From Vegas to WOW: The Creative Force Behind New Zealand's Most Dazzling Stage Show

NZ Herald

10-05-2025

The World of WearableArt arrives in Wellington this September. Executive creative director Brian Burke shares his inspirations and hopes for the creative showcase.
Brian Burke is no stranger to spectacle. As the executive creative director of World of WearableArt (WOW) and the founder of BrianBurkeCreative, he's spent decades crafting unforgettable entertainment experiences around the world – from the glitz of the Las Vegas Strip to major global television events and music tours for some of the biggest names in showbiz. Now based between Las Vegas and Wellington, Burke is the driving force behind WOW's annual transformation, infusing the much-loved New Zealand stage show with big-scale energy, emotion, and a constant sense of reinvention.
In this candid Q&A, Burke talks about what goes into creating WOW's visionary productions, how Las Vegas-level spectacle is coming to Aotearoa, and why the 2025 show – themed RISE – will take audiences on an immersive, uplifting journey like never before. He also reflects on his extraordinary career working with icons like Cyndi Lauper and Lionel Richie, reveals the key to building a truly collaborative creative team, and shares what's inspiring him right now in the world of live entertainment.
Could you describe what you do for work, and a bit about who you work for/with?
I'm the executive creative director for World of WearableArt, and my company Brian Burke Creative creates and delivers live entertainment around the world, including 20 years of 'Best of Las Vegas' original productions, global TV events, and music tours.
What does your role as WOW executive creative director entail?
I drive the creative vision of WOW and work with the New Zealand creative design and production team on each year's show. We collaborate with the competition team on themes that work well for inspiring designers and for creating a fresh stage show each year in advance.
Right now, I am working on the vision for 2026 – anticipating what audiences will want to see and the message we want to bring. I create a visual presentation of concepts that feed through every department, and we all work toward the same cohesive creative goal. Our mission is to deliver a fresh experience each year while maintaining the strong DNA of WOW. It's about enhancing the audience experience and presenting fresh, unexpected shows that are unforgettable for our New Zealand audience.
This year, we are working with Wellington on something special to celebrate 20 years of WOW shows in the capital and developing long-term plans for more experiences for our audience to enjoy in addition to the show. I can't share anything right now, but exciting experiences are certainly on the horizon! I always say I'm bringing the magic of Las Vegas to Wellington.
What can people expect from the event this year?
In 2025, we're bringing audiences even closer to the action. There's a new stage layout that allows more walkways through the venue, spectacular storeys-high projections, and we're using some very cool new technology to give audiences an even closer look at the incredible detail of the garments.
While we work on the show at a large scale, we're also enhancing the smaller, special-detail experiences of WOW. There are a lot of ideas we've developed in Las Vegas in terms of guest experience – unique, special, and surprising – which I'm very excited about bringing to WOW in a new way. We want to keep surprising our guests!
The theme of this year's show is RISE. It's set in an illuminated cityscape and tells the story of a community coming together to share in the joy of creativity. While last year's show was ethereal and thought-provoking, RISE is all about energy and celebration. We want people to leave the show feeling happy and inspired.
The creative team this year is mostly Wellington and NZ-based. They've worked all over the world and are excited to bring their vision to WOW. The featured artists cast in the show are incredible and really diverse, and they're bringing their performances and music to enhance the overall vision being shaped by our team.
WOW has always been popular and interest continues to grow – we've become a platform not only for designers but for creators and performers of all genres to collaborate under our direction and be part of a truly unique, authentic experience. This year's show will feel very different, and highlighting the work of local creators and performers is a real thrill for us. It's a true artist collective!
Where do you live? And where is your work?
I've lived in Las Vegas for 22 years. When I'm there, my work is on The Strip at various entertainment venues, and I work from home preparing shows with teams around the world. I often travel to locations around the world for concerts and TV events.
Every day is completely different depending on how many shows we are juggling. It usually starts with several hours of creative meetings for shows in the UK and Europe, and the afternoon is filled with New Zealand and Asia projects. If we're in production, we're typically on site directing and mounting the production with the team.
How did you get into this field, and how long have you been doing this?
I performed on my first TV show when I was 11 and began my career performing on Broadway, later supervising touring shows as a production supervisor. When I was 25, I moved to Las Vegas to work as artistic director for Franco Dragone Entertainment.
At the time, more technology was coming into TV, and talent shows from the UK were launching new artists globally. Simon Cowell and his company's creative director, Tim Byrne, saw our show Le Rêve – The Dream at Wynn Hotel and asked me to creative-direct TV series like The X Factor and America's Got Talent. That led to producing 30 TV series over the past 15 years.
Once my work was on TV, music artists approached me to create their tours, Las Vegas hotels wanted new shows, and TV companies around the world wanted creative elevation. It all took off as companies around the world sought to bring the elevated entertainment of Las Vegas to their city. All my worlds merged, and the past 15 years have brought a unique and diverse spectrum of incredible opportunities. It led to my partnership as executive creative director for WOW and my latest entertainment partnership with Formula One, creating the Las Vegas opening and closing ceremonies and F175 Live at The O2 in London.
What's the most rewarding or exciting thing about what you do?
The most rewarding thing is when you put the right team in place, the rehearsal process is great, the show comes out wonderfully, and the audience loves it. Seeing people's faces when they're experiencing and enjoying something you created – to be able to reach them emotionally through artistic visuals, music, and live performance storytelling – is a special honour.
Where do you find inspiration or ideas for your work?
I find inspiration everywhere I look – literally everywhere. My eye is always drawn to something I see and where it could go in a show. That's why travelling and experiencing all kinds of cultures and art around the world is so important. I also love the opening title sequences for TV series. I think the visual storytelling that has gone into some of these 90-second credit sequences in the past several years is incredibly creative.
How do you find and maintain balance in your life?
I don't always have much work-life balance, but I'm working on that by trusting teams to handle shows on my behalf when I can't be there personally. This is easy with WOW, as we have an incredible creative and production team who are all so passionate about the show.
What's the most significant piece of work you've produced?
I can't pick one! They're all completely different and have involved entirely different processes and audiences, and I'm proud of them all. Creating something fresh each time – like we do with WOW – is what makes each show so unique and exciting.
What new projects do you have coming up that you can tell us about?
We're opening North America's largest Formula One interactive experience in Las Vegas, F1 X, very soon. Cyndi Lauper is going out on the final leg of her globally successful farewell tour, and Lionel Richie is going back out for a UK tour this summer. And of course, WOW is launching RISE, a brand-new show set to really uplift and delight. It's all incredibly exciting!
What's the biggest work lesson you've learned to date, and/or what advice would you share?
Work really hard, and try everything until you find your passion. Work under people whose work you admire, put yourself out there and learn, listen, and form your own passion and craft. Collaboration and creative leadership are the keys to success. Leading a team with kindness is the key to a successful production. You only get the best out of people when you truly collaborate.
Where do you hope your career takes you? Any special goals?
I enjoy leading companies through their creative evolution. Overseeing creative for several companies that want to transform – and need leadership to shift the creative culture to improve the experience for the audience – is a passion of mine.
What's the best celebrity story you can share from your work with artists like Celine Dion, Cyndi Lauper, Lionel Richie, etc.?
Honestly, there have been so many wonderful moments. When you sit together, work on ideas, try things, and feel safe to creatively collaborate – that's priceless. Trust is key, and to be trusted is a gift.
Which TV show do you love at the moment?
Succession is one of my all-time favourites, but I love so many. Hacks is genius!
What podcast are you enjoying at the moment?
Pod Save America. It's a show about US politics hosted by a bunch of former aides to Barack Obama.
Favourite album or piece of music?
I usually listen to spa music in the morning, then Ella Fitzgerald or Billie Holiday in the afternoon, and always Frank Sinatra at dinnertime.
What's your favourite city, suburb, or region in New Zealand, and why?
I love everywhere I've been – it's impossible to choose!
What event or exhibition are you looking forward to and why (other than WOW!)?
I recently went to the Kusama and The Outsiders exhibitions in Melbourne. They were breathtaking.
Who or what is really exciting you right now?
Creating new entertainment for Formula One globally is incredibly exciting. Also, RISE – our new WOW show for 2025 – is going to be truly special and uniquely spectacular! We're working with an amazing lineup of artists to bring the world's best wearable art garments to life, and there'll be plenty to keep audiences captivated and inspired.
More on art
From local curators to studio tours.
These Are The Gallerists Shaping New Zealand's Art Scene In 2024. From artist-led non-profit collectives to public spaces that focus solely on the promotion and understanding of Māori artists and curators. These female-led galleries are reinvigorating Aotearoa's art scene.
In Hawaii, The Pu'honua Society Is Weaving New Life Into A Nearly Vanished Art Form. Patricia Leigh Brown meets weavers revitalising pieces for the future.