Cirque du Soleil: Curiosities and Creativity

For anyone who has ever seen a Cirque du Soleil production, I don’t need to tell you how incredible an experience it is. For those of you who haven’t seen one, all I can say is “GO!” And when you ask me what it’s all about, and what to expect, all I can say is that you should expect the unexpected and expect to be amazed. The Cirque du Soleil Kurios show is no exception.

As a Creative Director myself, I am humbled every time I go to a Cirque du Soleil show. Sometimes it is the music, like that of Alegria (I say ‘music’, but the reality is that this is much more than a soundtrack – it captures the essence of the experience via haunting, pseudo-language vocals and mysterious melodies – I still have the tune in my head and it’s been at least 10 years since I saw the show.)

Sometimes it is the sheer spectacle and technical achievements that is the water show called ‘O’ in Vegas, where stages that conceal giant water tanks ascend and descend at various points in the performance, to allow the performers to alternately walk on water or disappear beneath it.

And sometimes it is the visual genius, like in the current production of Cirque du Soleil’s Kurios, which takes you on a journey to a Victorian fantasy world, wrapped in imaginative steampunk trappings reminiscent of H.G. Wells’ The Time Machine.

The imagination demonstrated in each show’s unique concept is not the only reason why I stand in awe of Cirque’s Creative Director, Guy Laliberte…it is the details that blow me away before, during and even after the performance is finished. Costumes must be both visually beautiful but also practical, set decoration and props are not just technically flawless, but must support the concept aesthetically, the concession stands reflect the theme of each production, as do the costumed staff manning them, and the tickets and passes are keepsakes you won’t just toss in a drawer and forget. (No ticket master digitized stub here!)

In fact, Cirque du Soleil Kurios is one show where I would encourage you to buy the programme, (insist in fact), although ‘programme’ hardly begins to describe the keepsake you take home. Designed as a travelogue/journal/dossier of the Visitor with sketches and impressions that reflect his observances as he navigates this fantasy world, this takeaway will leave you with at least one tangible memento of the multi-sensory experience that is a Cirque show. The design alone is worth the price.

My one caution for anyone considering seeing a Cirque du Soleil show? If you haven’t got an ounce of appreciation for creativity, fantasy or imagination, stay home. If, on the other hand, you want to smile and laugh at the antics of other-worldly ‘clowns’, marvel at the impossible contortions the human body is capable of, or stare in open-mouthed awe at the fearlessness and strength of gravity-defying athletes, then book your ticket now.

And prepare to be amazed.

UPDATE: NEW 2022 DATES ANNOUNCED: Cirque du Soleil Kurios is returning to Toronto from April 14, 2022- July 17, 2022, following a hiatus due to Covid 19 cancellations. For details and dates of other cities on the tour, visit their website.