Cirque du Soleil

This past weekend, Meg and I were able to and check out the latest Cirque du Soleil show, which is playing now through March at Atlantic Station. Meg and I love the previous Cirque shows we have seen and this one was as good as any of the previous ones. KOOZA returns back to the origins of Cirque du Soleil. The performance focuses on the circus traditions of acrobatic performances and fun clowning all in a very colorful and entertaining format. KOOZA tells the story of a young boy (The Innocent) who is in search of his place in the world. In his journey, the boy comes into contact with several returning characters such as the King, the Trickster, the Pickpocket, and the Tourist and his dog (the dog is pretty crazy with all of the things he does). In between the different scenes of the boys journey there are amazing performances, magic and music.

The acrobatic acts include: a highflying single trapeze, unimaginable contortionists, incredible unicyclist who lifts and throws around a young lady as he rides around the stage, an amazing juggler who throws up to 11 items and never dropped one, a group of guys who walk and ride bikes on two levels of high wires (they had a close call at the show we saw!), flipping teeterboards, a chair stacker that went as high as the tent and the highlight of this show was the two guys working the Wheel of Death! In this act, the two scary looking guys ride the inner and outer edges of a pair of enormous spinning wheels. They jump rope; they defy gravity and occasionally appear in danger of falling out of their rotation and missing their landings. The athleticism and skill of these performers made all of these acts look easy, but I know they are extremely dangerous and it has taken them years to perfect. In between each performance the clowns would return for some comic relief and/or the band would rock the house. Actually, one of my favorite interludes was when the drummer of the band came out to the middle of the stage and did an amazing drum solo.

The rendition of Cirque du Soleil was exceptional. I can say it is at the top of their list of shows. But I am not a good judge because I find them all to be so entertaining and fascinating. But KOOZA is definitely worth the money and you won’t be disappointed. Again the show is in Atlanta until the first of March and I guarantee you will have a great time under the Grand Chapiteau!