The Worlds of Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil began 20 years ago as a Quebecois street performance festival that went on tour of the province as part of a celebration of the 450th anniversary of Jacques Cartier’s discovery of Canada. Featuring a theatre troupe that juggled, walked on stilts, breathed fire, dance and played music, the brainchild of Guy Laliberte became a traveling circus of sorts, and the rest is history.
Today, Cirque du Soleil has 19 shows touring 271 cities in 33 countries around the world, eight of them “resident” shows semi-permanently housed in Las Vegas and one in Disney World Orlando. So popular are the spectacular visual effects and remarkable performances that bits and pieces from many of the shows have been blended into a 3D movie.
Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away combines the mesmerizing cube juggling from “Mystere,” contortionists and synchronized swimming from “O,” nonsensical wit from “the Beatles: Love” and some spectacular scenery from “Ka.”
Fans can still see Cirque du Soleil up close and personal, however, at a number of Las Vegas casinos, as well as Downtown Disney and a number of tour sites throughout the United States. Each show has its own unique theme and storyline, features continuous live music, and props that are switched around by the actors themselves rather than a stagehand.
Mystere was the first to be created as an “in-residence” show in 1983, at the Treasure Island Casino in Las Vegas. Featuring Peruvian, African and east European inspired music, Mystere explores the origins of life in the universe, and features a hodgepodge of mythologies taken from different cultures.
“O” opened five years later at the Bellagio, and features incredible water illusions. “Zumanity” is a cabaret-style performance at the New York, New York Hotel and Casino, and is a somewhat more risqué, adult-oriented show. The MGM Grand’s “Ka” is heavily focused on martial arts, and “The Beatles: Love” is the Mirage’s tribute to the fabulous four.
Finally, Luxor’s Cirque show, “Criss Angel Believe,” combines Criss Angel’s signature illusions with acrobatics, puppetry, dance, music and poetry in an imaginary tour through the illusionist’s mind.
Check Stub.com for dates and times, and the best prices on tickets available online.
Categorized in: Theater