LOVE- Cirque Du Soleil
If you haven't heard already, “LOVE” is the latest creation from Cirque Du Soleil- a thrilling dance and acrobatics performance set entirely to the music of the Beatles. But don't be mistaken! This isn't just another Cirque show slapped onto a series of cut and pasted Beatles tracks. It is an artful extravaganza, riddled with British flavor and psychedelic flare, perfectly choreographed to a masterful mix of Beatles songs and sound bites. It engulfs the audience in an aura of fantastic nostalgia for a bygone era of pop culture revolution.
The show's soundtrack is a seamless mixture of roughly 130 Beatles songs, sped up, slowed down, played forwards, backwards, and combined with snip-its of studio outtakes- a crash course in Beatles musicology as well as a tripped-out journey through this unequaled pop music phenomenon.
However, it's not only the music that takes you on this journey, it is also the stunning visuals created by the Cirque performers that illustrate each stop along the way. The show begins in post-war Liverpool as performers trudge onstage in worn out overcoats, conducted by Sargent Pepper himself, to tear down the decaying brick walls that litter the stage. After this point, the music picks up and the audience is introduced to a cast of acrobatic anomalies, walking on stilts, jumping on trampolines, and flying through the air on suspended ropes. All are decked out in 1950s and 60s garb, toting daffodils and balloons. The stage is full of energy and vivacity- a theme that continues throughout the entire show.
As the performance proceeds, specific songs are highlighted by beautiful imagery, poignant acts, and amazing stunts. “Something” is played while a lone male twists and turns center stage as four females clad in white gauze swing on ropes above his head, taunting him with their ethereal beauty. “Lady Madonna” is coupled with an ensemble of dancers wearing bright yellow galoshes, stomping and slapping their shoes to complicated rhythms. The two main dancers are a working class couple, one of which shows off her huge pregnant belly through an unbuttoned nightgown. (The belly is fake of course!). The whole show takes place on and above a stage set in the center of the theater with seating on all sides. With a total of 6 entrance points for all the performers, the view is perfect from anywhere in the house.
“LOVE” is a new direction for Cirque Du Soleil. It incorporates more dance than most of the other Cirque shows, but still has enough incredible stunts to keep audiences on the edge of their seats. All in all this new direction was a tremendous success. The show leaves audiences with a spring in their step and a song in their hearts- a Beatles song that is! |
