Gonna build a fountain

Melissa Schorr

Friday, Oct. 16, 1998 | 9:50 a.m.

The Fountains at Bellagio may have "officially" debuted with the hotel's gala opening last night, but they've already made a splash with Strip pedestrians who have been privy to sneak previews in the last two months as fountain engineers worked out last-minute kinks.

"That's what they built the Hoover Dam for," Riley Curry, a vacationer from Bellvue, Wash., said. "The rest of them will have a hard time catching up to this."

Crowds seem to agree with his evaluation: most have repeatedly been moved to applause (applause?) by the performance turned in by an unlikely cast -- 27 million gallons of chemically-treated water.

The fountain was created by WET Design, a 15-year-old Southern California firm, which has created some of the world's most notable displays of water and light, including the LeapFrog Fountain at Disney World's EPCOT, the Sky Rockets at Chicago's Navy Pier and the Universal CityWalk Fountain.

The company also worked with Mirage chairman Steve Wynn two years ago when it was called in to revamp the Mirage's volcano.

But even with their long list of credentials, the WET designers say they have never done a fountain like this.

One-fifth of a mile long (900 feet), with 1,200 nozzles, 4,500 lights -- and a $40 million price tag -- it is the most expensive and ambitious water feature the company has ever done.

In addition to being Las Vegas' first fountain of note, the Bellagio fountain seems bound to garner national attention as well. In a recent article on fountains in Smithsonian Magazine, design coordinator Jim Garland raved: "It's going to be on a U.S. postage stamp -- it's that kind of a fountain."

The shimmering water is a little like a Rorschach test -- you can see whatever you want in it, from an oncoming tsunami to a giant ice sculpture. You can catch a faint suggestion of some of the other great fountains of the world: Lake Geneva's high-spurting arch or the light show of Chicago's Buckingham Fountain.

The latest in a line of free attractions set in front of Mirage properties on the Strip, the fountain aims to rival any indoor ticketed production on the Strip with its original orchestration, crisp choreography and stage lighting.

Who needs live dancers and costumes? Add a drop of imagination and you've got a Busby Berkeley bevy of chorus girls; a line of high-kicking Rockettes; a swirl of showgirls with undulating fans; a trickle of ballerinas.

In addition to the fountain design, provided by WET Design's Claire Kahn, the Bellagio brought in outside professionals to sculpt the show, including composer/conductor Gerard Schurmann ("Lawrence of Arabia") and choreographer Kenny Ortega ("Dirty Dancing").

The collaboration paid off: When the music swells, the water swells. Pavarotti hits his high note in "Rondine al Nido" just as the water arcs to its peak -- at 240 feet high.

Supposedly chosen under Steve Wynn's micro-managed direction, each musical selection highlights a different theme.

For pure liquid delight, the best choice may be "Singing in the Rain." With the dancing jets spurting water high into the air and back down again, you can almost see a grinning Gene Kelly drenching himself under the drain pipe.

To highlight the fountain's precision "dancing," the choice is "One" from "A Chorus Line," which Ortega nails by never deviating from the mandatory theme -- one perfect line of water dancing in sync.

To emphasize that the fountain beckons you into a casino, there is a jazzy version of one of Las Vegas' anthems, "Luck Be a Lady," sung by a Las Vegas icon, Frank Sinatra (a somewhat disingenuous choice, no doubt -- the Bellagio doesn't sincerely wish ladylike luck for all its customers).

The spiritual hymn "Simple Gifts" was chosen early on by Wynn as one of his favorites, and is showcased by a heavenly roll of mist rolling out over the crowd.

The only incongruous choice: Aaron Copland's "Hoedown," known more familiarly as the theme music for the "Beef Council" commercials (perhaps giving homage to Las Vegas' western heritage? Bellagio officials remained mum on all details).

Although some of the tunes may seem out of sync with the fictional Count and Countess of Bellagio, those viewing the fountain didn't seem to mind, giving it an outpouring of affection with cries of "magnificent" and "worth coming."

With a fountain like this, some folks will find it hard not to gush.

WetDesign company website: http://www.wetdesign.com