Cirque Reinvents Steampunk

                           

As a child I recall friends always telling me to make a wish when the clock hit certain times of the day. If the clock showed your birthday, (i.e. 2:25) for February 25th, you'd wish for more toys of course! Or, noticing the clock was sequential at 1:23 might mean you would have good luck that day.

What about "11:11"? It is a more popular symbol in the subject of New Age or Numerology. It is at 11:11 when the story of Cirque du Soleil's newest show Kurios begins. 11:11, allegedly a time of perfect synchronicity or heightened awareness can open the mind to what is possible. In Cirque's show it is a signal for a parallel universe to open up and maybe travel through that portal.

 Lucky for us, the show is only playing about two miles away from us in Costa Mesa, California. So when we scored our very last minute tickets, it wasn't a hassle at all to get to the tent site. When walking toward the Big Top I get the same feeling as when walking toward a Disney Park castle. It really is an icon to all that see it. The tent reaches toward the night sky while proudly flying the various country flags that represent their performers. I suddenly felt like a kid!

The first time I saw a Cirque show in 1996 I was so impressed with how well they keep the grounds at the Big Top. Take the personal facilities. The restrooms aren't dark, dreary out houses that smell like last year's trash. And, the background music is always a nice touch to create an exciting atmosphere. They have a lovely merchandise and concession tent that housed some great product, themed specifically to the show. No glow sticks or sparkling swords would be found for sale here.

                                

Once inside the main tent, the show's overall tone is set quickly. The stage, full of set pieces that have a Steampunk or Jules Verne theme (there is a bust of him on the stage). Right at the center of the stage is a clock, set on the 11th hour. And, there are three odd looking robots wandering about on the stage. As this is taking place, beneath the large brass gears that connect the stage's machinery to the top of the tent, the large clock changes the time from 11:04 to 11:05.

We found that our 40% off seats did not exactly mirror the map that was shown to us online. We were sat a little more to the side than expected and only one seat was to Eric's left. Still, the stage is a lot closer than one would think. Most of the row ahead of us was empty and even the seats to our right were too. At some point we would move more toward the center, at least after intermission. As the anticipation builds, more spectators enter, and the clock slowly ticks closer to 11:11.

                        

As we waited for the show we noticed the central character, a scientist, begin to move about the stage and make adjustments to his machinery. Eric made an interesting point about the scientist and his robots. One robot was bronze in color, not human in any way, and looked aged. A second had a tad more color, and a little more personality to his mannerisms. A third robot had the characteristics of the second, but also had legs. Eric thinks, and I agree, that the first robot i described was the first he invented. The scientist appeared to have more camaraderie with his first invention, possibly for sentimental reasons.

When the clock did strike 11:11 we could hear a whistle and bells to our immediate left. A miniature train held up by performers made it's tracks directly behind us and continued through the main aisle as it shone it's strong headlight into the tent's darkness. Following the train were the band members playing their drums, violin, and cello. The lead singer was also with them and she  joyfully vocalized with the melody. But, where was the train headed? And, who else was riding aboard this train?

Still in his lab, hanging with his inventions, the protagonist of this story might want to be aboard that train. He didn't have a train, but instead created a machine that could transport him to another realm. The scientist flips his switch and as electrical currents flash throughout the tent, a portal appears up near the tent's roof. Coming down through the portal we see odd looking characters descending into the stage, this "cabinet of curiosities".

In case you haven't seen a show by this company, this is the sort of world Cirque aims to create. Here, maybe they are asking the audience, "Where do you want to go and what do you wish see?" And.....maybe I am completely wrong! This scientist found his solution and they invite us to find ours. The show then becomes a little more abstract as they transition from circus act to clowning, then back to acrobatics.

One of the performances that stood out was an elaborate act of chair balancing. This act began with a dinner party onstage covered in a fancy spread. The characters are communicating in jibberish or "cirquish".  They all stand from their seats during what appears to be an intense conversation. One of the men jumped onto the lavish table. After motioning to his pal to hand him a chair, he begins balancing on it and others at various heights. As he holds impressive poses atop the chairs, we begin to see the exact same scene start to play out above, protruding out of the portal. The difference with this second scene (everyone is wearing the exact same outfit as those below) is that it is upside down, appearing to be a mirror.

The artist up above were attach to well hidden wires that allowed them to stand upside down. Even their clothing had been manufactured so that gravity had no affect on loose articles. It was a very interesting sight to watch as both balancing men mirrored one another. The image was equivalent to tall trees alongside a huge lake while the water reflected back a perfect image.

The show's music seems to be a hybrid of Jazz, Rock, and Classical. This show steered clear of the tribal sounding music from recent shows like "Totem" or "Ovo". The choice to stick with this jazzy sound is a breath of fresh air. The company has an excellent range of soundtracks, but when Kurios came along it was clear that a musical change was needed. I like the director's choice to stage the show in such a way that various musicians get to join acrobats on the stage. I don't think I have seen a cello played while being hauled around the Big Top stage and through the audience. The singer, named Eirini Torrneskim, is from Crete. She has a powerful voice that takes the melody to a heightened level. Another positive observance about the music is that I noticed people bobbing their heads and foot tapping to beat. The only other time I saw something like this for a Cirque show was during show "Love" in Las Vegas. At "Love", there was even a drunk women dancing in the aisle, but I digress.

I can't only praise the show. I'm sure those interested want to know what the flaws are. What would I say is flawed about this Steampunk themed show? A theme that felt out of place were the random aquatic characters. Most of the characters had this Victorian/Metallic look about them. Then, you'd have fish show up now and again. The odd costume choice didn't overshadow their incredible talent. And, in sure the creators had their reasons. 

Let's talk about the clown in Kurios. This character was quite fun during the show. I usually mentally check out when it comes to clowns. They've never amused me all that much. This clown in Kurios had some fun with his take on the flea circus illusion. That act was brilliant and unique. He later came out and acted as a cat while an audience member awkwardly sat on a sofa next to him. I can't say that I had seen a Cirque clown do that before, but it went on far too long.

Let us rewind back to the show's start, the eccentric characters arrive, but then the scientist disappears. It seemed a little odd that we were following his journey, but it wasn't made clear again until intermission. We see the scientist ascend through the portal and we follow him into the clouds. But, I feel like after that happened he got lost amongst the zany characters we discover. Then, at some point, for some reason, he floats back down through the portal at the show's end. Was he sent back? Did he run out of time? This exit from the magical portal must've been for some reason, but we weren't shown. 

Again with the first few show moments, the intro transitions to a juggling act. That stage was crowded with performers. They had purposely staged about eight characters that blocked the juggler as he performed. Eric and I struggled to get a view of the juggler during these moments. Their choreography was a little cute, but we missed out on some cool tricks. (I assume they were cool by the positive audience reaction opposite our side of the stage)

The finale act, although impressive, felt like it was building up to a huge finish that never happened. It was a Banquine act, where performers toss one another through the air so they may land on their partner's shoulders. Talk about strength and trust! It must take a lot of work, tears, years, even blood to get to their level, but it didn't build up to anything. Eric made a good point. A finale act calls for a high energy piece of music as achieved in the Cirque show "La Nouba". The song for this piece is great, as the whole album is, but it didn't convey that "POW! Let's hit them with all we have" energy. When the song did pick up to a driving electric jazz beat, the act stayed at the previous tempo.

               

                                                       Notice it's now 11:12. 

Even though Eric and I noticed room for improvement, the show is very solid. Heck! We are seeing it again in a few weeks! I do not think they need to stop what they are doing and retool all of this. Even if I enjoy something I do like to see what it is that can be re-imagined. I won't blindly accept something as great and ignore minor flaws.

Their tent will call Costa Mesa home for the next few weeks, until November 29th. We obtained tickets through Travel Zoo. I have seen similar deals on the Goldstar app, a favorite of ours. I always tell people to never pay full price for a show or an event. There are some great deals out there if you look hard enough. Eric and I were on the far side of our section, but with that row empty we slid over to seats that were maybe $15-20 more. Because we did move, maybe we saved more than 40 percent? My point is that if you get out and see Kurios, there is no way you won't like it. Great! Now I sound like I turned into a show promoter. 

Oh well. I just want everyone to see it for the experience. 

11th Anniversary in Las Vegas continues....

I'm pretty much a paranoid theater "goer" as in I like to arrive at least 45 minutes early. I start to get anxious if we haven't found our seats at 25 minutes before showtime. But, because our hotel was so close and not having to deal with parking......we still arrived about 45 minutes early. Yea, I'm crazy like that. We did take that time to browse the Zarkana gift shop. There were quite a few items I wanted to buy, but I would later edit that list down to a few items.

Finale costume for the main character. the magician.

Eric and I found it interesting that this Cirque theater opened up right into Casino. As soon as you walked in with your ticket, you are in the theater. Usually you enter their doors and find a small lobby with concession stands. The venue is massive! It gives an immediate impression that this show wants to make a name for itself. And, almost everything is bathed in red lighting down to the wall coverings. We saw red drapery, a red stage curtain, and even red chairs. All this red made it a little hard to photograph with my phone.

The sides of the theater are amazing!

I'm not going to give a scene by scene synopsis because this is only a review. Have you ever read a review and the writer lays out the whole plot/show without really giving an opinion? Annoying (IMO). Going into this experience I had no clue what the show was about. Usually we have at least heard the soundtrack, but still had not. Afterwards, I wish I had known a little information because apparently the plot was lost on me. There's a musician looking for his lost love and magic. Does he find them? You all will have to watch the show.

Zarkana is filled with great acrobatics, eye candy, haunting music, and originality. After seeing the show I learned the creative team wanted to honor the American Circus aesthetic from the 1930s. They have achieved that through the acting, sets and costumes. Cirque really conveyed the "spooky/freakshow" feeling from old photos I have seen. Zarkana has really separated itself from other Vegas shows like O, Mystere, and Love. Rather than take the audience to a fictitious world, the show takes place in an actual time period that has whimsical characters.

The following day Eric and I were taken on a backstage tour of the show. I'll get into that at a later time because on this same night we had another new experience. We were about to finally eat at Serendipity. It's located along the strip, in the Caesers Palace complex. The place isn't really known for its grand meals, but instead for dessert. Serendipity has what is called The Frozen Hot Chocolate. Up until we actually ate it, Eric and I had no clue what it was. Obviously we knew there would be ice cream, but we weren't sure how it was used. As it turns out there was a bottom layer of hot chocolate with a slushy ice cream (like a malt)over it. On top of that is a huge mound of whipped cream and chocolate chips.

Ceiling decor of Serendipity

After a long wait, with a reservation, we were seated. The service was slow, but we weren't about to go searching for another place to eat. We finally had our meals of grilled cheese/cheeseburger respectively, then had a go at the Frozen Hot Chocolate. It was an interesting texture that we both enjoyed. I'm not a food critic so I don't have a marvelous review of it other than "it was good and we would have it again". As it turns out there are many flavors to choose from. The word is out about the dessert, so it's best to arrive with a patient disposition. Maybe get there with a cocktail in hand?

What the fuss was about.

That same night, it was already nearing 11 pm, we headed to The Mirage hotel for the Revolution Lounge. A friend had us on a list for the Gay club that takes place on Sundays. We only had one other experience at a Vegas Gay club called Krave. The time had come to try another colorful night out, Vegas style! It was exciting to head to Revolution Lounge because the venue was started by Cirque du Soleil, based on their Beatles show called Love.

As I had mentioned it was getting near midnight. We thought that by then the place would be hopping with the local Gay community and vacationers. We were wrong! We obviously were there as a couple, celebrating a milestone, but we too like to dance! There were maybe 10 people in the venue and we made 12. At the door we also received a free drink each so we used that coupon right away. We weren't in a rush to leave because the music was fun and it was nice to just hang. The place slowly filled up, but it didn't reach any sort of a "crammed" capacity. We lasted until about 1:30 AM when we decided to head back to the hotel.

Although the lounge never became hugely popular that night, we still had a good time. The street as we headed back to Planet Hollywood was so empty. There were still the people out that try to sell you on the escorts and strip clubs. Eric and I joked they didn't have anything to sell that we wanted. But, it wouldn't be Vegas if those advertisers weren't out there trying to get your attention, as the smack their pamphlets against their hands. Ah Vegas....dont' you just love it? We do!! That's why we stayed a whole other day/night............(to be continued)

11 Years of Life Together..Vegas? Heck Yea!

It had been almost 3 years since Eric and I took a Las Vegas trip. Our 11th Anniversary was a great reason to cross the desert. We ventured into the sandy, dirt filled Mojave Desert and headed to the oasis in Nevada. If I can make a "no-brainer" suggestion to you all out there, take off to Vegas on a Sunday. Traffic was non-existant and we were lucky to have some clear weather for safe visibility.

An open road!

We were on our way to Planet Hollywood Casino and Hotel. It's an ideal choice because the location is near some amazing, neighboring sights. If you get lucky, as we did, your view will be of either the Bellagio or City Center/Aria Hotel. As with most updated and newly built Vegas hotels, the rooms have a modern look. Over the last decade the hotels veered away from themed rooms. Although Planet Hollywood is themed to films, it isn't screaming at you constantly. When this hotel was The Aladdin, a strong Arabic influence was seen everywhere. The casino floor at Planet Hollywood is pretty easy to navigate and it's not huge, as you might find at The MGM Grand. Those huge layouts get annoying when you need to run back to your room for an item or change clothes.

Planet Hollywood Casino floor

Eric and I were relieved to finally get into our room and find that it was clean, spacious, and included a "soaker" tub. Our room was themed to the film Flashdance. That discovery caused quite the laugh from us because it's a 1980s film that is fun to reference. I can't say that I have seen the whole film, but there is an iconic song. It was complete with a Jessica Beals snapshot from the movie. As shown in the photo of the bed, there was a suit from some unknown character displayed, so random.

In keeping with tradition of our relationship, we of course had a Cirque du Soleil show to see. We had tickets to see Zarkana, playing at the Aria Hotel (just across the bridge from Planet Hollywood). Eric had seen a promo video of the show, but I didn't really know too much about it. This show had just completed a tour that went from NYC to Asia. Zarkana took residence at the hotel theater this past November. I must add that promos for tickets can always be found at www.cirquedusoleil.com under the "Las Vegas" tab. I tell everyone that we never pay full price and it's the truth! We saw at least four different shows last year thanks to our price comparing.

Ready to hit the town!

A little more silliness.

If you haven't been to the Aria you must be informed that it's a sight to behold. It has the perfect mix of elegance with a slight edge. It's as though Bellagio and Planet Hollywood had a baby. I can't say anything about the rooms. I am referring to what we saw as a non-hotel guest, the casino floor. Eric and I have a great time checking out the details of flooring, wall coverings, tile, glass, and shapes that were chosen. As you'll see with the Cosmopolitan, in a future update, the attention to detail is just as present as in the Aria.

Aria's poker room

There is a lot to cover on this trip so I'll let everyone breath and we'll continue the story this week. Still yet to be covered for this first day is the Cirque show Zarkana, and then a venture to a Gay club at The Mirage hotel. For those interested I'll be posting mine and Eric's thoughts on the show and our backstage experience. See you all soon. For now, here is a shot from our room toward the south end of The Vegas Strip.

Mandalay Bay, Luxor, Excalibur, & New York-New York

Music | Amaluna | Cirque Club | Cirque du Soleil | Cirque Club

Music | Amaluna | Cirque Club | Cirque du Soleil | Cirque Club

Looks as though the new Cirque album is available for the show Amaluna! I'm about go preview it at the link above. They let you hear the whole album.
The show celebrates the female presence/Mother Earth persona. What I have seen so far looks very different to other shows, but in a good way. I don't see anything on the schedule for the CA area yet. I hope the show makes its way here because as I have said in other posts, Eric and I enjoy a Cirque show in a tent!

Is it a Dragon or a Lion?

The famous French Canadian circus troupe, Cirque du Soleil, passed though our area over the weekend. This particular production is called Dralion. It is a fusion of Asian and European cultures. The show first came to California in 1999 and made a stop in Irvine. When I saw the show in '99 it was performed under a signature Cirque du Soleil tent. At the present, Dralion is shown in an arena setting, which I'm against. I'd rather see their shows under the circus tent. It's more intimate, but this still won't keep me from wanting see a show.

I will say that both Eric and I had a change of opinion for this show. Dralion actually played out just fine in the Long Beach arena. Unlike the Cirque show Quidam, this show didn't have an arching track above the stage to obstruct views of spectators in higher seats. Our seats were a decent distance and we saw everything, including the performer's facial expressions. I know I'm dwelling on the venue choice, but Quidam really didn't play well here. Eric also made a good point that the color scheme for Quidam doesn't reach the viewer as well as the vibrant colors of Dralion. Quidam is a much darker show with many grey and blue hues.

There isn't really a story to this show and that is just fine with me. The themes brought forth are of the four elements of the Earth. Characters personify the elements through use of color and choreography. At one point the avatars of Water and Fire have a brief, but hostile dance with one another. I might have chosen Silver to represent "Air", but I am sure the color chosen, Green, is seen better onstage.

Although not all the acts were present in this re-staging of the show, I liked it. It gives someone a reason to see the show for a second time. There were four acts that weren't in the original creation. Those acts were Trampoline, Diabolos, Aerial Hoop, and an all new apparatus called Cross Wheel. These four acts in the show really injected new energy into the 13 year old production. Luckily the music hasn't changed. It has high energy containing Spanish and Italian lyrics. As usual, there are also lyrics in the "Cirquish" language. This language is used to evoke a feeling and not put so much focus on paying attention to the song lyrics. The music is there to act as a backdrop and emotional guide of the acts.

It has to be mentioned that the clown acts fell flat. I don't know what the company was thinking by approving these four or five interludes of "comedy". These four clowns even managed to wreck a section where the clowns are mimicking the whole show. They have "make shift" costumes and attempt to repeat the grand feats of strength, but comically fail. The original clowns had great timing with this.  These new clowns seemed to be going through the motions. I guess we all have our days where we just want to be off from work.

I really wanted to get some shots during the show, but this is of course prohibited. I do believe that these performers give so much of themselves and deserve to be paid for what we see them do. Deep down......I still wish I had snuck a few shots. The only one I took was of the stage prior to the start of the show. Unfortunately it doesn't show the impressive structure that towers at the back end.

Shadow interlude at the end of Intermission

I'll always be a fan of Cirque, even with not so great clowning. I don't think a traveling production is due to pass through any time soon. We do hope to see Iris again with its newer length of just 90 minutes. I will definitely report on Cirque again when we see it. Remember to support the arts in whatever form you choose.

Cinematic Surrealism Brought to Life

Today we take some time discussing Cirque du 's show Iris. Eric and I are huge fans of the company and try not to miss a show.  Iris is Hollywood's resident Cirque show at The Dolby Theater. To those in the surrounding counties of Los Angeles I ask, "If you haven't seen it, why not?"

 Iris set out to be a show that captivates audiences as they travel through a cinematic experience. Both Eric and I love movies so we were drawn to it. The production company has accomplished their goal and am sad to report few have seen it! Nor have many heard the specially composed score by Danny Elfman.

The tag line of the show "A Journey Through the World of Cinema" might put people off. Maybe to some the tag line conveys a type film timeline? What Eric and I experienced was a showcase of movie magic taking place in our reality. The lights dim and Cirque's whimsical interpretation of the MGM lion roar is shown on a screen. Suddenly the audience is taken to a place where shadows come to life, light is deceiving, performers step out of film strips, illusions are real life, and action ensues.

Trip to watch for my birthday!

Apart from the thought provoking imagery, the music draws you into the show. Danny Elfman, famous for his scores of Batman Returns, Edward Scissorhands, and Nightmare Before Christmas, wrote a soundtrack that struck a cord with me. Through their showmanship it's evident that the score inspires the performers too. A full orchestra was recorded in a studio. The 8 piece, in theater band comprised of Cello, Violin, Piano, wind instruments, and Percussion plays along with the audio track. Cirque installs it's own sound system for the show and removes it when they clear out for the Academy Awards.

A new incarnation of the show will open on September 14, 2012. While keeping most of the acts, The show has recently been shortened. Ten to twenty of the cast members have been let go. When Iris opens up again it will be a 90 minute production. This might be better for audiences as that is how it is done at other resident shows. Even in Las Vegas The Phantom of the Opera at the Venetian was shortened to 90 minutes.

"What needed to be fixed," you might ask? In my opinion art is what one makes of it. But, this is also a business that needs to sell tickets and fill The Dolby Theater. A shorter show with less performers, and keeping the same prices could help the show stay afloat. If anything, the pricing needs to be "re-mapped" according to where one sits. Maybe the third tier center shouldn't have to pay top dollar?

We also had a backstage tour after we saw the show.

I'm rooting for this show for a selfish reason. It's a Cirque du Soleil show that is in my top 3 of the Cirque presentations and it's local. Eric and I have seen the show twice! We watched in December of 2011 and for my birthday this past July. They have frequent specials via their e-mail newsletter to Cirque Club members (free to join). I have also used the Goldstar website for discount tickets because I love a good deal!

There are positive opinions on Yelp reviews too! The only complaints are that people don't want to pay for parking. LA parking is always an issue, but that's separate from the show. Support the arts and check out Iris! It will make a great evening. I know that at some point Eric and I will watch the new 90 minute version.