It is rare that I say no when my father calls and says, "Do you and Zoe want to...(fill in the blank)." There's usually something fabulous attached to that question. Additionally, we all know, I'm all about the "why not" rather than the "why" these days. So when he called last week and said "Do you and Zoe want to go see Cirque Eloize at the Adrienne Arscht Center?" It was a yes. A bouncy, contortionist, flying trapeze type of yes.
I have seen a few Cirque du Soliel performances and feel like that ship has passed in my area of interest. That said, the beauty of the performances cannot be denied. I just feel like I leave the CDS and say "huh?" Maybe a bit too Frenchy/esoteric for my taste. Cirque Eloize was not that. Not even a little. In what is described as "West Side Story gone hip-hop circus" this is an urban-themed show, full of street-style, vibe and attitude. The show opens with the 16 stage performers walking across the stage, as if it's a busy city street. Projectors/magic enchants the backdrop with an artsy interpretation of city skyline.
The main story line evolves around some sort of love interest/street gang rivalry. Performers try to outdo each other with their talents. First off is a balancing pole act that is in a word, ridiculous. Defying gravity and good sense, the adept pole artist moves up and down a 20 foot pole, with insane strength and stamina. Hello. He didn't even seem to sweat it a bit. Various artists constantly dart in and out, breakdancing, hamming it up at times. There's a bicycle trickster who hops from high platforms on one wheel and an online skater who does fancy footwork between traffic-diversion cones. Let's not forget the contortionists, aerial "tissue" act teamed up with a roller blader and the juggler. Hold up, did I mention the final act was a "trampowall?" A trampoline in the floor with the performers bouncing up and down what appeared to be three stories. Again, I say "ridiculous!" Amazing all of them. The mood is definitely young, and vibrant, but not too loud or bizarre. The focus on street arts really brings focus to the performance and makes it accessible to all ages.
My daughter spent the rest of the evening trying to touch her toes to her head. "I want to see it again Mom" she said this morning. "It was so awesome, how did they do that?" It's great to share these live performances with her. Exposure to the live arts at a young age is important. My grandmother took me to see just about every musical starting with Evita, at the Jackie Gleason theater back in the day. Grease, Annie, Cats, I saw them all and hope to take my daughter to see as many as I can.
The show is at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, Ziff Ballet Opera House now until September 4, 2011. For more information or tickets to Cirque Eloize at the Adrienne Arsht Center.
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