{"id":1978467,"date":"2025-08-25T10:03:27","date_gmt":"2025-08-25T10:03:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=1978467"},"modified":"2025-08-25T10:03:27","modified_gmt":"2025-08-25T10:03:27","slug":"the-spheres-epic-wizard-of-oz-las-vegas-spectacle-will-blow-your-mind-and-blast-you-right-out-of-kansas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/the-spheres-epic-wizard-of-oz-las-vegas-spectacle-will-blow-your-mind-and-blast-you-right-out-of-kansas\/","title":{"rendered":"The Sphere&#8217;s epic &#8216;Wizard of Oz&#8217; Las Vegas spectacle will &#8216;blow your mind&#8217; \u2014 and blast you right out of Kansas"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F2%2F2025%2F08%2F109895483-1.jpg?quality%3D90%26strip%3Dall\" \/><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>There\u2019s no place like Sphere.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>A hotly anticipated <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2023\/07\/24\/inside-the-msg-sphere-in-vegas-a-once-in-a-generation-opportunity\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Las Vegas Sphere residency<\/a> for \u201cThe Wizard of Oz\u201d kicks off Thursday, Aug. 28 \u2014\u00a0putting the beloved 1939 Hollywood classic not just back on the big screen, but at the highest resolution screen in the world, stretching 160,000 square feet.<\/p>\n<p>Featuring seats that move with the action and sound blasted out of 1,568 crystal-clear speakers, it\u2019s a setup that would likely <em>wow<\/em> even the wonderful Wizard himself.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s an experience,\u201d Madison Square Garden CEO James Dolan told The Post.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Sphere-goers will meet Oz in spectacular fashion \u2014 much like he greeted Dorothy. <span class=\"credit\">Sphere Entertainment<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Madison Square Garden CEO James Dolan called the multi-sensory show \u201can experience.\u201d <span class=\"credit\">Sphere Entertainment<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module aligncenter wp-block-nypost-editor-primary-tag\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>The man who famously sketched the initial design of the Sphere in a notebook before turning it into one of the most talked-about entertainment venues on Earth, Dolan\u2019s $2.3 million passion project turns the timeworn story of Dorothy and her eclectic gang of pals into a futuristic feast for the senses.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe engage in everything but taste and smell,\u201d said Dolan, whose team of experts has been tapping their ruby slippers together for countless hours to construct the immersive, $104-and-up per ticket \u201cexperience\u201d that\u2019s designed to transport viewers into the movie itself \u2014\u00a0sparing no expense along the way.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>The movie\u2019s epic tornado will not only be heard but also felt \u2014 with help from special effects. <span class=\"credit\">Sphere Entertainment<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Visual effects artist Glenn Derry (left) and producer Jane Rosenthal are engulfed in a haze while watching a trial run of the show. <span class=\"credit\">Sphere Entertainment<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019ll feel the wind from the tornado,\u201d Dolan said of actual gusts and fog that envelops the space at one point, powered by 12-foot-tall fans with 750 horsepower each.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd when the ground shakes, that\u2019s programmed into your chair as well,\u201d he said of the auditorium\u2019s 10,000 haptics-enabled seats in the massive venue, which soars 366 feet high.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere are some parts that will blow your mind.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Following the \u2018Yellow Brick Road\u2019 to Sin City<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>The 1939 classic starred Ray Bolger as Scarecrow (from left), Jack Haley as Tin Man, Judy Garland as Dorothy and Bert Lahr as the Cowardly Lion. <span class=\"credit\">Courtesy Everett Collection<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cGetting the rights was the easy part,\u201d said producer Jane Rosenthal, who initially suggested \u201cWizard\u201d to Dolan as an exciting follow-up <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2023\/09\/30\/u2-christens-sphere-in-vegas-bono-hails-mad-bastard-msg-owner-james-dolan\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">to buzzy residencies by U2<\/a> and the Backstreet Boys \u2014\u00a0which have been supplemented with original filmed shorts like director Darren Aronofsky\u2019s immersive \u201cPostcard from Earth.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Rosenthal thought the cinema classic would lend itself well to the Sphere, following in the film\u2019s footsteps of breaking special-effects ground.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Dolan recruited Oscar-winning visual-effects supervisor Ben Grossman, tasking him with the monumental job of inventing new ways to up the theatrical ante.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>But transforming the nearly century-old movie into a cutting-edge, all-encompassing experience, including actual fire and literal flying monkeys, was as fraught as a trip to Oz.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>The Backstreet Boys perform to a packed venue in July. <span class=\"credit\">Live Nation<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>U2 \u2014 featuring Bono (above) \u2014 opened the Sphere in 2023. <span class=\"credit\">Amiee Stubbs\/imageSPACE \/ MEGA<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>The Sphere is a spectacular addition to the Las Vegas skyline. <span class=\"credit\">Sphere Entertainment<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s rare you start a project knowing it might not be possible to finish,\u201d Grossman told The Post. \u201cYou always keep pushing\u00a0until there\u2019s either nothing left to push for, or nothing left to push with.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe way Jim (Dolan) runs the Sphere, nobody gets to a comfortable place and then stops,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Cue those flying monkeys<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Flying monkeys and the Wicked Witch of the West tormented Dorothy during her visit to Oz. <span class=\"credit\">Courtesy Everett Collection<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>At one point, the project nearly hit the yellow brick wall \u2014\u00a0and was about to be abandoned. <\/p>\n<p>After extensive work with a prototype, the team was able to showcase the result at the Sphere for the first time \u2014\u00a0it didn\u2019t go well at all, Grossman admitted. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe were feeling really good about ourselves, because we\u2019re classic Hollywood cinema professionals,\u201d he joked, revealing the horrifying moment when they viewed the original film, shot with a limiting, 1.37:1 aspect ratio, on a screen that nobody could have even dreamed of ever existing back in 1939.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt felt like a Saturday morning cartoon \u2014\u00a0we got the wind knocked out of us,\u201d Grossman recalled, saying the crew was left all but in tears.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Breathtaking visuals surround concert-goers during a U2 show at the Sphere in September 2023. \u201cThe Wizard of Oz\u201d will offer a similar experience for fans of the beloved musical. <span class=\"credit\">via REUTERS<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Ben Grossman gets a preview of the Sphere show. <span class=\"credit\">Sphere Entertainment<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Massive inflatable legs belonging to the Wicked Witch of the East \u2014 who was famously crushed by Dorothy\u2019s house in the movie \u2014 were cheekily used to promote the upcoming show at the Sphere. <span class=\"credit\">Sphere Entertainment<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignleft\">\n\t<\/aside>\n<p>But like a burst of wisdom from Auntie Em herself, a participating tech whiz on loan from Google DeepMind had a sudden brainwave.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe said, \u2018I combined this approach and this approach, and I came up with this new thing, and you can tell me if it\u2019s good.\u2019 We were, like, \u2018Holy crap \u2014 that\u2019s exactly what we\u2019ve been trying to do!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The result uses AI \u201coutpainting\u201d to expand on scenes \u2014 thus filling out the massive screen.<\/p>\n<p>That constant tweaking has continued right up to its premiere. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re still working on it,\u201d Dolan told The Post at press time.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u2018The dreams you dare to dream really do come true\u2019<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Dorothy and Toto aren\u2019t in Kansas anymore \u2014 they\u2019re in Nevada now, too. <span class=\"credit\">Courtesy Everett Collection<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>While the team may have set out to reinvent the theatrical experience, they were simultaneously resolute about staying true to the 85-year-old source material.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEverything was made with loving, deep care and attention,\u201d said Rosenthal, whose team dove into the Warner Bros. archives to figure out the original wishes of the late Victor Fleming, who directed most of the film before taking over production on another Hollywood classic,<em> <\/em>\u201cGone with the Wind.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve taken a lot of the intent of what they had wanted to do and added that to the picture,\u201d Rosenthal explained, noting they painstakingly sifted through the original shot lists, prop lists and scripts of what the \u201930s-era filmmakers intended to capture but either ran out of time, or didn\u2019t have the budget or technological means to achieve.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Jane Rosenthal, James Dolan and Ben Grossman oversee a viewing at the Sphere in Las Vegas. <span class=\"credit\">Sphere Entertainment<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Dolan said his favorite restored moment occurs in the skies, high above the Emerald City.\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignleft\">\n\t<\/aside>\n<p>\u201cThe Wicked Witch of the West is skywriting and [it normally] says \u2018Surrender Dorothy,\u2019 but in the original cut, it said \u2018Surrender Dorothy Or Die,\u2019\u201d which was apparently too dark for pre-war audiences. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo we put the \u2018Or Die\u2019 back in,\u201d he revealed.<\/p>\n<p>The venue\u2019s immersive sound system also allows audiences to hear more dialogue and environmental sounds that were lost, Dolan promised \u2014\u00a0also noting that the film\u2019s sweeping, iconic score, for which composer Herbert Stothart won an Academy Award, has been refreshed.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe split the vocals and rerecorded the music with an orchestra in the original MGM studios, where the original score was recorded,\u201d said Rosenthal.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe first time we heard it, I just started to cry. It\u2019s so emotional, and it\u2019s so gorgeous.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Discourse in Munchkinland <\/h2>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>The Sphere promises an amazing fan journey to rival that of Dorothy and friends. <span class=\"credit\">Courtesy Everett Collection<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>With 120,000 tickets sold as the highly-anticipated Vegas premiere draws near \u2014\u00a0replete with Oz-ian guests like Lorna Luft, daughter of Judy Garland, who played Dorothy in the movie \u2014 the team finds themselves with one last obstacle to overcome.<\/p>\n<p>After an early glimpse was teased by \u201c<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=0gpwcaNyIrY&amp;pp=ygUVY2JzIHN1bmRheSBtb3JuaW5nIG96\">CBS Sunday Morning<\/a>\u201d earlier this summer, critics were quick to call it <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/JacobTalks4ever\/status\/1951329404916760790\">\u201cabsolutely terrible\u201d <\/a>\u2014 even labeling it \u201cradically mutilated\u201d <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/criticism\/movies\/movies-should-reject-ai-wizard-of-oz-sphere-1235142276\/\">by the use of AI<\/a>.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignleft\">\n\t<\/aside>\n<p>\u201cI read all of the negative comments, and I think some people would get depressed or demoralized from it, but I actually just think it\u2019s funny,\u201d Grossman told The Post. \u201cYou\u2019re watching people talk about something that they haven\u2019t seen. Ninety percent of the stuff that they say is just made up and not true.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>When it comes to criticism of the sky, for example, \u201cAll of the skies are real,\u201d Grossman says. \u201cWe photographed them with the world\u2019s highest resolution camera, shooting in Kansas to capture the kind of skies that form before and after a tornado.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Adds Grossman: \u201cWe never touched any of the things you\u2019re complaining about. I\u2019ve heard, \u2018I can\u2019t believe they changed the design of the Wizard\u2019s head!\u2019 But that\u2019s the design of the Wizard\u2019s head from the original movie, from production sketches.\u201d  <\/p>\n<p>When it comes to criticism that its original 102-minute runtime has been pared down to 75 minutes, Dolan said, \u201cThe original kind of dwelled on a few things that were somewhat superfluous,\u201d without giving specifics.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEverything you love about the movie, I guarantee, is in the movie,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What\u2019s next for The Sphere?<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"> <span class=\"credit\">Sphere Entertainment<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Amid recent chatter that Taylor Swift, whose aptly-titled, highly anticipated new album \u201cLife of a Showgirl\u201d <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2025\/08\/13\/entertainment\/taylor-swift-reveals-life-of-a-showgirl-album-release-date-as-new-heights-podcast-drops\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">drops Oct. 3<\/a>, could be the Sphere\u2019s next occupant \u2014 <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/MattBelloni\/status\/1957522927483777518\">which reps reportedly deny<\/a> \u2014 Dolan says they\u2019re booked up until September 2027.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Aside from \u201cOz,\u201d the current Backstreet Boys run will be followed up by the <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2025\/07\/26\/entertainment\/zac-brown-going-into-debt-to-fund-las-vegas-sphere-residency\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Zac Brown Band<\/a> in December. <\/p>\n<p>That month, the draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup will also take place at the Sphere.<\/p>\n<p>Next year will see the premiere of \u201cFrom the Edge,\u201d an extreme sports film, with Dolan saying it\u2019ll be composed of \u201cexperiences like riding down an 80-foot wave.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, a replica of the Vegas Sphere <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2024\/10\/16\/world-news\/the-worlds-second-sphere-will-be-built-in-the-uae-capital-after-the-first-opened-in-las-vegas\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">is being built in Abu Dhabi<\/a> \u2014\u00a0the first of a planned network.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m also hoping by the end of the year to have something to announce about where the first smaller Sphere goes, probably somewhere in the United States,\u201d Dolan teased to The Post.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source celebrity.land \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There\u2019s no place like Sphere.\u00a0 A hotly anticipated Las Vegas Sphere residency for \u201cThe Wizard of Oz\u201d kicks off Thursday, Aug. 28 \u2014\u00a0putting the beloved 1939 Hollywood classic not just back on the big screen, but at the highest resolution screen in the world, stretching 160,000 square feet. Featuring seats that move with the action [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1978468,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25174],"tags":[25404,338240,24124,21818,21912,180531,24751,346133,328143],"class_list":["post-1978467","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gossip","tag-exclusive","tag-james-dolan","tag-las-vegas","tag-lifestyle","tag-movies","tag-msg-sphere","tag-tech","tag-the-wizard-of-oz","tag-wizard-of-oz"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/The-Spheres-epic-Wizard-of-Oz-Las-Vegas-spectacle-will.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1978467","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1978467"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1978467\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1978468"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1978467"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1978467"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1978467"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}