7 September, 2009, Wynn Theatre, Las Vegas
The thing I like most about shows in Vegas is that they are usually staged in purpose-built theatres. This means that there are always impressive set designs, ingenious and theatre-fitting stagings, extravagant costumes and also it usually means that every seat is good and suitable for the performance. Particularly for Cirque du Soleil shows, where when it’s in a wrong place, it can really take away from the performance (i.e. Quidam at Royal Albert Hall).
Le Rêve is created by the same guy Franco Dragone (what a cool name) who did O, Alegria and quite a few more Cirque du Soleil’s. It’s water-based like O and apparently the in-the-round set has a 1 billion gallons water capacity :O It depended on not stunts but pure acrobatics and strength, which gave it quite a different feeling from the usual cirques. I loved how they constantly used the human form. All the acrobats/dancers were always in poses and moved in ways that accentuated the beautiful lines of the human body. I also loved how for the artists to come on stage, they mostly either came from the dome above, or from under water. There were a few side wings, but entrances from those were quite limited.
My favourite bit was when they had about 20 men and women dangling from the roof, suspended mid-air, moving up and down, dipping in and out of the water, picking up performers from the water who would then let go mid-air and dive back underwater. Absolutely beautiful.
The only thing that didn’t really work was the salsa dancing, as it just didn’t seem to work with the overall circus theme and the slow and sensuous moods. But all in all, an enjoyable experience, all on a full stomach of which the experience will be documented by our beloved Siu Yeh at siuyeh.com.
Eat Your Art Out 