On the road, it tours the globe, opening minds to the otherly world.
I was sitting in a cafe in the NoHo theatre district, when I got the tweet that Cirque du Soleil was coming to town. Like a kid making a birthday wish, I wished I could go see it. My wish came true! I got to see one of the best Cirque du Soleil shows I’ve ever seen; Kurios-Cabinet of Curiosities at the Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, 11 miles from Noho.
Inside the iconic blue and yellow striped Cirque du Soleil big top, time moved ever so mystically. The stage clock frozen in time at 11:11. As my guest and I arrived thru door number one, quietly we sit in anticipation, then realizing the show has actually, subtly already begun, the story unfolds. As the sound of a steam engine seemed to get closer, a procession of cast members forming a locomotive, travels through the audience. It pulls into the train station and lets off a motley group of passengers straight from the19th century: eccentrics, acrobats, a juggler, percussionists and dancers in their Sunday best. In a fusion of acrobatics, percussion and choreographies, they create inside the cabinet of curiosities a festive ambience that radiates freedom and charm.In his larger-than-life curio cabinet, the Seeker is convinced that there exists a hidden, invisible world – a place where the craziest ideas and the grandest dreams await.
The mission of Cirque du Soleil is to invoke the imagination, provoke the senses and evoke the emotions of people around the world. Well, mission accomplished! That is exactly what Kurios-Cabinet of Curiosities masterfully did. With an amazing cast of 46 artists under the artistic guidance of Guy Laliberté and Jean-François Bouchard, Kurios inspires you and transports you to another realm of theatrical possibilities.The music in the show, is a show in by itself, creating a perfect theatrical score that penetrates one’s core. Masterfully light, Kurios Cabinet of Curiosity truly felt as if you've stepped into a real live lucid dream.
It took 65 trucks to transport close to 2,000 tons of equipment to build the grand illusion of a breathtaking Steampunk Victorian world. There are 426 super cool props in the show, the most of any production in Cirque du Soleil’s history. The mechanical hand that walked on its own fingers would have made Jules Verne and H.G. Wells dance with joy, and envy! It weighs 750 pounds and measures 15 feet by 6.8 feet. Traveling on top of it is a fast-paced and fluid contortion act in which four deep-sea creatures that embody electric eels inside the Seeker’s cabinet come to life.
The amazing talent was beyond super human. They had the ability of being able effortlessly fly, twist into amazing shapes, defy human strength and on top of it all, make you laugh. With some of the best ensemble work I’ve seen on a live stage, the amount of training, focus, dedication, discipline and craft it must take for the cast to bring us this experience is worthy of a standing ovation and a memory you will never forget.
Musical magic astounds with every step the acrobats bound. A juggler impossibly juggles his gravity defying balls while suspended in the air. An acrobat jumps on her acrobatic bicycle also suspended in mid air, upside down performing stunts. An oddball ringmaster directs a miniature circus with invisible artists. BANQUINE, a group of 13 artists perform spectacular sequences of perfectly synchronized acrobatics and human pyramids that showcase the amazing agility of the human body. All the acts, ROLA BOLA, YO-YOS, ACRO NET, AERIAL STRAPS, the SIAMESE TWINS, the RUSSIAN CRADLE DUO, KLARA THE TELEGRAPH OF THE INVISIBLE all were fun and mind boggling spectacular. THEATER OF HANDS was done with only fingers to tell a story that is filmed and projected in real time on a hot-air balloon that serves as a screen. UPSIDE DOWN WORLD totally twisted my mind. An original chair-balancing act, in which dinner guests realize that their exact double exists in a parallel universe right above them where the same scene is unfolding... but upside down!
Amongst my favorites in the collection of otherworldly characters was the very charming and energetic Mini Lili. She represents Mr. Microcosmos’ unconscious and lives inside her host’s overcoat. Through the door in his belly, you can catch a glimpse of the furnished interiors of the little lady’s abode, complete with armchair and other necessities of the Victorian home. Mini Lili is played by Antanina Satsura a 3.2 feet tall performer that only weighs 39 pounds and is one of the 10 smallest people in the world. Then there was Nico The Accordion Man who’s costume allows him to bend very low or stand straight up so he can be at eye level with absolutely everyone. After a little bit over two hours of marvel, the story comes to an end. We don't want to go home,we are part of the show. We notice it no longer is 11.11 but 11.12 as if we were in a twilight zone and all we just saw took place in only one minute
Over 155 million people in 40 countries have had the treat of witnessing Cirque du Soleil shows and I hope you are one of them or will be one of them soon. If you happen to be going to Atlanta, Boston, Washington D.C. or New York; or if you have friends and relatives living there, text them, twitter them,facebook them, let them know that Kurios is coming to their town to unlock the door to a world of wonders.
Share your personal Cirque du Soleil experience@ #officialnoho https://twitter.com/officialnoho/status/630423903417057280
TOUR DATES
If you missed Kurios-Cabinet of Curiosities, you can catch it in the following cities.
Atlanta, GA, United States
Opens on March 3 2016
Boston, MA, United States
Opens on May 26 2016
Washington, DC, United States
Opens on July 21 2016
New York, NY, United States
Opens on September 29 2016
View video trailer of Kurios-Cabinet of Curiosity-
https://www.cirquedusoleil.com/kurios