Wintuk - A Winter's Tale (2007)
Review
taking place at Madison Square Garden in NYC Nov. 1, 2007 through Jan. 6, 2008
We attended the second day of the Wintuk Showing and well, here's a riddle:
How do you improve upon perfection? Answer:
Sometimes you just never do.
'and thus begins our review of Wintuk. After having seen Varekai which was an example of pure perfection I guess perhaps we'd gotten spoiled and since then expected every subsequent show to be just as good. Unfortunately we'd need to add this latest creation to our list of disaapointments alongside Corteo and Quiddam. If you're as die-hard a Cirque fan as we are then you'd know that usually their name is synonymous with such words as 'magnificent', 'stunning', 'spectacular'.
We don't pay the high ticket price just to see someone juggle, we're doing so with the anticipation of being blown away. 'and if we did want to see someone juggle or balance themselves on a 'low beam' or anything along those lines then we'd expect them to do it as near to perfection as they possibly could get. Yet it's as if these folks were brought into the gym, given a few weeks of practice and then brought out on stage with a pat on the back.
Mind you, I'd had a conversation with a fellow fan once and we'd arrived at the notion that Cirque's performers were trained so's to take into account any possible mistake. So that if any error occurs then plan b goes into effect...or plan c...or plan d...and so on. Unfortunately, the last 3 shows we'd seen had performers scrambling to catch their balance, pick up that fallen item and so forth. 'thus blatantly letting us know that a mistake's been made. Huh?
Don't get us wrong. We'll most likely still attend the next show in our area.....'but it'll be with a great deal of apprehension.
So, in the end, would we recommend this show?
Well, the kids should certainly love it! The entire item plays out like an acrobatic version of Sesame Street.
If it's your first time witnessing anything of the sort then hey, Go For It!
If like us, you've found yourself disappointed then take 'yer chances. Hey! Maybe you'll appreciate it a heck of alot more than we did? BUT, there's one redeeming factor:
It's the blizzard which takes place at the very end of the show.
I'll be damned if I didn't feel like a kid all over again.
Yup, it actually does snow in the theater.....'well kinda.
Cirque
du Soleil - Corteo
(2006)
will be taking place at Randall's Island Park on Manhattan's
East River in NYC. April 25 through June 18, 2006
We ourselves feel very happy to have attended this year's
performance of Corteo on April 29, 2006. Okay, so here's our
impression. Cirque's latest creation is by no means as
extraordinary and mind blowing as past shows but it's entertaining
all the same. Yours truly was quite taken with a number of
performances. One of which was the showdown between the whistling
maestro and the violinist. There also was the opening sequence
of what we'd call chandelier opera as well as a truly stunning
scene with an angel (one of many throughout the show) sprinkling
angelic dust over two performers below. All and all we'd recommend
this latest of Cirque's shows for those who've never
been to any of their previous masterpieces.
Yet for those of
us who've waited to be wowed by greater or equal feats then
this show simply wasn't it. So were we disappointed? Hmmmm,
in a single word, YES. Yet we hold Cirque's creative efforts
in such high esteem that we can't wait for their next NYC showing.
'and so, Cirque, WE SALUTE YOU ALL THE
SAME!
On another note you might consider it in your best interest
not to show up on an empty stomach considering how prices for
refreshments are abominably high just as they were at last
year's performance. Consider almost $7.00 for a container of
soda and you'll get our meaning.
Also remember that photography of any sort IS
NOT allowed within the big top tent.
You can learn more about this year's show
and how to purchase
tickets
at the following page
on the official Cirque Du Soleil
Site: Corteo
General and Ticket Information
~~~~~~~~~~~
QUIDAM
taking place in Philadelphia, PA July 6 to August 6
We had attended this show in 2006 and were quite disappointed. What can we say? Perhaps a good deal has to do with the selected location for the performances? 'Or perhaps the fact that the performers seemed ill prepared? 'Or maybe it just wasn't our thing?
Yet just as we've said before, this will certainly not turn us off to the idea of seeing future Cirque Shows.
Look below for our review of last year's Varekai performance.
Cirque
du Soleil - Varekai at the Meadowlands in 2005
As of this writing in early
July, 2005, there are still tickets for the Summer showing of
Cirque Du Soleil's Varekai taking place at the New Jersey Meadowlands
Sports Complex.
Our Review:
We'd seen the many different Cirque du Soleil performances on Television's
Bravo Cable Station which is really what had gotten us interested
in visiting this show. Yours truly will try as best as possible
to detail for one and all what it was like to experience their performance
first hand...that is, without giving too much away.
It all began with what we'd considered to be a disappointing start.
We walked into the big top tent thinking, HEY! This couldn't possibly
be big enough for trapeze acts or anything of the sort. Even the
first several minutes or more had me concerned. What with the noise
from the ventilation system behind me, the distracting lights on
the walls plus the lackluster sound and visuals.
THEN DARKNESS CREPT IN.
All was silent and what appeared to be a bug or fly or some insect
flying through the dark seemed to speak to us all. Beckoning us
and tempting us with great expectations. After its introduction
the show then truly began.
The stage was lit up in what can only be described as an angelic,
spectacular brilliance of colors with a sound system to match. Their
music filled our hearts as their colors and dances overwhelmed our
minds.
In truth, imagine seeing something
so very very beautiful that it will move you to tears. I'm not lying
since I had to choke back the temptation to cry more than once and
even my friend afterwards had shared the same experience.
Yes, the Big Top was in fact big enough to house all the impossibly
true acrobatics we'd witnessed. Yes, the sound was wonderful as
was the singing, the music and best of all the dialogue even when
it seemed a foreign language was being spoken. Yes, the colors
go way beyond the 16 billion color depth that our own eyes are
probably capable of perceiving...and the costumes! My God, the
costumes were like nothing we'd ever seen in our lives. As for
the individual performers? All were just as wonderful and we were
pleased to recognize many faces we'd seen on television. Yes,
Cirque du Soleil was all this and more! Worth a Thousand Encores
followed by a Thousand More!!!
...this is NOT A PAID AD! This is our wish to convey to you something
which we feel everyone should experience at least once in their
lifetime. It's our joy to share this. Something you'll never ever
forget. I still find myself recalling all that was shown to me,
bit by bit, sketch by sketch, act by act. The words "spectacular",
"brilliant", "magnificent", and "stunning"
do this show no justice at all! 'Beyond words and beyond compare.
So if you consider anything this Summer then consider this. It
was well worth every cent spent on the tickets. My God, I can't
wait to see it again! Thank You Cirque for turning me into a kid
again...not just for a day, but for the rest of the Summer!
NOTE: There are some
items in the show which as with us, will probably have you scratching
your head wondering, "HOW THE HECK DID THEY DO THAT???"
History:
Cirque Du Soleil has been in existence for over 2 decades and began
in Baie-Saint-Paul, Canada. Having begun with a mere 74 workers
it now touts itself as employing thousands worldwide. As could be
expected, their troupe is made up of a largely multinational ensemble
in which the folks involved speak over 25 languages and represent
over 40 nationalities.
Getting there:
When traveling by car, getting there is actually the easy part...'that
is until you find yourself slightly confused by the lack of adequate
signage instructing one as to where to turn and go for this specific
venue. We found ourselves virtually going in circles until we'd
finally found our way. Note: even the workers there had instructed
us wrongly at one point. But we DID make it there way ahead of
time as we'd scheduled.
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