The Amazing Cirque Du Soleil Is In Town

When I wrote last week about Dralion coming to Duluth this week I called Cirque Du Soleil "an admirable achievement." After having seen this production, my words simply too tepid. Dralion is a phenomenon. And I would urge everyone who has not seen it to go to one of the four shows left in this run. Two shows a day, today and tomorrow at AMSOIL Arena.

We took some friends to see the Wednesday evening show and were utterly blown away. We were an interesting mix: two teens and four "seniors" who have been around the block a few times. All came away awestruck, indicating to me that this circus is a cross-generational experience that will leave very few unmoved.

Dralion is a signature Cirque du Soleil® production that has now been experienced by close to eleven million people worldwide since it premiered in 1999 in Montreal, Canada. Like circuses of old, Dralion was a travelling circus that performed under the big top. Since 2010 it has been presented in arenas around the world. Inasmuch as the temps were hovering around zero outside that night, my guess is that indoor arenas help create a more comfortable experience.

The name comes from a fusion of East and West, as symbolized by the Dragon (East) and the Lion (West). Dralion is comprised of 3,000 year-old Chinese acrobatic arts with the multidisciplinary approach of Cirque du Soleil. Thematically Dralion draws inspiration from Eastern philosophy and its never-ending quest for harmony between humans and nature.

Like most Cirque du Soleil events there’s a storyline that serves as a thread providing continuity to the experience. But you don't really need to know the story to enjoy the wonder.

The show features 50 international acrobats, gymnasts, clowns, musicians and singers. Yes, it's live performance art, and not a pre-recorded soundtrack that serves as backdrop to the show.

I've already written about the characters and the costumes here. What's striking is the caliber of the circus acts themselves. Let's begin with the clowns.

Clowns serve as the glue that holds all the disparate elements together in a circus. When I was growing up the clown Emmett Kelly was one of my mother's idols, and a favorite of the Ringling Bros. Circus. In 1970 Fellini did a whole film on clowns alone. I learned early on that clowns come in all shapes and forms, and the Cirque stretches our boundaries even on this most basic of circus roles.

One reviewer at Yelp felt the clowns were "creepy" in Dralion, but our audience Wednesday seemed totally engaged by their bizarre humor. More than one in my group was impressed by their ability to grab the attention of a large audience with such ease. We laughed because we couldn't help it.

The acts themselves were far from the normal dancing bears and trapeze artists that we're used to in smaller circuses. Dralion features trampoline artists, juggling, gymnastics, and rope skipping like you've never seen before. Everything is amped to such a degree so as to astonish, whether solo or in teams.

The set design is likewise an integral part of the show. The engineering alone must have been an achievement of design. The 60-foot wide set has a ceiling entrance and space beneath for entrances all about the stage floor. You never know where the next performers will appear from. The things acrobats do on the back wall make you want to run down there to check out how they do it.

Much more could be shared, but my only aim is to say that if you can get to one of this weekend's show, you really should. You won't regret is.  

My advice: Go! And enjoy the show. 4 p.m. and 7:30, today and tomorrow. AMSOIL Arena. 

Cirque Du Soleil's Quidam Is Here

The story line goes like this: Young Zoé is bored; her parents, distant and apathetic, ignore her. Her life has lost all meaning. Seeking to fill the void of her existence, she slides into an imaginary world where she meets characters who encourage her to free her soul.

It hardly sounds like a circus. At least not the circus I went to as a boy with trapeze artists, high wire acts, men shot out of cannons, clowns and dancing bears. Cirque Du Soleil is not your ordinary circus. It’s a re-configured phenomenon for the 21^st century where music, choreography and story weaves a mesmerizing spell.

Circuses in America have a long history that goes all the way back to shortly after the Revolution, offering the masses a source of diversion and entertainment unlike anything else. In the days before radio and television there were as many as a hundred circuses weaving their way about the land. But circus was not just about spectacular entertainment. At the heart of the circus was an innovative showmanship and entrepreneurism.

In their day the Ringling Brothers weren’t far off the mark when they called their travelling road show The Greatest Show On Earth. They not only had masterful entertainment, but they also had become skilled in managing the enormous entourage of people and animals. At its height the circus took up 14 acres when they came to town. The railroad train itself was a mile long.

The Great Depression and bad investments killed the Ringling Bros. Circus but it did not kill the love for sensational diversions.

Clowns have always played an important role at circuses, diverting attention from the practical setups and tear-downs that occur in plain view, and the best have truly made names for themselves. When I went to the Grotto Circus I had a chance to see the famous Emmett Kelly with his "sad clown" look. I didn't know him from any other but my mom seemed to gush over the fact that we were going to see him, so every time he was out there in the arena all eyes were on him, including mine. 

The promotional literature for this week’s story explains the meaning of its title this way… “Quidam means a nameless passer-by, a solitary figure lingering on a street corner, a person rushing past and swallowed by the crowd. It could be anyone, anybody. Someone coming or going at the heart of our anonymous society. A member of the crowd, one of the silent majority. The one who cries out, sings and dreams within us all. This is the quidam whom this show allows to speak. This is the place that beckons - a place for dreaming and genuine relations where all quidams, by proclaiming their individuality, can finally emerge from anonymity.

Art, entertainment, story, sensational skill, abandonment to imagination and awe... it's a modern spectacle with modern sensibilities designed to produce an unforgettable experience. There will be shows Friday, Saturday and Sunday this weekend at the AMSOIL Arena. I'll be there. How abut you? 

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In other action, there are several Homegrown Art Openings this week. (It's Homegrown Music Fest here in Duluth/Superior.)
Tonight: Red Mug Coffee House in Superior, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 or so.
Tomorrow, May 4: Ochre Ghost is hosting an opening for the Abstract shows opening at Ochre Ghost and Beaners tomorrow. (I have two pieces at Ochre Ghost and will be there at 6 o'clock before rushing off to the circus.)
Saturday, May 5: "Saturday Morning Cartoons" will be having its opening at the PROVE Gallery from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.

It's all free. Get out and take it in.

"Meantime, life goes on all around you."