ladysprite: (Default)
ladysprite ([personal profile] ladysprite) wrote2008-09-29 03:47 pm
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Converted

In among the many events of my past busy weekend of busy-ness was a trip to see Cirque du Soleil. To be specific, this was my first trip to see them.

In the past, I'll admit that I've avoided Cirque. The few bits and pieces of their performances that I'd caught during PBS pledge drives had looked like overly-stylized, slow-paced acrobatics and pretentious sad clowns. (I despise sad clowns. They just... irk me, for some reason I can't quite describe.) Between that and the fact that so many of my friends seemed just *TOO* enthusiastic about them, I just did my best to stay the heck away. To borrow a turn of phrase from a friend, they'd been browncoated for me.

But last week I got an email from a good friend asking me if I'd care to join her and see them, since she had a spare ticket. And mostly because I wanted to spend an evening with the friend, and partly because she's a fellow dancer and if she thought they were worth watching I trusted her opinion, I decided to go.

I am hooked. Hooked, lined, sinkered, and as many other words as you can think of to describe being well and truly in love with this performance. From the moment the first performer stepped out onto the stage, through the inhumanly expressive body language of the Lead Player and the creepy, unnatural contortionists and the incredibly crass (and not sad) clowns until the last light went out, they stole my heart. I have not been this.... delighted by something in a long, long time.

Days later, now, I'm still smiling when I think about it. So I owe a giant thank-you to my friend, without whom I never would have had this chance to fall in love, and an apology to Cirque du Soleil and all its fans for not giving it a chance sooner. And, likely, an apology to my bank account, since I foresee many ticket purchases in my future....

[identity profile] autographedcat.livejournal.com 2008-09-29 07:55 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm going to get to see them in January. I got the whole VIP package sow can pretend we have money for one evening. :)

[identity profile] denimskater.livejournal.com 2008-09-29 07:59 pm (UTC)(link)
I just saw Kooza for the first time, and was similarly impressed.

Awesome.

[personal profile] hungrytiger 2008-09-29 08:03 pm (UTC)(link)
Welcome to the Club :-)

For reasons that boggle my imagination and despite all of the creative geniuses behind Cirque, the videos that they make of their productions and market to PBS are complete crap. We've been in love with Cirque for over a decade now and never, ever watch any of their televised productions.

I don't know if it's because the video crews they hire suck (the videos are full of quick-cuts, lousy camera angles, and an insistence on focusing on the wrong parts of an act), the producers actually like these bad videos, or if it's just a matter of the thing that makes Cirque shows special is a "je ne sais quoi" that can only be captured by attending their shows in person and absorbing the entire experience.

But yeah, those shows are frakking expensive.
tpau: (Default)

[personal profile] tpau 2008-09-29 08:23 pm (UTC)(link)
go to their website. join thier club. you get discounts, early buying opportunities, and not a lot of spam.

don't shell out for VIP ever, it is jsut an exuse to spend over 300 dollars on beer in plastic cups

[identity profile] autographedcat.livejournal.com 2008-09-29 09:57 pm (UTC)(link)
Dude, it comes with *parking*. That alone is worth the extra. :)

(Of course, having already done so, I would say something like that, wouldn't I?)
tpau: (Default)

[personal profile] tpau 2008-09-29 10:08 pm (UTC)(link)
meh parking is liek $10...

i do prefer to go in HArtford, it is earlier in the year then boston and on average 50 bucks cheaper (second row seats, $80 vs $130)

[identity profile] autographedcat.livejournal.com 2008-09-29 10:10 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm in Atlanta. Parking is usually six kinds of hassle...has nothing to do with the cost. *grin*

I plan to go and enjoy my extravagant tickets. It's not likely something I'd have bought twice anyway, so we shot the moon.
jducoeur: (Default)

[personal profile] jducoeur 2008-10-05 03:07 am (UTC)(link)
it is jsut an exuse to spend over 300 dollars on beer in plastic cups

Not quite *that* much. (300 would be out of range even for me.) And I'm not sure where you're seeing beer: what we actually get is good cocktails, appetizers and desserts. (And minor freebees like free programs and the good parking.)

But it's definitely over-priced. We've done Tapis Rouge twice (both for [livejournal.com profile] msmemory's birthday, IIRC), and it does make for a particularly perfect evening, but I can't rationally say it's worth as much as it costs. I consider it a silly but pleasant special-occasion splurge...
keshwyn: Morris dancer bells, 'idance' caption (dancing)

[personal profile] keshwyn 2008-09-30 12:05 am (UTC)(link)
:) I will ping you for the next show then, if I decide to do a horde outing.

[identity profile] weasel2000.livejournal.com 2008-09-30 01:42 am (UTC)(link)
You want to go to Las vegas, there are like 4-5 different cirque de soliel shows in different venues from the comical to the "adult themed"

[identity profile] crash-mccormick.livejournal.com 2008-09-30 02:51 am (UTC)(link)
Yep. justified two trips to vegas on that basis so as not to get burned out.
Ka is my favorite, then O and Love are close ties. La Reve and Myhsters down there.
and a new one coming.

[identity profile] deguspice.livejournal.com 2008-09-30 04:37 am (UTC)(link)
I went to see Saltibanco for my birthday earlier this month. That was an awesome Cirque show. Eventually I hope to see Kooza

[identity profile] gmkieran.livejournal.com 2008-10-03 12:54 pm (UTC)(link)
YAAAAYYYY!!! I've only seen 2 of their shows (and sadly, can't remember the titles at the moment), but had tremendous amounts of fun at both! Glad you got to see them and had such a wonderful experience!!!!!!