The Beatles LOVE – Cirque du Soleil, AMAZING!…

and yet it left me wanting….

Finally after all these years I saw my first Cirque du Soleil show. It was everything I had heard it would be and more. Every single aspect of the performance was flawless.  I am awestruck by the talent, the athleticism, the precision, the costumes, the lighting, the sound and the multimedia. It was sensory overload. In fact there was so much happening at once that it is impossible to take it all in! Where to focus my attention was a dilemma!

Knowing that I am in theater, some people indicated they were anxious for my critique.  If by critique they expect criticism, I have none. If they meant review, as I said, it was amazing and flawless.

Why then was I beginning to get restless during the final half hour of the 90 minute show?  I was surprised to find myself checking my watch.  I’ve puzzled this for the last couple of days and I think I know at least part of the answer.

• After having my senses bombarded for 60 minutes I was actually starting to feel tired.
• After 60 minutes I felt I had seen it all… a sense of “you can’t top anything you have already done.”
• After 60 minutes I finally realized that this was indeed a circus and there would be no story, no climax, no resolution.

And that last point really says it all.  Being a theater person, I am all about story.  I forgot that this was a circus and for some reason I had the expectation that there would be a story. And yes, for those who have seen the show, there is a thread of story and characters to LOVE, but it is fleeting, and with so much happening, easy to miss. The show is many things, all good, but it is not about a cohesive story. Nothing wrong with that. You just need to know going in that you are not going to experience a story.

Would I go again?  Absolutely! But if given a choice of going to see a show that has story or variety show or a circus, I would probably choose story… but, then that is just the kind of guy that I am. Give me the choice of a good movie or a good concert, and I will probably pick the movie.  What about you? Are you a “wow me with an experience” person? Or are you a “tell me a good story” person? (Yes, I know  they are not mutually exclusive–one can also be wowed by the experience of a good story!)