photo credit: Cirque du Soleil
Last Saturday night, my husband and I saw Cirque du Soleil‘s KURIOS —Cabinet of Curiosities at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa. KURIOS is a spectacular performance that us took into a world of fantasy akin to that of the French Victorian era.
Created and directed by Michel Laprise, KURIOS looks at a late-19th century world inventor (the Seeker) who invents a machine that defies the laws of time, space and dimension in order to reinvent everything around him with steampunk elements. The show brings characters to life from another dimension that interact with the inventor and pay tribute to the power of human imagination.
Since there is so much work to be done before his dream becomes reality, the Seeker surrounds himself with a brigade of assistants including the Winch kurios and the Plunger kurios.
The 426 props used in KURIOS are magnificent. In fact, they are innovated works of art. For instance, Nico the Accordion Man’s costume gave us the impression that he could shrink and expand just like the musical instrument.
Or how about Mr. Microcosmos, the technologically advanced leader of the group, who carried Mini Lili (only 3.2 feet tall and 39 pounds) in the bottom of his belly.
All of the acts were amazing, but for brevity sake, I’ll limit it to the three acts that stood out the most. “The Juggler”. My husband said he must be the most coordinated man in the world, because he could juggle just about anything backwards and forwards without dropping a single pin!
Next up, was the “Aerial Bicyclist” who jumped on her acrobatic bicycle suspended in midair and hung on in a variety of positions — on the handlebars or on the wheels, by either a foot or an arm. She even road the bicycle upside down suspended in the air. My husband called her “a graceful work of art.”
The pinnacle of awesomeness was the topsy-turvy dinner party called “Upside Down World”. The stacking of the chairs halfway to the ceiling and a man precariously balancing at the top of the stacked chairs was striking. But it got even better! From the top of the circus tent there was a mirrored image of that same dinner party hanging upside down from the ceiling. “Upside Down World” is one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen on a stage and had the audience gasping in delight.
During the show, the incredible visual displays of KURIOS were also paired with the rhythmical sounds of French cabaret music performed by The Curiosistanians. They are inhabitants of an imaginary country called Curiosistan and turn up in the Seeker’s world in order to ignite his imagination.
From the characters to the supreme acts to the ambience, all of KURIOUS is guaranteed to please.
Discount Tickets to see KURIOS in Orange County
KURIOS is currently playing at the OC Fair & Events Center in Costa Mesa through November 29, 2015. To purchase discount tickets, visit here.
Discount Tickets to see KURIOS in Los Angeles
KURIOS is coming to the Dodger Stadium in LA on December 11, 2015 – February 7, 2016. To purchase discount tickets, visit here. Tickets to KURIOS make great Christmas presents too.
Happy Field Tripping!
Jilleen
Disclosure: We were invited as a member of the media to see KURIOS. All points of view and opinions are my own.