Cirque Du Soleil - Varekai - review (Live perfomance, Sydney)
Okay, I promised a review of this and overall - beyond words, it was bloody fantastic! :D
Firstly the stage that was in the tent was a lot smaller than I thought it would be and seemed to take up all the performance space but the perfomers definately seemed to wok with what they had.
The beginning I hadn't seen before but the again I expect the DVD version to cut out some - especially when you originally have watched it from a VHS recording from the TV. And it was enjoyable - the character with the machines filling in the time was good. But you could tell it was a time filler. Now the actual beginning, they did their intro and that was great, the little helium voice was funny because it was thanking the sponsors like Optus and American Express and some wine company, I had to laugh. But yeah.
Then the Flight of Icarus. One important thing to note is that it was a completely different guy, not Anton as most Varekai fans would know. But I though he still did a fantastic job and worked through the scenes well. He basically had to learn Anton's routine, that was all. But the music provided from the new woman was also a little different, mainly from the delivery. I miss Zara but this person was still good too. It wasn't bad. And after the character Olga would normally play, little starfish girl (that's what I call her) was also a different person and she seemed to do just as well, so no complaints.
Now the Icarian games is my favourite act, alongside with the Twin's Aerial act, and it was all perfect, done in time and no real accidents - of course up till right at the end. And this was sad because it went so well and it went to show that anything could happen in Cirque, they weren't prone to accidents. I believe i was one of the brothers that had this fall.
As the tumbling finale was happening, the first pair were stopping, but it looked like it was misjudged - the brother was finished flipping the other and went to grab his hands, but the other presumed it was over when he did a final flip, and landed backwards right flat on his back. :( It looked like it hurt hell of a lot. The other pair immediately finished and everyone wanted to start clapping, and started but finished quickly to see if the brother was alright. He looked shocked and dazed, but wasn't moved. Everyone was whispering and wondering if he was alright and was carried off in a stretcher. They stopped the show entirely to attend to him but everyone gave him a massive round of applause with the other brothers/guys and the show went on. As did our worries for him.
The little boys' Water Meteor Act was fantastic and was pretty much spot on. I could hear my friend's family ask 'Are they boys or girls?' andI just laughed and said they were boys. Real life and on the side they look really REALLY young, like 9 or 10 but couldn't they be 11 or 12? Surely they had to be. But it was enjoyable.
The first clown act - was funny and was pretty much what you saw in the DVD so it was the same. But the guy was Australian, as I found out later in the programme. He did well and there was the funny moments still. The woman's dress seemed even shorter than it should've been. LOL. And my best friend next to me asked "Don't tell me her undies are gonna fall down too?" I only laughed and shook my head, but that would've been.... erm... interesting. But there was a small difference, where the dissapearing act was, at the very end of it the guy came out with the same wig and dress the woman was wearing so that was funny. And of course the count down was cool cause when you watch the DVD you don't (well I don't) and being there it felt funny to be helping the count down. How fangirlish am I being now?
The Triple Trapeze act was flawless. I swear though they were going to fall a couple of times andf I prayed they wouldn't. They had every precaution for it - as i could only guess it's happened before. But they did well, although it seemed more crowded on it in real life and seemed like they couldn't move around as much. But no less it went well.
The Gregorian Dance everyone got into! Man, the music, the clapping, and everyone's grins... at least my friend's family was. My friend, on crutches for her knee was the one her family eyed out saying 'You could so do this' and I agreed. Keep in mind she injured her knee in the first place from dancing :p But the bongo drum used also caught her brother's attention (he has some) and it was good to watch.
After the intermission they did the Body Skating, and that was spectacular to see on stage. I rarely had een it before hand cause the tape version from teh TV actually cut it out so it was enjoyable, and especially at the end with the water drain :) That was funny. The sight of people holding one another - it's nuts! :p
And a new act I hadn't even seen before nor expected actually - aerial hoops, set to the music they had for the dancing duo (sadly takn out cause I liked it) but yeah this was fantastic, and certainly was amazing to sit and watch. And she held herself on the hoop almost ten feet up ( I may exaggerate a little) by the back of her nexk with no other support! I feared SHE was gonna fall. But man she did it all without accident so she got an enormous round of applause.
They took out the bit where the guy on crutches would do his work, sadly, cause my friend on crutches would've loved it but he was still in the show so we promised to by her some of those for christmas... although it won't be kept cause we can't get any plus she won't be on crutches :p
They changed the order a little by bringing out the mexican juggler in and man, I think he got the second biggest round of applause in the show! His juggling in real life was phenomenal, cause it's nowhere as cool as seeing it on TV, take my word for that. And it was one that was working for him that afternoon cause he didn't drop anything, except for one hat towards the end but that was stll covered up fine enough. But yes he got a huge applause for it.
Then came the aerial act with the twins (yes they're still in it :D) And it was breath taking, just of how great it was performed. Also with no support below we held our breaths they could support one another and they did. My friend and I were eye goggled at their bodies, mainly cause of their muscle (she studies the human body but we call it 'research' for her *grins*) and it was great with the music cause it's almost surreal watching it with the music, so mesmerising. :D hehe. And they were breathign very heavily at the end (but could anyone blame them?)
Then the hand balancing act was next. Truthfully in the video I was bored with it because I'd seen them all before. They were talented and fantastic, don't get me wrong, but since they've don it in most shows it seemed the same thing, but in real life it seemed different. I think cause you're there to actually see it. This other person who did it was fantastic still. Just amazing to watch and, well. It was great.
Then the finale with the 'wedding' and the volanic flames - ZOMG! This was the other act I was very worried about cause anything and everything could've gone wrong with it but they pulled it all off fantastically. I would ooh and aah as the men jumped from the Russian swings to the guys in the middle and to each other (especially with complex flips). One guy hit his head twice against the swing as he landed but seemed to regain himself very quickly as if nothign happened (discipline I guess goes with it, can't worry about it till after the show) but this was just captivating in real life despite it's dangers like the ICarian Games. Both were phenominal dispite the injuries :)
All in all it was just fantasticl. Not much could besaid about each act in detail or describe how great it was, I'm sure you noticed, but seriously, it was worth going to. My mum paid for it really, but I was very VERY grateful I was going. I wouldn't have missed it for anything (except Church at night which was all fine cause we got there without problems). But seriously, this was specactular live and if you ever have the chance to go, despite whatelse is on - GO TO IT! It's worth every dollar to see it live)
Firstly the stage that was in the tent was a lot smaller than I thought it would be and seemed to take up all the performance space but the perfomers definately seemed to wok with what they had.
The beginning I hadn't seen before but the again I expect the DVD version to cut out some - especially when you originally have watched it from a VHS recording from the TV. And it was enjoyable - the character with the machines filling in the time was good. But you could tell it was a time filler. Now the actual beginning, they did their intro and that was great, the little helium voice was funny because it was thanking the sponsors like Optus and American Express and some wine company, I had to laugh. But yeah.
Then the Flight of Icarus. One important thing to note is that it was a completely different guy, not Anton as most Varekai fans would know. But I though he still did a fantastic job and worked through the scenes well. He basically had to learn Anton's routine, that was all. But the music provided from the new woman was also a little different, mainly from the delivery. I miss Zara but this person was still good too. It wasn't bad. And after the character Olga would normally play, little starfish girl (that's what I call her) was also a different person and she seemed to do just as well, so no complaints.
Now the Icarian games is my favourite act, alongside with the Twin's Aerial act, and it was all perfect, done in time and no real accidents - of course up till right at the end. And this was sad because it went so well and it went to show that anything could happen in Cirque, they weren't prone to accidents. I believe i was one of the brothers that had this fall.
As the tumbling finale was happening, the first pair were stopping, but it looked like it was misjudged - the brother was finished flipping the other and went to grab his hands, but the other presumed it was over when he did a final flip, and landed backwards right flat on his back. :( It looked like it hurt hell of a lot. The other pair immediately finished and everyone wanted to start clapping, and started but finished quickly to see if the brother was alright. He looked shocked and dazed, but wasn't moved. Everyone was whispering and wondering if he was alright and was carried off in a stretcher. They stopped the show entirely to attend to him but everyone gave him a massive round of applause with the other brothers/guys and the show went on. As did our worries for him.
The little boys' Water Meteor Act was fantastic and was pretty much spot on. I could hear my friend's family ask 'Are they boys or girls?' andI just laughed and said they were boys. Real life and on the side they look really REALLY young, like 9 or 10 but couldn't they be 11 or 12? Surely they had to be. But it was enjoyable.
The first clown act - was funny and was pretty much what you saw in the DVD so it was the same. But the guy was Australian, as I found out later in the programme. He did well and there was the funny moments still. The woman's dress seemed even shorter than it should've been. LOL. And my best friend next to me asked "Don't tell me her undies are gonna fall down too?" I only laughed and shook my head, but that would've been.... erm... interesting. But there was a small difference, where the dissapearing act was, at the very end of it the guy came out with the same wig and dress the woman was wearing so that was funny. And of course the count down was cool cause when you watch the DVD you don't (well I don't) and being there it felt funny to be helping the count down. How fangirlish am I being now?
The Triple Trapeze act was flawless. I swear though they were going to fall a couple of times andf I prayed they wouldn't. They had every precaution for it - as i could only guess it's happened before. But they did well, although it seemed more crowded on it in real life and seemed like they couldn't move around as much. But no less it went well.
The Gregorian Dance everyone got into! Man, the music, the clapping, and everyone's grins... at least my friend's family was. My friend, on crutches for her knee was the one her family eyed out saying 'You could so do this' and I agreed. Keep in mind she injured her knee in the first place from dancing :p But the bongo drum used also caught her brother's attention (he has some) and it was good to watch.
After the intermission they did the Body Skating, and that was spectacular to see on stage. I rarely had een it before hand cause the tape version from teh TV actually cut it out so it was enjoyable, and especially at the end with the water drain :) That was funny. The sight of people holding one another - it's nuts! :p
And a new act I hadn't even seen before nor expected actually - aerial hoops, set to the music they had for the dancing duo (sadly takn out cause I liked it) but yeah this was fantastic, and certainly was amazing to sit and watch. And she held herself on the hoop almost ten feet up ( I may exaggerate a little) by the back of her nexk with no other support! I feared SHE was gonna fall. But man she did it all without accident so she got an enormous round of applause.
They took out the bit where the guy on crutches would do his work, sadly, cause my friend on crutches would've loved it but he was still in the show so we promised to by her some of those for christmas... although it won't be kept cause we can't get any plus she won't be on crutches :p
They changed the order a little by bringing out the mexican juggler in and man, I think he got the second biggest round of applause in the show! His juggling in real life was phenomenal, cause it's nowhere as cool as seeing it on TV, take my word for that. And it was one that was working for him that afternoon cause he didn't drop anything, except for one hat towards the end but that was stll covered up fine enough. But yes he got a huge applause for it.
Then came the aerial act with the twins (yes they're still in it :D) And it was breath taking, just of how great it was performed. Also with no support below we held our breaths they could support one another and they did. My friend and I were eye goggled at their bodies, mainly cause of their muscle (she studies the human body but we call it 'research' for her *grins*) and it was great with the music cause it's almost surreal watching it with the music, so mesmerising. :D hehe. And they were breathign very heavily at the end (but could anyone blame them?)
Then the hand balancing act was next. Truthfully in the video I was bored with it because I'd seen them all before. They were talented and fantastic, don't get me wrong, but since they've don it in most shows it seemed the same thing, but in real life it seemed different. I think cause you're there to actually see it. This other person who did it was fantastic still. Just amazing to watch and, well. It was great.
Then the finale with the 'wedding' and the volanic flames - ZOMG! This was the other act I was very worried about cause anything and everything could've gone wrong with it but they pulled it all off fantastically. I would ooh and aah as the men jumped from the Russian swings to the guys in the middle and to each other (especially with complex flips). One guy hit his head twice against the swing as he landed but seemed to regain himself very quickly as if nothign happened (discipline I guess goes with it, can't worry about it till after the show) but this was just captivating in real life despite it's dangers like the ICarian Games. Both were phenominal dispite the injuries :)
All in all it was just fantasticl. Not much could besaid about each act in detail or describe how great it was, I'm sure you noticed, but seriously, it was worth going to. My mum paid for it really, but I was very VERY grateful I was going. I wouldn't have missed it for anything (except Church at night which was all fine cause we got there without problems). But seriously, this was specactular live and if you ever have the chance to go, despite whatelse is on - GO TO IT! It's worth every dollar to see it live)