Walking back
to my car after the show I couldn’t help but think about how incredibly
inflexible I truly am, and completely devoid of anything that even remotely
resembles acrobatic ability. Good grief!
Trying to describe Cirque Dreams Illumination makes me feel like the
introduction to the old Superman show… “Look up in the sky! It’s a bird! No,
it’s a plane! No, it’s Superman!” Except now it’s… “Look up on the stage! It’s a
concert! No, it’s PT Barnum! No, it’s Swan Lake! No, it’s Cirque Dreams
Illumination!”
The talent of the Cirque Dreams Illumination performers is nothing
short of amazing… and I do not use that word lightly. With a well-orchestrated
mix of rock concert, ballet, and circus (including the sideshows… the
contortionists are just mind boggling), the performers run, jump, dance, tumble,
climb, fly, flip, and more, across the stage in a manner that my eyes did, in
fact see, but my brain tells me just isn’t possible.
The music is lively – deftly moving in and out of pop, jazz, ballroom and
more. But, occasionally the music, which is quite loud, seems to drown out
singer Onyie Nwachukwu – which is a shame because she has a great voice.
The costumes are vibrant and just as alive as the music. And, in some
instances, are so much a part of the performance, it’s difficult to tell where
they end and scenery/performer begins.
At times there seems to be almost too much going on. With several “acts”
happening simultaneously, it’s occasionally difficult to know where the
audience’s attention is supposed to be focused. I'm not sure if that's a good or
bad thing. All I know is I tried to keep focus on the whole stage at all
times... I didn't want miss anything.
On the whole the show was, again,
amazing. I can’t fathom the levels of balance, strength, and practice required
to do what the cast of Cirque Dreams Illumination does. Countless times
I turned to my wife just to say, “Wow.” Others sitting around me did the same
thing.
I highly recommend this show to anyone: child or adult. The show is fun,
whimsical, and impressive on so many levels. If you get chance, go see it.
You’ll enjoy it.
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