Even before the show KÀ by Cirque du Soleil at MGM Grand starts, the minute you arrive to the theater you’re immersed by way of the gatekeepers, like Dink O’Neal. “As the gatekeeper, I’m the facilitator and member of the welcome wagon here at KÀ,” he says. “… Guests are entering a whole new world; they’re meeting the villagers of KÀ (and) each one of us has a different role to play. I’m Pu’Pah, the prognosticator of all things past, present and future. We have an engineer, alchemist, explorer, hairdresser, mechanic—everyone has a persona and character name and we do our very, very best to interact with each other as our character. … We are the ambience and the first step into the environment of this place.”

O’Neal has four decades of acting experience in everything from film and TV to theater and commercials. But he took on one of his biggest roles four years ago when he became a grandpa and moved to Las Vegas to be closer to his grandchild. But the acting bug was still buzzing, so a couple of years ago he applied to KÀ by Cirque du Soleil.

“I think it’s so fantastic—I feel so blessed that I was able to come here and find entertainment-related employment,” O’Neal says. “Our job is to help get people to the story even before they see the show. … I entertain people. We’re not just ushers; we get to entertain and because of that we interact with people and get them hyped and prepped for what they’re about to see.”

Photo by: Christopher DeVargas

Product: KÀ by Cirque du Soleil Merchandise

Take a piece of KÀ by Cirque du Soleil home with you by visiting the retail store before or after the show. The destination is filled with cool accessories, keepsakes, clothing, plushies, keychains, shot glasses, mugs, a beautifully illustrated program of the show and much more.

Benefit: Ask any of the gatekeepers to scan the QR code to unlock the world of KÀ by Cirque du Soleil to dive deeper into the theatrical production.

MGM Grand, 866.740.7711. mgmgrand.mgmresorts.com

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