By Lynn Venhaus Managing Editor Ethereal, graceful and beautiful – those were my initial impressions of Cirque du Soleil’s latest arena tour, “Corteo,” which is actually a 2015 show they have resurrected and reformatted.
Not ever having seen them live before, I was struck by both
their artistry and their athleticism in a carnival atmosphere. Super-fit
acrobats inside rings, on the bars, tumbling on bed trampolines and all sorts
of physical feats were quite entertaining to watch.
But the troupe’s palpable joy in performing, and how
accomplished they were at creating magic shined through.
In one stunning segment, the tiny clowness floated through
the air of Chaifetz Arena holding four gigantic helium balloons – the largest I
had ever seen. She involved the audience in propelling her through the air, her
sweet little giggle infectious.
All the elements to create a crowd-pleasing experience came together – lush music, pulsating drum rhythms, energetic flights of fancy – three women hanging from chandeliers to start it off! – and funny characters.
The tight technical design enhanced the show and created an intimate setting in the arena.
The set design looked more like the opulent Parisian opera
house in “The Phantom of the Opera” and the accents created a 19th
century European feel. The lighting design enhance the elegant feel of the
show, and the costumes were both beautiful and functional period-appropriate.
Corteo means “cortege” in Italian, a procession, and
this show is a festive parade imagined by a clown, Mauro, who has passed. His
spirit was still with us, so the dream-like fantasy was meant to capture the
mysterious space between heaven and earth.
The funeral cortege celebrates with exuberance, rather than
mourn. He wanted to show that he had a life well-lived.
While I didn’t necessarily follow the story literally, its
inspired earthly and fantasy segments were merry moments to enjoy for their
exquisite beauty and talented detour into pure imagination.
I would recommend this for older children, as wee ones,
used to bombastic action, may not be familiar with such old-fashioned
storytelling and can get squirmy and bored easily.
Cirque du Soleil, in all endeavors, is indeed a work of
art.
Cirque du Soleil presents “Corteo” at the Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis April 24-28. For more information, visit www.cirquedusoleil.com.
Lynn (Zipfel) Venhaus has had a continuous byline in St. Louis metro region publications since 1978. She writes features and news for Belleville News-Democrat and contributes to St. Louis magazine and other publications.
She is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic, currently reviews films for Webster-Kirkwood Times and KTRS Radio, covers entertainment for PopLifeSTL.com and co-hosts podcast PopLifeSTL.com…Presents.
She is a member of Critics Choice Association, where she serves on the women’s and marketing committees; Alliance of Women Film Journalists; and on the board of the St. Louis Film Critics Association. She is a founding and board member of the St. Louis Theater Circle.
She is retired from teaching journalism/media as an adjunct college instructor.