The iconic large blue-and-yellow Big Top made its way to Orange County and inside of it a quite “KURIOS” event took place. Cirque du Soleil opened its tent curtains at the OC Fair and Event Center in Costa Mesa, Thursday evening.
Cirque du Soleil brought a world of imagination to life in its 35th production, “KURIOS – Cabinet of Curiosities.” “KURIOS” transported the audience to a steampunk world of incredible live music, acrobatic stunts, dancing and spectacles that one would think is impossible.
Director and writer, Michael Laprise, took audience members to the latter half of the 19th century where time has come to a complete stop. Ironically, between 11:10 and 11:11 as displayed on a large clock upstage center.
The show emulates the style of an old circus tent, but once inside this fantasy world, the audience gets to see inside the Seeker’s Cabinet of Curiosities.
The world inside the curio cabinet is full of characters both smaller and larger-than-life all stemming from a steampunk influence that could be seen through props and performer’s costumes. The performers keep the audience eyes lit with amazement as they perform stunts never imagined possible.
“KURIOS” begins with a musical number that incorporates dancers, juggling, drummers and sequences that leave one in complete awe.
The curio cabinet also featured many extravagant acts, including an all-invisible performance like never seen before, literally. An invisible trapeze, unicycle rider, lion, and a diver were part of it all.
Kate Clements of Newport Beach was one of the attendees to be chosen to become part of a performance. She was invited to the imaginary home of a character where he tried to woo her by performing as a velociraptor, a purring cat and ended the scene on an imaginary Venetian canal where they rowed away together into the darkness.
“I was super nervous but got up there and I literally couldn’t see anything with all the lights that were on me. I just kind of went with the flow, and it was fun and unreal and it was probably the coolest thing [that’s ever happened to me],” Clements said.
Clements who has also attended the Cirque du Soleil show, “Zarkana” in Las Vegas said that she thinks everyone should see and experience a Cirque du Soleil show.
“You see unbelievable things. You see things that you just don’t think the human body is capable of. It’s crazy, it’s a mind trip, and it’s awesome,” she said. “I have a great time coming to these shows, it’s so much fun.”
Marjorie Nantel, who was previously a performer for the show “Oval” and has been traveling along side her family with Cirque du Soleil for seven years, says that the Big Top makes the magic of an old circus or carnival come to life.
“It’s a 360 [degree experience] so you have the performer who is close to you and you’re close to them,” she said. “There’s no fourth wall. You’re in the imagination of Cirque du Soleil.”
Nantel described “KURIOS” as being more human in comparison to other Cirque du Soleil shows.
“Even if you have the contortionists who are fishes, you can relate to somebody or some performer and think ‘I would love to do that!'”
“Try,” is what Nantel says to people who have never attended a Cirque du Soleil show: “We see advertisements and we always think it’s too expensive for it at $50 tickets and when you watch a show, it is nothing compared to all the training and all the lifestyle that’s behind that and people are not conscious of that. I think it’s a very fair game to come to enjoy people who dedicate their lives to perform for the world.”
“KURIOS- Cabinet of Curiosities” premiered in Montréal in April 2014. Cirque du Soleil celebrated their 30th anniversary in 2014. They have close to 4,000 employees, including 1,300 performing artists from about 50 different countries.
“KURIOS- Cabinet of Curiosities” will be at the OC Fair and Events Center in Costa Mesa until Nov. 29 followed by a run in Los Angeles at Dodger Stadium from Dec. 10 through Feb. 7, 2016.
For tickets visit cirquedusoleil.com/kurios or call 1-877-924-7783.
