Thank you YELP and Katie B. for hooking the Elites up with free tickets to CIRQUE BERZERK! When I was notified that I got free tickets to this show, I skimmed through a couple reviews on Yelp and went to this show without much expectations. If you are going to CIRQUE BERZERK with Cirque Du Soleil or a Broadway Musical in mind, yeah... you will be disappointed. I saw a lot of Yelpers were criticized CIRQUE BERZERK for their poor storyline, but again... if you look at each act as an individual act, it is not that bad. This is definitely a show for 18+. Overall, show was entertaining but I really think they picked a wrong venue for this event. I was seated in the Lower Balcony and had problems seeing parts of the show (especially the opening act). Favorite part was probably trampoline act and pulling a hat out of the rabbit. Hahah. Again, thank you YELP for inviting the Elites to see this show! read more

Cirque Berzerk - Performing Arts Near Me - Los Angeles, California

TIP: Don't buy the expensive seats. The show doesn't get full so the ushers let you sit wherever you want in the balcony as long as you're not taking someone else's seat. Also, arrive at the box office two hours before the show to enter the "Rush" ticket raffle, which lets you buy a VIP ticket (front balcony, best seats in the house) for $20 each. The show was actually a lot better than I had expected. Although people said it was like a Tim Burton's production of Cirque du Soleil, I don't watch movies and I've never seen Cirque du Soleil, so that didn't really clarify anything for me! The website is a pretty accurate description of what the show is, a dark, scantily clad and comical circus and performance show. It was a very diverse crowd who came to the show too, including goths/heavy metal looking people (as expected), older couples, and a lot of people were coming here right after the Lakers game which ended just before the show started. As for the show, the first half REALLY won me over, the second half not so much. If you left before intermission, you'd be telling all your friends about Cirque Berzerk this very minute. After intermission, I was wondering what would follow up that very impressive showing at the beginning because of course, they'd save the best for last, right? WRONG. But still, I was entertained. For a measly $20?!? I felt like I was robbing the place. The good: a nicely decorated stage, singers singing the whole duration of the show to set an ambiance to the performances, a large assortment of props, a super qualified list of performers (check out the program notes), an impressive VIP lounge upstairs, and they even came out after the show to take pictures and meet with the crowd. And no, not for 5 minutes, or just the smaller background performers, but the main acts. The bad: an only decent second half, I was under the impression that there would be more fire acts after seeing the website, the story kinda sucks, lady in red should play a bigger, better part, but most importantly.. .. the title rhymes with Circle Jerk (had to throw it in there). All in all, go see Cirque Berzerk, get $20 VIP tickets, and take pictures with scary stilt clowns or the zombie cop with huge tits. read more

Cirque Berzerk - Stage view from VIP balcony tickets - Performing Arts Near Me - Los Angeles, California

If the name is of the show is any indication...Bezerk indeed. A big thanks to Yelp for procuring the tickets for the first elite event of 2011. Those were $80 bottom level seats. Probably what would be considered orchestra, if there were such an area. This is club Nokia. Not the regular Nokia ampitheater. I was actually quite surprised what they did with the club since I had been on another occasion for 'clubbing'. If you sit closer to the stage, you'll have a full view of the show but if you sit closer to the back, you'll need to perhaps look at the lcd screens to see where those acrobats have hoisted themselves to since the stadium seating is directly above, and covers some of the aerial stage. We had VIP tickets, which meant access to the 3rd, 4th and 5th floor bars. Very key since the lines would get long during intermission. Now that I've covered the logistics, now onto the show. The story line is mostly about letting go of your inhibitions and discovering what you are truly capable of. Creepy, eerie, twisted, bizarre, dark. Sexual. Very sexual. Not for childrens eyes - a real adult circus. Your eyes will be in for a glittery vampire looking devilish treat. From the awesome acrobatics to the sheer show of strength. Spinning, twisting, flipping, toppling. So. Let loose. And break free, you repressed souls. And join this mesmerizing circus. read more

Damn everything but the circus! ...damn everything that is grim, dull, motionless, unrisking, inward turning, damn everything that won't get into the circle, that won't enjoy, that won't throw its heart into the tension, surprise, fear and delight of the circus, the round world, the full existence... ---- e. e. cummings The circus! The circus is coming to town! When I was a kid, I loved going to the circus. There are all sorts of crazy pictures of me standing next to huge animals including a bear. Little 5-year-old me in a pink jacket with a bear. What were my parents thinking? Well, the days of going to circuses with animals are long gone. How passe! And Cirque du Soleil seems awfully expensive. So, when I heard about Cirque Berzerk, I was ALL about it. Being the type of person who loves fringe stuff though not actually fringe themselves, this is the perfect gateway drug. I know I'll never go to Burning Man so it's pretty cool they went "mainstream." So mainstream, they're selling discounted tickets on Goldstar. I got the $80 tickets for half off plus a processing fee. And they were GREAT seats. Victoria and I sat in the first row, right behind the little boxed section. This gave us a great view of the hot semi-naked trapeze artists. Cirque Berzerk wasn't entirely on point with everything. I think there's a distinct impression at times it isn't supposed to be professional. They need a better ringmaster. Someone more forceful and dark. I just couldn't take the guy seriously. The story line tied everything together but was it plausible? Well, not really. But let's go with it anyway. I wasn't into most of the music but it got better at the end. My faves were definitely the trapeze folks. I also enjoyed the fire bit as well though nothing terribly new. And I've seen people do stuff with drapes before but it's still cool. Who hasn't seen a trampoline act before? Well, they did it better than anyone else I've ever seen. The show is about two hours with a 20-minute intermission. During intermission, we were outside looking at this small side stage with an eyeball bat. All of the sudden, the thing shot out a huge blast of fire! And then the guy starting playing a guitar that shot out fire as well. Awesome! I enjoyed that a bit. I didn't go into the drinks tent but I heard there are pinball machines. Maybe I should have checked that out for my friends over at Tiki Pinball, ah well, next year! Oh yeah, I plan to go back if they change the show around. I suppose the best parts of the show for me was the costuming and the funnier bits. I really liked the little person (great makeup!) and the "corpse." One of the clowns ran into our row as he dragged that fake body around. Ha, what was even more hilarious to me were the body parts wranglers who came by after to search for the parts that fell off or discarded. We parked by the restaurant we had dinner at so about half a mile away. But there is plenty of street parking in the area. I'd avoid the $10 lot. They do have a full concession stands including corn on the cob, popcorn, Mexican food and the like. Damn everything but the circus! #1500 read more

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This is a circus show that's heavily inspired by Cirque du Soleil productions and it has moments where it comes close. Unfortunately, they aren't able to replicate the entire Cirque experience. This show plays at Club Nokia and balcony seats are very obstructed. So if you're getting tickets from goldstar, take note. You may miss things here and there. I got complimentary tickets from yelp and I had a great time that night. But this show normally runs people between 50-100 bucks. Would I recommend putting down that cash on this show? Probably not. I'd advise you to save your money for the upcoming Cirque show that's set to debut at the Kodak in July. There is also a travelling Cirque du Soleil show, called Quidam that's premiering in the inland empire soon! This show, kinda like Zumanity in Vegas, is intended to be sexy and it has its moments. In the beginning, there's a breathtaking acrobatic scene with a male and female that's very sexy. But in addition to being sexy, their strength and flexibility was unbelievable. They also had a noteworthy scene that featured four guys and two trampolines. Although the show's first half was entertaining and cool, the second half of the show was not able to keep the pace. Some of the "sexiness" toward the end just felt contrived and forced. Although I had a great time watching the show with my friend, I don't think that this is worth seeing for full price. But they do have discounted seats on goldstar if you do want to give this show a chance. Good aspects: Pretty amazing acrobatics in the first half of the show. Weaker points: Obstructed view in balcony level seating Ushers aren't very good about helping people find their seats. People were walking in and out for the first 15 mins of the show. Weak second half. Contrived Storyline/Sexiness. Music is okay, but it isn't comparable to what's in a Cirque production. read more

First off, THANK YOU katie B. for hooking us yelpers up!!! Can't complain about seating cuz it was a free show but I did realized we got into through the VIP line which means we had access to the VIP lounge. So thank you Katie, Yelp staff, and Cirque Berzerk staff for giving us this treat! However, the show itself was just okay. Like Vickie C. had mentioned this show is definitely not comparable to any CIrque du Soleil shows. Nothing wow-ed me. The acrobatic acts were okay - just the regular stunts. But i do give the performers props for being able to do the acts in such a small stage. And if I were to pay for my tickets and got the seats i got for that night, i would be disappointed. All I can say is that this venue is not made for circus acts. Would I recommend this show to other people? umm.. sure. But would I pay $45+ to watch this show? probably not. FYI: According to Ticketmaster: FLOOR SEATING US $45.00 - US $125.00 VIP SEATING-ALLOWS ACCESS TO VIP LOUNGE (21 & UP) US $60.00 BALCONY US $19.50 - US $60.00 LOWER BALCONY US $45.00 STANDING ROOM ONLY US $19.50 read more

My friend told me that we were going to watch a Cirque Du Soleil show and I was super excited. The whole time I sat there and wondered how Cirque Du Soleil could have dropped their standards so drastically. Some of the performers were decent; others were so out of shape that it was uncomfortable to watch their struggle and cellulite. Hmmm...maybe I sat too close. I don't think that Club Nokia was the best venue for a show like this. They laid out the chairs on the level dance floor which resulted in a not-so-optimal seating arrangement. The story was cliché but entertaining. The costumes were okay; very wanna-be Cirque Du Soleil. The trampoline was my favorite act. They made it look super fun and I now I want my own trampoline. The live singing was pretty cool too. Otherwise, it was uninventive and already done. We had paid $5 per ticket through a special AEG thing and I'm glad that I went. It was an evening well spent. But I would be annoyed if I had purchased these tickets at full price. I think I definitely would have enjoyed it better had I not thought that it was Cirque Du Soleil. I think my expectations were too high. These two are just not at the same level. O well. In conclusion, Cirque Bezerk is the inbred cousin of Cirque Du Soleil and I would shell out more dough to watch the latter at any time. read more

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Wow... I honestly did not expect so much in the beginning since I was told by my friends not too expect a Vegas Cirque du Soleil show... but WOW. The show was FANTASTICAL! Yes my friends were right. It was different from the Cirque du Soleil show, but I felt like it was even better~! Cirque Berzerk was very "raw" very interactive (Um. I think I got molested by one of the acrobats...) thrilling, and just absolutely amazing. It was very circus-esque and creepy yet very artistic and beautiful. Thank you yelp for making this an Elite Yelp event. I had such a wonderful time! read more

My first Elite event! Now I can truly call myself a Yelper. :) The name confused me so at first, I thought this was a Cirque du Soleil production. I was a bit disappointed when I realized my mistake, but this show really blew me away. Who knew that the human body was capable of such things?! God wasn't kidding when he pronounced man "very good." Right on, bro. I know the freaky/wacky/dark theme must've creeped some people out, but I loved the set, the lighting, the costuming... everything was done so artistically and with a purpose. There's a live band and singers. But I gotta say, acting is clearly not their forte. The beginning of the act is a bit uncomfortable to sit through, but hang tight and prepare for some awesome acrobatics. Without giving away too much, my favorite acts were the the trampolines, the contortionist couple, fire eaters, and the silks. A message to you (and myself): do not try this at home, kids. One thing that I could've done without were the female vocalists. What the heck were their shrill voices singing about? It was cool after the performance though, as the cast came out and we got a chance to talk and take pictures with them. A very cool and chill crowd off the stage willing to mingle with their fans, which is a rare find. read more

Cirque Berzerk - VIP lounge area - Performing Arts Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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I'm with Limzer...*yawn* because I'm still tired. I made the trip all the way from the OC to see Cirque Berserk last night courtesy of Yelp LA and Katie B. Thanks Yelp! Thanks Katie! I drove to the Long Beach Willow station to park and hopped on the Blue Metro line ($1.50 each way). It drops you right by the Staples Center and LA LIVE. It definitely beats parking at Staples by a HUGE margin. Public transportation is awesome folks! The show is spectacular. I loved the artistry and feats of strength. My seats were VIP front row balcony. Awesome! Yelp really hooked us up! Those tickets are $60 each normally. You can get discounts through Goldstar. The story is essentially an afterlife caberet/ circus. Pretty neat. Also very sexy goth. Think Moulin Rouge meets Beetlejuice with a Cirque du Soleil-type feel and definitely for adults. I think Tim Burton would be proud. The performers were amazing, from the music to the acrobatics. I definitely recommend this show to those looking for something to do in LA. Great venue, great show. Definitely check it out. Thanks Yelp for giving us elites a great event to start 2011 right. read more

I have to say, this was a BIG let down. I am just glad that I did not pay for the $80 seats but we weren't that far off at $60. =( (we got to sit anywhere we wanted when they barely filled a quarter of the tent @ the 7pm show) Saw the website from a friend, looked very cool and very intriguing. Bought tickets right away. With all the hype on the website, how could anyone not think that it was going to be anything better than great?! To be frank about it, to me it felt like all the 2nd rate rejects from Circus de Soleil found their way here. Get enough of them, put together a really bad "storyline" and you have a bunch of sub-par acts that have no "wow" factor. (Well, the only one that came close were the four guys and the trampoline but that one got old after 7 mins.) I actually feel asleep for a good 5 mins as I went into a trance state from all the bad "singing" on stage. It was really screaming followed by a lot of pounding of strange metals. If you are running late, no worries. The first 20 mins is just worthless. Woman in red who runs around looking for a way out of her miserable life, falls into a hole and then begins all the bad acts. Towards the end, a gang of masked dancers give it a go on stage for 10 mins or so. Again, done very bad. Had so much potential. Dancers aren't even unison the whole dance and they never really do anything worthy. The coolest thing at this event are the fire sign at the entrance and an even larger fire shooter towards the portal pottys. I really wish that the show blew my mind away but it did just the exact opposite. Seemed like half the people loved it but I can tell you that either they were drunk or they have never seen a person do a flip. read more

Cirque Berzerk - Performing Arts Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Now I know where all the people who didn't get hired by Cirque du Soleil go for work! Coming into the show, I thought it would be a mixture of Cirque du Soleil, Burlesque, and interesting costumes! That was mostly true. I honestly didn't know what to expect. The show has a come hither vibe about it and a girl-dies-and-goes-to-circus-hell theme to it. The show is accompanied with a live band and singers that play/sing an interesting/spooky soundtrack. The show was definitely unique in many ways and average in others. The story line isn't great. I was seated in the lower balcony and wish I had a giraffe neck because parts of the show I couldn't see (especially when the actors/performers went to the very front of the stage). The parts that I enjoyed were: - Four guys on the trampoline, then four guys on the double trampoline with the wall. I thought this was the best part of the show. - Large hoops and the man/woman doing spinning/tricks/maneuvers inside them. Each had his/her own hoop. - Woman doing acrobatics with what looks like two curtains. She wraps and spins herself around, climbs up and does more tricks. There were some parts that went on too loooooonnnnnggg. But overall, an interesting experience. It's definitely not for the little ones since there's some sexual innuendos and defiling a mannequin. Thanks Yelp for the tickets! Parking for us was $15 and we had to battle the people going to the LA Kings game. Xie Xie! read more

This was my first Yelp Elite event. I wanted to see this show but was debating if I wanted to spend a lot of money on tickets. However, Yelp just read my mind, and Katie B. emailed me an offer that I could not refuse. They were not only free but also VIP tickets. I like to describe Cirque Berzerk as Cirque du Soleil's less experienced younger brother. So if you have Cirque du Soleil standards, then you've come to the wrong show. There were still great stunts and aerial acrobatics but did not dominate the whole performance. There was gymnastics, dancing, singing, and comedy acts all fitting to the dark circus theme. Some performances were more entertaining than others. I was personally impressed by the show because I'm not that talented, flexible, strong, or trusting like the performers. It was fun, different, and very entertaining. Some of the performers moved from stage left to stage right while interacting with audience. Some interactions included a creepy hello or kiss. There is an intermission so you can get another round of drinks or use the bathroom. Club Nokia was a great venue for Cirque Berzerk. read more

Randomly ended up here on Sat night for the 10pm show. I started the night off by meeting some folks in Little Tokyo for dinner and 2 of them had tickets to this show. So myself and my another buddy from Hermosa went along thinking it was some sort of piercing/fire/sword swallowing freak show act. This wasn't my cut of tea. I should have done a little research before I got here and paid $55 for ticket in Section 7. It was kind of an attempt to be a scary Cirque Soleil. I felt it failed at both angels. The attempt to portray their scary story line came across a little cheesy to me. Thanks goodness they had a tent w/ a bar outside. Also people swing dancing in the bar tent area at intermission, really??? Someone was trying to describe the crowd to me as the Silver Lake hipster crowd. I think Jessica L put it best on here "The story line was not cohesive and frankly unnecessary... I like my cirque like I like my porn: no story line, all action. The first 1/4 of the show is wasted setting up a story line about some underworld and I think it was supposed to be scary." I think there was 17 acts. The one act I did like was the 4 Brothers Trampoline Act in the second half. I've been to a couple Cirque Soleil shows and I liked those shows. read more

Cirque Berzerk - 1 of the fire breathing machines outside - Performing Arts Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Thank you Katie B and Yelp, for my complimentary tickets to this awesome show. It pays to be Elite!!!! Yes!!! Haha!!! It was such a neat experience and am very glad I finally got to see one of these shows. First of all, let me start off by saying my seats were great! I was right in the center and had a perfect view of the whole show. Well, I couldn't see the musicians, which bummed me out a little, but still great view either way. Um, the story is somewhat lacking I guess you can say, but the performers are absolutely amazing and you definitely stop caring about the weak story, lol. It is truly amazing to watch the things these performers can do with their bodies. The costumes were so neat, I could probably just write a review about all of the awesome costumes, but I won't bore us all with that, haha. I just really enjoyed watching these performers doing some crazy shit in the air, and sitting on the edge of my seat worrying about what would happen if this trick went wrong, lol. Acrobatics is truly an art, and looks insanely hard. These people have an amazing talent and strength which is beautiful to watch. The whole show is a little dark and twisted and has some funny moments, but still not much of a story going on. It feels like kind of a dark twisted creepy circus theme with crazy people doing neat tricks in the air. Just enjoy the show these people put on for you, and don't try to make much sense out of the storyline or lack of. Club Nokia is alright I guess, but a bit way too expensive like everything at LA Live, which is a whole other story I guess. Also, too many drunk Kings fans walking around!!! While we were waiting in the VIP line we saw one of the fake LA Live cops take some drunk Kings fan's beer away, haha!!! You gotta love LA, lol. Once again, thank you Yelp for great night out, and I look forward to a year filled with great Yelp Elite events! :) read more

Cirque Berzerk - Performing Arts Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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So I have seen my share of Cirque performances and know that I usually am in store for something strange and weird. Music will be phenomonal and the live acts will be creative and awe-inspiring. Katie B. and Yelp EliteThanks for the tickets. We had a interesting evening. The stage was small and at times I cringed wondering HOW in the world they were going to do some of the "feats" without crashing into something. I would suggest that you get a center seat in the balcony area but not to far up as you won't be able to see what is happening right in front below on the stage. Props were cool, stage design appropriate for the "dark" theme of the performance. Entertainment in between acts was it's usual weird-@$$-schtuff but this is what you should expect from Cirque. Berzerk is kinky... Sexual, Strange and just all around right-eyebrow-raised Cirque in it's elements. I guessed my way through the storyline but let's face it many of their storylines is just "fluff" for the acts in between. Music was great I appreciate that they LOVE drums and string instruments it will put a smile on my face likkity-split. I would not suggest taking little ones to see this Cirque performance or close-minded people for that matter, as there was a lot of nonchalant fondling and groping going on and 2 guys frenching one another for a second or 2 :) You know what I say... GO ON AND GET YOUR SWERVE ON!! It's art DAYUM IT!! hahahahaha Respectfully Reviewed read more

Checked out this place because of the free tickets provided by Yelp! Went through the VIP line which was pretty cool and the line went by pretty fast. I was excited because I've been to 2 Cirque Du Soleil shows and it was really good (my favorite was O! at the Bellagio). Anyway, I was a bit disappointed at this performance because I wasn't amazed by it, and every move they did it was expected since I've seen 2 shows. I can tell though that it's hard to train for these shows, but I feel like the show should've been more thought out for the expectation of others who've seen the other shows. I wouldn't pay money to watch this. read more

If Cirque du Soleil and Rocky Horror had a menage a trois with Carnivale (the show), their love child would be Cirque Berzerk. Just a few shy steps away from downtown LA and Chinatown lays this erect circus tent in the middle of a dirt field. The location was at first a bit odd to locate. Their address on Google showed that it was at the end of Spring street, yet after doing a couple of turnarounds, you come to discover the location is actually further down Main Street, way past the stated Spring street end. The parking is $10 and make sure to pay attention to the 5mph speed limit, unless like you care to be screamed at by an angry volunteer like I was. Food options are your basic carni selections: hot dogs, burgers, sandwiches, kettle corn with the exception of a smaller pitched tent where the bar and DJ is. There are also vendors along the outside of the main tent, though I was a bit disappointed that there weren't more of a selection; Mainly clothing and jewelry for the most part. Overall, the performances, costumes and music were much enjoyed. The price was a bit high considering the seats provided, but hey, the performers have to eat too, right? read more

Thank you Yelp! Although alcohol wasn't involved in this event, I still think it was great to have something different. I was a bit late to the show so I had the most difficult time locating my seats. There weren't any ushers and it was very dark. My advice is if you are coming to watch this show be sure to arrive early and not late. Luckily the stadium wasn't too packed so I just picked some random seats. I would give this show a 3. If it wasn't for the Yelp Elite event that made it free it would get a 3. The storyline was pretty predictable. There wasn't anything about it that made me go wow. The only thing that did was the trampoline scene where they did some pretty incredible things that I have never seen before. It really made me want to buy a trampoline and bounce around like them. They did it all in sync too so that was kind of cool. A couple of the scenes the music didn't seem like it was in sync, but you get easily distracted by the acrobatic moves from the dancers. Some of the ladies were incredible. I'm kind of amazed at what they can do with their bodies. This was my first time watching a Cirque show so I think I will be blown away if I were to watch an O or something. I heard a lot of great things about those shows so I can't wait. Club Nokia was a bit too small for this. I feel like this would be great for a musical but for a cirque show I would think it would need to be bigger so that there could be more things going on at once. I sat at the balcony section 1 and from up there they looked like zombie/clowns. Would I pay to watch this? Probably not. But for free.. heck yes! read more

Two words: Necrophilia Orgy Today, I attended Cirque Berzerk with a friend compliments of Yelp! I was somewhat confused by the plot but the second portion of the show clarified it. I have to say, seeing various Cirque du Soleil shows makes this show quite amateurish. I did love the live music throughout the show. While the show progressed, one of the stage people actually greeted us. I thought that added a special touch. It was definitely a unique experience. I am aware of necrophilia, but this performance artistically demonstrates it. I loved the trampoline portion where these four fit men are bouncing up and down alternating trampolines on either sides of a wall. However, Cirque du Soleil has set the bar very high, so I can only conscientiously award 3 stars because the acrobatics were not as impressive, but rather trite. read more

Thanks to Yelp for the free tix, you guys rock. The only way you can experience Cirque Berzerk is by seeing it first hand. Think of awesome contortionists, high-flying acrobatics, burlesque dancers, and some amazing music. It definitely had a big time feel crammed into a small place, I do think it could have been much better if there was more crowd interaction, maybe by using more of the venue rather than just in certain parts. Definitely entertaining, funny, sexy and good times, go and watch this for yourselves. I was seated top left area and yes at times my view was obstructed but not for long, and please get to your seat on time because if you don't then you're an asshole. read more

I love being a Yelp Elite! I got complimentary tickets to see the show and was so amazed by the strength and flexibility of those performing. When I got back from the show, I just remember telling my brothers how awesome the show was and how inspired I was to get strong, do pull ups, and go back to yoga (haha, half kidding). read more

Being a die-hard Cirque du Soleil fan, I actually like the idea of another group trying to join in on the circus-as-performance fun. I think they have held the market for a very long time and are getting a bit stale. The edginess of the costumes was distinctive, and the acrobatics were great. I particularly liked the couple at the end who were dancing together, the group dance, and the trampoline act (very compelling performance!). :) However, the ringleader was a bit lacking. Sometimes I couldn't understand what he was saying. At other times I thought he was overly cliche. Some of the acts were slightly lackluster, and I wished the actual show had lasted a bit longer. Also, the soundtrack would have been better if there were more vocals - would have been more memorable (I bought a CD just to support). Overall, a good effort, and I hope they continue the journey and inspire others to follow suit! read more

PG 13 S & M rock n roll theatrical circus. Fun live music. Cool gymastic rats dressed straight out of a Tim Burton movie or a Three Penny Opera revival. With this circus, you're best off when you just go with it. Sure, there's a sort of story that leads you through the evening (in the guise of a Beetle Juice-like Dungeon Master). It doesn't really add up, but who cares? Great physical theatre at Club Nokia*-- the sound, lighting and the stage were well put-together and makes me want to return for some future show. Lucked out this time round, as my tickets were comped for being a YELP ELITE member. Fun to be there with a bunch of Yelpers. Back to the show: my favorite was by far the clowns --- Sure they performers were pretty much ALL clowns. But when the four guys did the dancing on the double-sided wall and falling onto a bed -- I was thrilled and laughing and taken up in it. I heard myself repeatedly say 'Wow.' Tech note: It's freezing on the first floor. Glad to be way upstairs. *Wish they had more than two bartenders at intemission in the VIP section. Waited 10 minutes in vain, finally walked away dry. It's a 20 minute intermission. Also, look for parking in the area -- you don't need to spend $20 and more to stash the car. read more

I was lucky enough to grab a pair of free tickets through Yelp, for which I was very grateful. It was a nice excuse to get out on a weeknight and do something other than eat or watch a movie or drink at a bar. And different this certainly was! Just a word of warming: if you really like creepy clowns, jokes involving recently deceased bodies, creepy ghost-hookers and the like, your opinion of this show will probably differ greatly from mine. I happen not to like any of those things very much, so obviously this biased my view of the performance. Basically, I'd describe Cirque Berzerk as a less-athletic Cirque du Soleil with a darker, creepier edge. To be honest, the creepiness would be fine with me if the stunts and music were more impressive. While the band and singers were talented, I found the music grating, especially the looong boring numbers toward the end. I also felt like I've seen equally if not more talented aerialists all over the city at clubs and parties and at Cirque du Soleil shows. The standout performance, however, has got to be the trampoline number. It was truly amazing to see the ease with which those dudes bounced all around the place. It's definitely a unique show and I could definitely see it being a hit for those with a certain aesthetic - maybe those who like to shop at Hot Topic? But I have to say it just didn't float my boat. I'm grateful for the chance to check the show out to see how it is... I'll definitely be recommending it to those who I think would enjoy it! read more

I expected too much. For the record, I enjoy dark and twisted freaky deeky shit. If it's creepy and can make me cringe, I love it. I checked the website and the show looked amazing. It seemed to be a 1930's-ish style burlesque/circus/freakshow. The music was great, the costumes looked beautiful and there was fire! I was in. As we walked up to the big top, there was a grotesque clown on stilts with an axe. All I thought was, "Aw yeah, this is gonna be one bad ass show." But it wasn't. It was just ok. Some of the acts were cool. The fire was cool. The angry midget was cool. The intermission band was cool. But I thought the entire act would be more sick and twisted. I wanted a more disturbing show. They have an interesting idea, but they need to cross that line to wow me. So if you want to check it out, here's what's up: Tickets: $25- $80. I paid $40. I felt like I paid too much for what it was. The big top is small so there's not really a bad seat in the house. Buy the cheaper seats. Parking: Park on the street for free. Drinks: Tailgate but watch for the po po. They will ticket your ass. There is an outside bar at the Cirque. Beer was $5. Hard stuff was $9. Food: There were a few hot dog, kettle corn, sandwich tents open. Location: Near Chinatown on an empty dirt lot. Trust me, leave your stilettos at home bitches. After party: Stay, have a drink and listen to the band. If you're done with the Cirque, there's always random adventures waiting for you in Chinatown. read more

Ya know...one of the great perks of being a yelper is getting free tickets to watch local shows, such as Cirque Berzerk! I was excited because I had no idea what kind of show this was, turns out its a Gothic cirque du soleil. Now, I've watched plenty of Cirque du Soleil shows in Vegas and they all amaze me...but you see one, you've seen them all...contortionists bit, the lady who twirls with the silky rope bit, acrobatic bits, awkward comedy bits and the list goes on. What I did like about Cirque Berzerk was the first set with the hula-hooping couple...now that was cool, mainly because I'm a big fan of hula-hoops and had my fair share of hula-hooping back in the days. I also enjoyed the costumes ... which were all so pretty in a dark morbid way. And my most favorite set was the trampoline guys!! That was amazing, and worth it just to see them! However, I'm not too hip with the music...it was partially live with the singers and a sound system for the background music. BOOO! And also the "human" dogs and the masks...they really scare me! It was freaky and I won't lie...I was genuinely scared by those masks. Overall, I had a fun and entertaining time! Thanks Katie B. read more

I got $5 tickets through a friend, so I can't complain. BUT, if I paid the normal price, I'd probably regret for paying so much. I mean, it was just A-OKAY just like the description of a 3STARS. A-OK. I do love the atmosphere and ambience of the setting. I loved it so much! :D *think of Pirates of the Carribean dinner setting at Disneyland* The performance was good. Nothing I went OMG about. okay, maybe a couple that I went "dont fall dont fall dont fall" about. and clapped and WOWed over, BUT again, it was OKAY. Maybe I'm just a pain the the arse, but for $5 that I paid for, it was good, and fun and okay. maybe for the real price that you''ll pay for, you won't enjoy it as much as my $5 ticket :) read more

Let me start from the beginning to the end of my experience. As you get there if you are willing to walk, you can find plenty of free street parking. If you park in the park, getting in and out is a pain cuz a 5mph speed limit is strictly enforced by park rangers. Once I got inside I had a terrible time with a girl at the ticketing. As it is a circus I feel its supposed to be fun and pleasant the whole way through but not at the beginning for me. They couldn't find my ticket and I went from one window to another to find it. They didn't have it under my name but under my friends name which they didn't tell me, which I had to assume. No smiles, no attempts to try to help me locate my ticket, well the first guy was helpful but the girl he sent me to wasn't. I finally asked her if it was under my friends name and she said yes but she can't give it to me. That is fine but if it was under my friends name instead of me freaking out thinking I had no tickets at all she could have been helpful and explained maybe it was under my friends name and she needed to come pick it up. Anyhow by this time the chick was way too busy for me so I had to step away. Well she showed up and when I tried to claim the ticket she told me twice to get to the end of the line. What's funny is, the people in the line, the actual people who normally are the ones who tell you to go to the end, said no man, you have been here way longer than us, go to the front. So I did a nice guy helped us out and we got our tickets. I know in that chick's mind she didn't do anything wrong or wasn't rude but at the same time she could have been more helpful. I feel with service sorts of stuff its either you're helpful or your rude, there is no neutral. You try to be neutral cuz you don't want to straight out be a jerk berzerk, but that's still not being helpful and in my opinion then thus still rude. The rest of the experience was much better. People were nice. Now this is not the kind of circus I grew up with, no animal acts what so ever. I dunno modern circus's seem more like about dancing and singing. Its definitely cool and reminded me a lot of Moulin Rouge. It also though had its slow moments. Some things were breath taking and some stuff was just like dancing, like So You Think You Can Dance which I can watch on TV. They had a band playing before and after the show which was very cool and the audience got to dress up and the cast did a lot of things to interact with them. I dunno. I've seen my share of Cirque Du Soleil and modern circuses and I sort of miss happy clowns, knife throwers, circus geeks, smiling faces, and animals. Maybe I have grown too long in the tooth. So overall I enjoyed the show but how much do I count that experience at the ticketing booth? As annoying as it was it was a singular event and shouldn't affect my judgment of the whole show. But at the same time the show itself entertained me but not every moment. Acrobatics were breath taking and so were some of the choreography. Singing.. eh. Story? Incoherent (I get it, its an underworld of people who committed suicide but at the same time what about it?) Dialogue? eh. If I judged it purely by the different acts (which may have made it work better if there was no theme or story but a lot of thrilling acts like how a circus is supposed to be IMO even if modern) then the strong man act and the trampoline act paid for the price of admission. After the show you can drink some more and watch the live band for free and maybe do a little dancing so make a day of it. read more

This was my first Cirque anything show ever! Well, this show was quite interesting. It's on the dark/gothic side which was pretty scary. (I get scared easily.) But nevertheless entertaining! My favorite acts were in the first half before intermission: the jumping/walking over/on walls and the woman and man who can bend and conform their bodies in multiple ways. How could that man let the woman stand on his whole arm extended horizontally? Crazy I say! I was, "Oohhhing" and "Ahhhing" the whole time. But after intermission, the show was a bit bland and boring. Another thing that wasn't so nice was the glow-in-the-dark stickers/markers on the stage. It kind of ruined the whole experience since my eyes deterred to the glowing neon greens, pinks, and yellows. read more

What an utter and complete LET DOWN! The story line was not cohesive and frankly unnecessary... I like my cirque like I like my porn: no story line, all action. The first 1/4 of the show is wasted setting up a story line about some underworld and I think it was supposed to be scary. This is followed up with weak acrobatics and A LOT of crappy out of sync and weakly choreographed dancing. There were a few acts that were interesting and one (the "brothers" on the trampoline) that had a big WOW factor. The rest was amateur hour, which is a shame because the tent is amazing and the feeling of driving up to it felt grand and promising. What exactly was supposed to be Berzerk? Guys kissing? Come on people I have cable television. White face make up? What? There was nothing even remotely scary or strange about the show. I am amazed at how many parallels to Bob Fosse (blasphemy!!!) and heaps of praise this show has received. Alas I forced myself to clap to at the appropriate moments and wished a few times that I was on the massive drugs the audiences were on at Burning Man, where these guys got their start. I think the highlights were driving up to the tent and the Vaud and the Villians show we caught beforehand, that band is great! Save your duckets folks. read more

It was my first week back in LA after a prolonged time away for the Christmas holidays + the next thing I know it, I'm whisked off to the circus! ... Only this wasn't the typical clowns, elephants + tigers type of show; it was Cirque Berzerk at Club Nokia! I was very fortunate (thanks to the lovely Katie B + Yelp) to obtain free tickets to the show, which I was definitely excited about, but to be honest, I had not even heard of Cirque Berzerk or any buzz about it beforehand... We arrived just on time + had floor seats near the center but a bit further back. While the view to see the stage was fine, it was immediately apparent that the balcony seats above us obstructed the view of anything higher up so we had to rely on small TV screens set up to view what was going on up there. Inconvenient... but then again, that's more the venue's flaw... The show itself was an interesting fusion of acrobatics, sensuality + artistic morbidity that didn't seem cohesive enough to really fascinate me. Perhaps I'm just spoiled from having seen multiple Cirque du Soleil performances (Mystere, Alegria, Ovo + an exclusive "Project Natal" for Xbox 360 Experience event pre-E3), but regardless I just wasn't wow'ed as much by this show as I had anticipated. The plot was very loose, the characters were not really believable, the theatricality didn't have that magical oomph that draws the audience into the moment, + the acrobatics... although tremendous feats of physical talent + fitness... weren't really all that original. The double-trampoline synchronized act featuring 4 men doing somersaults in the air, walking on walls + flying between trampolines was definitely the most intriguing of them all as the performers were so precise with each bounce, flip + landing. Hearty applause was heard throughout the theater for this fun act! Other various acts included a male-female duo who did balancing acts of strength, a couple who spun + flipped through giant hoops, male trapeze artists whose 1/2 naked bodies were more appealing to look at than the tricks they were doing, an aerial silk tissue artist who seemed too careful to be exciting, female artists on swings who I barely recall other than how one accidentally had her shoe pulled off by another performer... These other performers weren't as memorable since they seemed to be going through the motions in almost an over-rehearsed, methodical manner rather than moving effortlessly with passion. It almost kind of reminds me of "Black Swan" in how Natalie Portman's character knows how to dance beautifully but has difficulties in learning to perform with fire + intensity that was required for her portrayal of the black swan... the same lack of emotion. I almost feel like if there was more of a plot or better theatricality in the show, it would have made up for the performing artists' acts. But as both were lacking... plus the annoyance of the venue's poor set-up, I couldn't help but leave the theater feeling a bit unsatisfied. I understand that the nature of being unrefined is intentionally supposed to be part of the experience, but to me, it came off as messy. I've very thankful to Yelp for giving me the opportunity to see this show for free because I most likely would not have seen it otherwise. Soooo... who wants to see the new Cirque du Soleil show IRIS, when it comes to LA this coming July 2011??? ^-^ read more

Cirque Berzerk - Cirque Berzerk logo - Performing Arts Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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I didn't know what to expect, but I left totally satisfied. Cirque Berzek made my ho-hum Friday night plans into a night worth telling all my friends about. As animal rights person, I love that this was an animal-free circus, and as a fan of the dark, twisted, and sensual, I love that it was all of those things in spades. If you are having trouble deciding whether to go or not, imagine this: Cabaret as directed by Tim Burton starring goth princes and princesses with singing, dancing, and crazy stunts! If that sounds good to you, check out Cirque Berzerk! read more

I'm not really sure how to describe this. I mean, it really didn't have much of a plot other than vibrantly beautiful red dressed girl gets tired of the 9-5 tie and suitcase life and makes a deal with fat Rob Zombie for.. well, who knows what. The plot is paper thin. In fact, there's not much of one. It's all a series of excuses to move on to the next in the line of many strange freak shows and high flying acts. The venue.. well, the Nokia theater is lacking something as many of the seats leave you with a blocked view of the stage. I've been saying this for as long as I've been coming here since the Beck concert. It's just not really set up for plays and theater productions. Especially if you have to sit in the upper area to the sides. The venue also really likes to squeeze as much money out of you. From the outrageous drink prices to the $5 photo booth that at one time was free. But then again, the place is really decked out to the theme of this production and I really looked past all of the hang ups I have for this joint when I thoroughly enjoyed the performances. Regardless if the story was just an excuse to bring burning man level performances to the stage. After the show the performers seem to come out to greet the crowd. So hey, take your camera to take a picture with the weird fat-rob zombie dude or that cute S.S. Dame of the Dead. ... Or just run out of that place before that midget comes out, because really.. Midgets are pretty scary. read more

NOTE: Headings are just to be helpful, there are no spoilers in this review. I try my best to describe what to expect without giving the show away! THE PLOT: Expect something along the lines of a twisted romance novel. It doesn't flow well at some points, makes you wonder if it's necessary, but at the same time, you are mildly gratified that there is something along the lines of a theme to hold the experience all together. THE VENUE: Club Nokia is a tiny venue and for one part of the setup, I was holding my breath worrying that they would knock the entire set down. The other problem with the size of the set was that I felt that the aerialists were restricted by the tiny size of the venue. It's hard to flip, swing and leap to your hearts content when you are always 5 inches away from hitting a wall, pole, or another performer. The performers' concern showed, at least to me in the second row center, in their carefully planned leaps and slight hesitations before really taking off into the air. THE ACROBATICS: For the most part it is what you would expect: aerialist, trampoline fun, mock magic tricks, crass humor, and contortionists. It was not something that wow'd me every second, but there were most certainly times when they well deserved applause. THE SHOW: The billboards are a little misleading in that they present this idea of a high budget, very professional polished performance. Try not to leave your expectations that high, you will be disappointed. If you go expecting a good time watching a very well produced high school production, you will enjoy the experience. The show is a rather eclectic mix of things. In a lot of ways, it is more of a variety show of dancers and gymnasts as opposed to what you would envision when you think "Cirque". Their show is rather like their set. The set looks like someone rummaged through their neighbors yard and collected random things and stuck them together. It's strange, slightly mismatched, but it works. I loved the fact that they were aware that due to the venue, they couldn't hide setting up parts of the set. Some ideas in setting up worked cleverly, others were awkward and prone to resulting in obvious mistakes in putting up or taking things down in front of an audience. They did have some very clever ways of working in aerialist safety into the set, but while clever, the solution was often awkward as the safety item had no real other purpose to fit into the story other to serve as a cleverly disguised safety net. It did look like at times they did have to improvise when there were problems with the way things were set up, but the fact that they were able to perform still flawlessly (keep in mind I love sitting up front to catch minor details) does say wonders about their skill level. DO NOT: Do not bring your young children. DO NOT BRING YOUR YOUNG CHILDREN. When they say risque, they mean people constantly on one another, touching one another, lots of "wenching behavior" on set. DO NOT: pay more than $40 for your ticket. If you have to pay more than $5 for your parking, it might leave you feeling a little ripped off. Also, the venue is not big enough to the point where it would make a huge difference. DO: Bring cash because the vendors do not take credit or debit cards. BOTTOM LINE: If you are looking for an entertaining show which won't break the bank and doesn't come with a two drink minimum, check out Cirque Berzerk. It's not perfect, but it is worth checking out and a great way to kill 2 hours. ______________________________________________ MAJOR THANKS TO CLUB NOKIA AND KATIE B. FOR FREE TICKETS!!!! LOVED MY SEAT!!! read more

This was definitely a VERY entertaining show! I was floored by the talent of the acrobats... Seriously - my mouth was hanging open and I was gasping every time they did something that if I attempted I would die. The show started off slow, but I think that was planned and smart because so many people came in late. Once the acrobats got started, I was glued to the performance, and suddenly it was intermission already! I really loved the acrobats in giant metal hoops on the ground, and the four performers on the trampolines, and the acrobat in the hoop from the sky, and the man and woman who use each other as props to perform acrobatics. They were all SO GOOD! My favorite part of the show was the female acrobats. Yes, they're good. Yes, they're extremely talented. But what I really loved about them (lead girl in red is the exception, but still great) is that they were CURVACEOUS, STRONG WOMEN. These girls weren't anorexic toothpicks. They are women who work hard for their strength and flexibility, but still seem to enjoy the fun things in life (like going out for a beer after the show). I really admire that there is still a place in entertainment for normal-sized women. :) I'd recommend this show to those who are looking for entertainment varying from the norm. It was dark, exciting, musical, and even had dancing! What's not to love?! read more

If it wasn't for Yelp Elite, I would never have discovered this wacky world of Cirque-du-Soleil-meets-The-Nightmare-Before-Christmas. Thanks, Yelp! The overall show was pretty interesting, but what really blew my mind was the trampoline act - can humans really do things like that?! It's worth checking out Cirque Berzerk just to gawk at those gravity-defying jumpers. The whole experience is a little strange (in a good way, I think...), but at least they have bars serving up stiff drinks to quickly get you in the mood! read more

Lets get something straight when you have the word "Berzerk" in your event name I need to see some goddamn "berzerkness". This show was bland, boring, and simply sucked. The best part was hanging out by the bar and listening to the band and the trampoline act. The dancers were unattractive and could barely do a two step, the make up was circa 8th grade halloween dance, and the acrobatics were amateur circus with some patchouli oil thrown in. It should have been called Cirque Berboring! The only thing I learned from going to this was... NEVER TRUST A HIPPY.... they always disappoint (and smell not so fresh) read more

The aesthetics of this show are amazing, my one major gripe is that the seats at the end points of the C around the stage are NOT sold as obstructed seats but they certainly are obstructed seats, and the performers are not playing to the approximately 300 degrees of audience that have purchased tickets to see the show. That being said, the show itself is pretty cool. I absolutely loved everything from the trampoline guys on- that might be because I switched seats at intermission! Stay out of area 11. And whatever seats are across from that. No seriously, I promise to stop complaining about the seats!! The girls on the ribbon things, bungees, trapeze and hoops were all amazing. Some of the dance numbers were a little, well, lackluster. As I write this, I'm lowering my overall rating from 4 to 3. Similarly, the guys on the bungees, amazing. Absolutely amazing. The strong man acts were also exceptional- they made it look so easy! The concessions were disappointing. The drinks were big for $9 but, yeah, $9. I didn't try the Mexican food, but my friend and I got a yam and an ear of corn and we were not impressed. My yam wasn't cooked through, and it was $5. There were also churros and ice cream, we didn't partake of them. Also, final note, last reason to keep it a three star overall rather than elevating it to four- no boobies. There were no boobies in this show. read more

This is a great event to attend PERIOD! Let me start off by saying that no animals were harmed during the making of this circus bcuz there are none! So PETA activist this is one circus u may attend! The worse thing about this circus is that it is too good! It is produced so well & every performer takes their role so serious that while u are looking at one person swallow fire there's like 3 others in the air dancing to the beet of the live jazz band that is playing. There is a story line to it as well, very deep message sent out yet light hearted enough for u to walk out of there just so happy to have watched it for yourself. U get it? There is so many nice things to say about this place that it's overwhelming... Note: For those of u who are homophobic. Grow some balls oh I mean tolerance & attend or u will just be cheating yourself. The venue in LA is pretty small so u can't go wrong with any ticket u get. I got the $80 tix & would of been just as happy with the $40 tix . There is a nice like 30min. intermission which allows u to have some drinks n kettle corn while listening to the jazz band that actually sounds like New Orleans jazz right outside. All I can say is GO! I took my BF who came to visit me from the East Coast & he thought it was very cool... I said to him this is how we roll in LA LOL! Really? I wish we had more stuff like this to do in this town... read more