Outsized poppies and a larger-than-life Glinda greet visitors at The Venetian Resort Waterfall Atrium in Las Vegas. The installation went live on August 28 and complements The Wizard of Oz at Sphere experience, where the beloved 1939 film is reimagined for the venue’s 240-foot-tall screen with immersive elements. For two short days in August, my colleague, friend, and fellow Wizard of Oz superfan, Out Editor in Chief Daniel Reynolds, and I skipped through the Sphere.
There’s a sense of timelessness in the casino intended to enthrall visitors into never leaving. A colorful cast of Vegas characters and a Yellow Brick Road of sorts that leads visitors from the hotel, casino, and Oz-themed atrium to the Sphere without ever having to leave the building contributes to the theme. In its way, The Venetian is as dizzyingly wonderful as Dorothy landing in Munchkinland.
Tracy E. Gilchrist admires the giant ruby slippers at the Sphere’s exterior.Tracy E. Gilchrist
Upon arriving at the resort that’s modeled after the canaled Italian city, Daniel turned to me and laughed, “Girls’ trip!” Indeed, we were friends on an adventure at the casino, replete with waterways and gondoliers belting Italian love songs — the casino’s inherent queerness and high camp on display as “That’s Amore” reverberated throughout its corridors.
A night out at the resort began with cocktails at the speakeasy Close Company, where I paired the CC Old Fashioned made special with a bit of wildflower honey with a Margherita Pastry Pocket to tide me over before dinner. Next, we hit up Shin Lim’s Limitless close-up and grand illusion magic show at the Palazzo Theatre, just a dash across the casino from the speakeasy. An initial trick that involved the audience tearing cards and tossing them into the air had Daniel gobsmacked (though I had hoped to be invited onstage to be sawed in half). Later, dinner at Gjelina (The Venetian is Italian-themed, after all) had us sated — and please save room for the sticky toffee pudding!
A scene from 'The Wizard of Oz' at SphereSphere Entertainment
The morning of The Wizard of Oz at Sphere premiere, we attended a press conference with a tour of the Sphere’s atrium, my favorite part of the Oz experience. There, I debated if I needed a ruby-red glittery baseball jacket that popped amid the myriad merchandise. Entering the atrium felt closest to Oz for me due to its re-creations of Professor Marvel’s dilapidated wagon, the Wizard’s curtain and control room, and his hot air balloon, not to mention the Flying Monkeys above. For the premiere, we Oz lovers dressed to the theme: I was in a black jumpsuit with ruby red boots and a massive poppy on my lapel, and Daniel in an emerald green Fenty robe that flapped wildly during the tornado that pelted us with leaves and gale-force winds. That evening and in the lead-up, we sang songs from the film, including “The Lollipop Guild” and “The Merry Old Land of Oz,” and conversed in a shorthand as lovers of the Judy Garland-led classic.
The trip to Vegas and to Oz was a welcome reprieve from the daily news cycle. Time away in a fantasy land with a friend, swapping stories about how The Wizard of Oz.
Professor Marvel’s balloon in the Sphere atriumSphere Entertainment
Learn more about The Wizard of Oz at Sphere at thesphere.com.
This trip was funded in part by The Venetian Resort Las Vegas.
This article is part of Out's Nov/Dec 2025 issue, which hits newsstands October 28. Support queer media and subscribe — or download the issue now through Apple News, Zinio, Nook, or PressReader.
