Sirens of TI

TI Sirens Fun Facts Kenny Ortega, the man behind Sirens of TI, is also the Emmy award-winning director and creator of “High School Musical.” Cast members have appeared in music videos, the off-Broadway production of “Rent,” movies like “Charlie’s Angels II“ and “The Hot Chick,” to name a few. The cast tours frequently and sings the national anthem at several sporting events. 4,000: Number of shows the Sirens of TI cast performed to date. 9.6 million: Number of people who have seen the show. 1.5 million: Number of gallons of reverse-osmosis filtered reclaimed hotel gray water in the Sirens’ Cove. The water is mostly 10 feet deep, with a 25-foot-deep high-dive stunt pit. The Sirens’ Cove contains a 40,000-plus watt sound system with speakers located throughout. Flame effects consume seven gallons of liquid propane per show – 29,000 gallons so far. The pirates’ ship is 88 feet long and weighs 135,000 pounds. By sinking four times nightly, the ship has traveled more than 275 miles.

It’s hard to believe a show that combines a phenomenal set, risky high dives and beautiful temptresses is free.

The 18-minute Sirens of TI produc­tion, which is celebrating its five-year anniversary, is still going strong and you don’t have to spend a dime to enjoy it.

When Treasure Island (TI) decided to revamp its 10-year-old traditional pirate show, the Battle of Buccaneer Bay, they wanted to turn it into something a little more sultry.

Kenny Ortega, the creator of Sirens of TI, had the perfect vision in mind.

“TI’s desire to include women in the new production set me sailing to the Greek mythology of Homer’s ‘Odyssey,’” Ortega explained. “With the enormous size of the theater and the enormous space between, a pop opera seemed like a good idea – something that was accessible to a young Vegas crowd that was upbeat, sexy and interactive.”

“The show is light and whimsical,” he continued, “very appropriate for street theater.”

Sizzling dance moves. Dashing sword fights. A pirate held captive. These are just a few of the elements of the show. And since the crowd and performers are different each night, it doesn’t get boring for the dancers either.

“It’s a new show every night,” said Stacey Kane, lead female dancer for Sirens of TI.

Adding the ladies (better known as the Sirens) had a major impact on the pirate show.

“The addition of the girl performers was really innovative,” said Michael Cotten, set designer for Sirens of TI. “I don’t think anyone really thought they could find enough people to continue to perform in those weather conditions and [laughing] skimpy costumes day in and day out!”

“It was such a big change for TI,” male lead dancer John Bentley added. “The sirens brought chemistry.”

Many of the sirens have various backgrounds, including ballet, tap, jazz and even opera. But it takes more than a pretty face, a svelte figure and stellar talent to rock the show. The sirens also execute a dangerous sword fight.

“The one thing that hasn’t changed about the show is that it requires a tremendous amount of talent and skill from our cast,” Ortega noted.

The pirates also have impressive resumes with backgrounds in aerial stunts, acrobatics and professional diving. During auditions, each pirate had to pass a vigorous swim test. Divers also take a risk each night by jumping off of high, slippery platforms – all while the ship is sinking.

So if these don’t stop the pirates from performing, is there anything that scares these fearless mates?

“The winter is coming!” said Bentley. “It gets pretty cold. You could only be in the water for five minutes.”

In fact, water temperatures can get as low as 38 degrees. But dressing up as a pirate makes it all worth it.

“My friends are jealous of me,” Bentley said, laughing.

The pirates excite the crowd so much, that they elicit all sorts of bizarre reactions. Some have even gone as far as jumping in the water to join the pirates.

“Guys [would] yell out ‘Arrr!’” said Bentley.

Funny moments also happen on the performers’ end. While the Sirens can sing, dance, sword fight and look great all at the same time, there are occasional mishaps during the show.

“I lost a hair piece!” dance captain Kimi Bateman admitted.

The set has also had major renova­tions, including the building facades and the two pirate ships.

“We wanted to make a female ship [The Song] and a male ship [The Bull],” Cotten explained. “They become characters in the story because one boat is trying to overtake the other.”

Since the ships are on opposite sides of the viewing dock, it took clever planning to make the set and performers work well together.

“Designing choreography and the fact that the theater is on both sides of the audience was enormously challenging,” said Ortega. “To draw the audience’s focus in on a particular moment made sound and lighting effects integral in the staging design.”

In addition, the set design team had to keep all safety precautions in mind.

“The theatrical space where the sirens and pirates perform does pose its fair share of tripping and slipping hazards,” Ortega explained.

The show’s stunt supervisors tested all the performance areas before rehearsals. “The safety of the performers was always our foremost concern,” he added.

And even with all the bursts of fire, the dancers stay safe beneath several shelters. “You can feel that blast of heat!” Cotten said. “Thank God no one’s ever been hurt. It’s pretty well-controlled.”

In addition to the flames, the fireworks finale makes it seem like New Year’s Eve every night at TI. “What you can do every night is certainly different than a regular fireworks show,” Cotten said. “To pull that off four times every night, there are several experts who work that material.”

The pyrotechnics aren’t the only thing that creates sparks.

“The people leaping off high posi­tions,” said Cotten, “they are the human fireworks!”

Combining stunning choreography, an action movie-like set and shoulder-to-shoulder crowds every night, it’s no surprise the Sirens of TI show has garnered so much attention for the past five years. TI had the right idea.

“It’s always a constant effort to make Vegas more exciting and sexy,” Cotten said. “I don’t think anyone can disagree with that.”

-- Review by Jeannie Borbe