash, and wind blows. Thousands of leaves (actually paper) fly around the theater. This kind of multisensory experience is what the Sphere was built to deliver — and it delivers it well.

While I was enjoying the spectacle, Bonnie was squeezing my leg. She was actually scared while the tornado was going on! In her own way, she was getting more out of the movie than I was. I suspect small children may also be frightened by the tornado, and later by the Wicked Witch.

After the tornado, when Dorothy wakes up in Oz, the colors are spectacular — all the more so because it was black and white previously —- and the colors cover the entire sphere above and around you. 

Just before Dorothy and the scarecrow meet the tin man, apples fall from trees. In the VIP seat area, foam apples fall from the “sky.” Many get sold on eBay for prices as high as the tickets to the show! 

There was one thing about the show that puzzled me until I slept on it. The Sphere seats around 18,000 people — and there were areas on the side that were totally empty! Tickets are in high demand, so why did they leave thousands of unsold tickets?

I think the answer was that we were in a 5:00 p.m. show. The show lasts 90 minutes, and there was also an 8:00 show scheduled for the same night. I’m guessing the logistics of emptying and cleaning the theater before the next show was such that had they sold those extra 3,000 or 4,000 tickets, they couldn’t get it all done. 

The biggest “problem” with the Sphere, in my opinion, is the location. While it is walking distance from a few casinos, it’s not a short walk. We went on Wednesday, October 15, for the 5:00 show and it was cold. While Vegas is warmer than many places in the country, it’s going to get colder through the winter months.

There is parking on the site for $20, which might be the best option. There were many thousands of Uber, Lyft, and regular taxis involved in getting so many people in and out. I was walking briskly to our car, feeling underdressed because it was so cold, and I didn’t stand around and watch how the taxi and ride sharing worked. I suspect it worked pretty well — the whole affair was run efficiently — but I can’t testify to that from personal experience.   The show is scheduled to run through April, at least. I suggest you check it out.