Canada's Cirque du Soleil created a phenomenon around the globe with its theatrically driven circus show. Cirque built a circus around a story, usually something a bit "out there" and dreamlike, and then the acrobatics, tumblers, aerialists, jugglers, and clowns were built into the story. Because of Cirque's success, out came the copycats. Some good, some not so good.
While Cirque Eloize may be one of those "imitation is the greatest form of flattery," they have taken the platform and created a circus show that is as interesting as it is entertaining. Now through July 31, the 12-member troupe: Florence Amar, Jerome Sordillon, Joel Baker, Lucas Boutin, Mihah Ellinger, Emilie Fournier, Timothy Fyffe, Sarah Lett, Sylvain Ramseier, Arata Urawa, Seppe Van Looveren and Marilou Verschelden, in a production created by Jeannot Painchaud perform 90 minutes of a breathtaking, death-defying, daredevil, clowning around, theatrical wonderment.
Step right up, boys and girls, young and old. This is a show for everyone.
There is a meaning behind the title "Cirkopolis." Creator and co-director Painchaud, inspired by Fritz Lang's 1927 film "Metropolis," puts an office worker stuck in the doldrums of some unrecognizable era – thought it does look nostalgic. To escape his humdrum life he conjures an existence that's exciting – where people are as far on the other end from his dull existence as one can imagine.
The office scenes are merely window dressing for the acrobatics, and the opening scene drags on a bit too long, but it's quickly forgiven once the real attractions get off the ground. The show opens with office worker (Baker) stamping papers, one by one. He's drowning in a piled-high inbox.
Eventually, the other office workers who have been parading back and forth in gray suits become circus performers, doing tumbles off of his desk and everything changes. In more than a dozen "scenes," the 12-member cast mesmerizes.
Photographer: VALERIE'REMISE
An original soundtrack accompanies the scenes and imposing video projections create a backdrop.
A girl in a large, metal wheel does an almost acrobatic ballet, two of the most flexible people you'll ever see jump, climb and balance on a skinny pole, sliding down and stopping just before they hit the ground. A man with a Chinese YoYo bounces five, six, seven, eight large discs off of a small string and pushes them high into the air. Jugglers toss pins back and forth and another man balances high above the stage holding onto only straps. He creates a mysterious smoky haze with the powder he uses on his hands to assure his grip. It's all he has since none of the performers have a safety net below them.
Choreography by co-director Dave St-Pierre, sometimes breathtaking, sometimes too intricate to even imaging, enhances the scene and serves to show off the incredible talent of the performers. In one scene, a woman in a flowing dress performs what appear to be almost ballet moves, but she's also a contortionist who displays amazing flexibility. She balances on the hands of six suitors.
At one point, they create a manmade bridge on the stage floor for her to walk on – one foot in one hand and so on down the line. The grand finale, the energetic teeterboard had the entire cast tumbling, twirling, jumping in the air and giving it their all. "Cirkopolis" is the Arsht Center's summer offering – something a bit different as the season hits a slowdown – a reason to get out of Miami's heat. Like the office worker who is the star of the show, "Cirkopolis" is meant to be a diversion, an escape, and that it is.
Cirque Éloize’s ‘Cirkopolis’ plays through July 31. 8 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday, 7 p.m. Sunday, 2 p.m. Saturday-Sunday matinees. $49, $69, $89, Ziff Ballet Opera House at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, 1300 Biscayne Blvd., Miami. 305-949-6722 or www.arshtcenter.org.
