April 2004-Entertainment review: Cirque du Soleil

cirque


Have you ever seen someone do something that leaves you slack jawed? Maybe it was an athletic feat, a mastery over an instrument or even a well performed card trick. Whatever it was, it left you with the feeling that; a) you’ve just witnessed something you didn’t think possible(or that defied belief), and b)the performer has spent a lot of time practicing. My evening at Varekai was a two hour series of belief defying performances. And the special quality that sets Cirque du Soleil apart( beside the lack of animals), is that it simply isn’t segments of jumping, flipping and twisting, but all these beautiful acts of precision within a set and story of equal imagination, grace and flare.
Upon entering the Grand Chapiteau(the trademark blue and yellow swirled tent), you immediately realize that the horseshoe shaped space is much more intimate than what you expected. There really aren’t any bad seats in the house save for the very edges of each side(which is fortunate since tickets are more than a song and dance). The seats that were generously given to me by Davidson & Choy (Cirque’s publicity firm in Orange County) were beyond exceptional being on the front center aisle,(when a performer picked someone out of the audience to participate, they picked the guy behind me!)
The set is something of a mystical bamboo forest veiled in a thin fog. The show opens with otherworldly creatures slithering around in costumes that are too extravagant for even Elton John’s closet. This while musicians( who provide the live soundtrack to the show) enter the stage through the audience performing on instruments that they seem to have created themselves. And soon, before you know it, someone is doing something unbelievable, dangerous and/or an extreme combination of the two.
For example: I’ll never be able to forget the three Santos brothers; Javier, Ramon, and Pedro, who hail from Mexico. Especially Ramon who’s specialty is juggling... his brothers! They are sixth generation circus performers and when they finish their stint with Cirque, they’ll be rejoining their family circus back in Mexico.
And unforgettable only begins to describe my infatuation with the beautiful Irina Naumenko( from Russia), who propped herself up on her hands and reached her legs so far back over her head that her butt was resting on her shoulder blades... her back looked like it was going to snap. The verbal reactions from the awestruck crowd told me that everyone was squirming in their chair half pretzeled themselves in disbelief; I along with them.
And, with no less regard, one of the most enjoyable aspects of the show were the four comedy routines that featured a pair of physical comedians of utmost skill and talent. Acting primarily in pantomime con verbal sound effects, (ala Rowan Atkinson’s Mr. Bean) Claudio Carneiro(of Brazil) and Mooky Cornish(of Canada) star in a series of faux Vegas bits which poke fun at magicians, lounge singers and other corny acts. Cornish always plays the problematic assistant who unwittingly disrupts Carneiro’s sincere attempts to entertain. Their mannerisms and comic timing are impeccably fine tuned. Carneiro and Cornish are easily atop their craft as any in the show.
It is plain to see that strength, flexibility, and incredible acrobatic ability are only part of Cirque du Soleil’s appeal. Although you might be able to catch an act of similar nature in a “regular” circus, (however doubtful), the most unique aspect to this “circus of the sun” is the way in which Cirque collaborates and exhibits the talent it collects from more than 30 countries. Varekai bleeds imgaination in every detail and if you are a parent and you want to expose your children culture at it’s apogee, there is no greater endorsement I can give; make the splurge and take the kids, the rewards will be worth it. Besides, Cirque only comes around every three years and it’s never the same show.
Truly, the only fault I could find in my thoroughly enjoyed evening were the less than inspired concessions offered before the show and at intermission. Perhaps I have a tendency to overemphasize snack foods, but with all the mystique and creative energy involved in this show, I was expecting snacks a little more on the exotic side of M&M’s and Hot Dogs. Perhaps some international candy or... I don’t know, Zebra dogs, a wild pheasant in a bun, something weird, (although the contents of a hot dog do rack the imagination.) I say, just fill the deep pockets of your winter coat with the snacks of your own fancy!
So, if you ever find yourself in a conversation with someone who says that a performance of Cirque du Soleil’s Varekai was anything less than unbelievably incredible and that they didn’t want to run away with Cirque to San Diego, (their next stop), you should quickly make a mental note that this person is not cut out for a promotion, (if you’re their boss), doesn’t deserve forgiveness, (if you’re their priest) and isn’t capable of friendship, (if you’re their perspective friend).

Quick Specs Box:
-Adults. $60-$80 ($190 VIP Tapis Rouge)
-Children(ages 2-12). $42-$56 (135 VIP)
-Students(ages 13-17) & Seniors(65 plus). $54-$72