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12/12/2015Theater: Cirque Du Soleil's Amaluna Far From Full | Evernote Web
https://www.evernote.com/Home.action#n=ed0f207b-a064-485d-9b32-e7ab347021ab&ses=4&sh=2&sds=5&1/3Theater: Cirque Du Soleil's Amaluna Far From FullTheater: Cirque Du Soleil's Amaluna Far From FullAMALUNA * 1/2 out of **** CITIFIELDGo to the Cirque Du Soleil website and you'll see 20 shows circling the globe under the Cirque banner. It's animpressive roster that attests to how thoroughly this theatrical endeavor has conquered the world with itsparticular, sophisticated, animal-free celebration of circus-like acrobatics, juggling and feats of physical derringdo.Each show has its own personality and of course they vary in quality. The task for Amaluna and its director(Tony winner Diane Paulus) was to tell an actual story, giving the vague, often New Age-y vibe of this brandmore of a structure. Paulus chose Shakespeare's The Tempest and has wrapped the usual tumbling and divingand aerial wonders in and out of a very muted attempt to hint at the tale, with Caliban aka Cali (Viktor Kee),Prospero (here Prospera, since the magician is played by Julie McInnes) and two young beauties who fall inlove the instant a ship-wrecked Romeo (a strapping Evgeny Kurkin) sees the fetching free spirit Miranda (IuliiaMykhailova) on her lonely island.Trust me, you needn't know a thing about The Tempest in order to watch this show. If you do, the onlydifference is that occasionally you'll be reminded that, oh yes, this circus act has something or other to do withthat tale. (Why not choose something simpler and more universal, like a myth or fairy tale?) As a dramatic story,it's a failure. But then, so are most Cirque shows which often give the impression that something in particularmight be going on but settle for atmosphere with the talented performers going about their business while theburblings of some anonymous score continue in the background.Where Amaluna really falls down is with the acts that are the heart of the show. They are underwhelming to asurprising degree rare for Cirque Du Soleil and the entire evening is poorly paced.The stage is often dominated by a giant bowl of water. But before that's rolled out, we begin with "Icarians andWater Meteors," a troupe that features women tossing two balls connected by a long rope up in the air whilebeing twirled and balanced on the legs of men lying on the ground. It's a skill that probably takes years to masterbut we've seen so many similar ones that this fine act feels likes a throat clearing at the beginning. Its highlightis one woman who is spun faster and faster in a circle on top of the feet of a man, showing remarkable flexibilitymade all the more impressive by smiling casually the moment she's back on solid ground.This is followed by some acrobatics and some clowning. Now clowning is never the strong suit of Cirque DuSoleil, but the duo of Nathalie Cloude and Sheeren Hickman is so utterly devoid of humor and imagination it'salmost shocking. Their idea of audience participation late in the show is to bring a guy on stage, have him rock ababy carriage back and forth once or twice like a sitter and then sit him back down again. It's mirthless in theextreme.Some severe pacing problems continue as Amara DeFilippo does some uninspired ballet style moves for thePeacock Dance. This is immediately followed by aerialist Andreanne Nadeau performing some typical moves inthe air while hovering dramatically over that giant bowl of water. You keep waiting for her to do somethingastonishing, but ultimately she just twirls her legs in it like a human swizzle stick at her "finale."
12/12/2015Theater: Cirque Du Soleil's Amaluna Far From Full | Evernote Web
https://www.evernote.com/Home.action#n=ed0f207b-a064-485d-9b32-e7ab347021ab&ses=4&sh=2&sds=5&2/3This is followed by the hyper-flexible Iuliia Mykhailova doing some contortionist tricks along the rim of that bowl.She finally plunges in and it's momentarily pretty but rather anti-climactic -- if sexy -- and then her act is over.A large troupe of gymnasts come out, with the women dressed in warrior bird-like outfits and loudly "cawing!"and "Cawing!" and "CAWING!!" at the crowd while they do some very basic synchronized moves on parallelbars. Again, you think they'll build to something more impressive but before you know it the very deflating firsthalf is over.The second act is little better, though it starts somewhat strongly with the male gymnasts coming back out anddoing some fun tumbling built around a teeterboard. It's perhaps not wildly original but they have energy andcharacter and play to the crowd, waking everyone up with their enthusiasm and some genuinely challengingmaterial (time and again one of the guys will not quite hit the edge of the teeterboard when landing and they'llscramble to get on target before another gymnast sends them hurtling into the air). It's fun, at least, a rarecommodity at this show.Then comes the unquestioned highlight of Amaluna, an act one can spoil by building up too much. It should be awonderful surprise amidst a much bigger, more explosive show, not the climax of a lesser work. "BalanceGoddess" Lili Chao comes out onstage where there's a pile of wooden sticks of various sizes, thin on one endand stumping out on the other. They look like uneven bamboo poles or fronds stripped of leaves or something.She picks up a very small one with her foot, then picks up another and carefully balances the first on top of thesecond. Then her foot raises up a slightly larger one and that too is threaded through the first two in a way thatbalances them all. Then comes another, even larger one and that too is placed on the other side; it's likewatching a skeleton in a museum being assembled before your eyes -- perhaps of a wing? Then comes anotherand another, each one picked up by her foot and then threaded through the delicate array of sticks jutting outthis way and that until she's balancing a giant, beautiful strange structure on her hand.Chao performs this with dramatic style, breathing in every once in a while to center herself and surely also justto add to the drama. The audience is immediately and completely quiet, first wondering what the heck is goingon and then willing her to succeed by their focused attention. Finally she's created an impressively largesculpture out of these delicately balanced sticks and then places it all on her head while it slowly turns a bit inthe air and the audience applauds. But there's one more stick, the largest of all and she picks it up with her foot,balances it on the ground and then places the entire structure on that with effortless grace. It simply sits there,but somehow the effect is lovely. As a final flourish, she pulls out one stick and the entire structure cascades tothe ground...but because of the graduated sizes of each stick and how they were balanced, it cascades in abeautiful pattern that is deeply satisfying. This act is simple, elegant, and feels remarkably original. It isexceptionally hard to create an act or stunt or illusion (if you're a magician) that is genuinely fresh and Chao maywell be doing this one for the rest of her life.That's it, really, though there's more clowning and more subpar show to come. Kurkin looks great and doessome athletic work on the Chinese pole, but like so many acts before it feels inelegant and unimaginative. Heclimbs to the top of the pole and then slides down to the ground in a rush, using only his hands or legs or waistor whatever to stop his fall at the last moment. The first time he does it, it's effective. But that's all he does andhe does it four or five more times. Kee does some banal juggling and you hope yet again it's building to a bigfinale. People troop out with bamboo poles, assistants appear with what seem to be an array of juggling stickson fire, ushers arrive at every aisle and crouch down for security...and then one tiny ball is set on fire andjuggled amidst the rest for a few moments and it's over and everyone goes away.A little more aerial work and then the big finale with everyone trooping out for bows and Amaluna fades away.Half moon? Quarter moon? Take your pick of imagery to reflect a show that doesn't begin to do justice to thestandards of Cirque Du Soleil.
https://www.evernote.com/Home.action#n=ed0f207b-a064-485d-9b32-e7ab347021ab&ses=4&sh=2&sds=5&1/3Theater: Cirque Du Soleil's Amaluna Far From FullTheater: Cirque Du Soleil's Amaluna Far From FullAMALUNA * 1/2 out of **** CITIFIELDGo to the Cirque Du Soleil website and you'll see 20 shows circling the globe under the Cirque banner. It's animpressive roster that attests to how thoroughly this theatrical endeavor has conquered the world with itsparticular, sophisticated, animal-free celebration of circus-like acrobatics, juggling and feats of physical derringdo.Each show has its own personality and of course they vary in quality. The task for Amaluna and its director(Tony winner Diane Paulus) was to tell an actual story, giving the vague, often New Age-y vibe of this brandmore of a structure. Paulus chose Shakespeare's The Tempest and has wrapped the usual tumbling and divingand aerial wonders in and out of a very muted attempt to hint at the tale, with Caliban aka Cali (Viktor Kee),Prospero (here Prospera, since the magician is played by Julie McInnes) and two young beauties who fall inlove the instant a ship-wrecked Romeo (a strapping Evgeny Kurkin) sees the fetching free spirit Miranda (IuliiaMykhailova) on her lonely island.Trust me, you needn't know a thing about The Tempest in order to watch this show. If you do, the onlydifference is that occasionally you'll be reminded that, oh yes, this circus act has something or other to do withthat tale. (Why not choose something simpler and more universal, like a myth or fairy tale?) As a dramatic story,it's a failure. But then, so are most Cirque shows which often give the impression that something in particularmight be going on but settle for atmosphere with the talented performers going about their business while theburblings of some anonymous score continue in the background.Where Amaluna really falls down is with the acts that are the heart of the show. They are underwhelming to asurprising degree rare for Cirque Du Soleil and the entire evening is poorly paced.The stage is often dominated by a giant bowl of water. But before that's rolled out, we begin with "Icarians andWater Meteors," a troupe that features women tossing two balls connected by a long rope up in the air whilebeing twirled and balanced on the legs of men lying on the ground. It's a skill that probably takes years to masterbut we've seen so many similar ones that this fine act feels likes a throat clearing at the beginning. Its highlightis one woman who is spun faster and faster in a circle on top of the feet of a man, showing remarkable flexibilitymade all the more impressive by smiling casually the moment she's back on solid ground.This is followed by some acrobatics and some clowning. Now clowning is never the strong suit of Cirque DuSoleil, but the duo of Nathalie Cloude and Sheeren Hickman is so utterly devoid of humor and imagination it'salmost shocking. Their idea of audience participation late in the show is to bring a guy on stage, have him rock ababy carriage back and forth once or twice like a sitter and then sit him back down again. It's mirthless in theextreme.Some severe pacing problems continue as Amara DeFilippo does some uninspired ballet style moves for thePeacock Dance. This is immediately followed by aerialist Andreanne Nadeau performing some typical moves inthe air while hovering dramatically over that giant bowl of water. You keep waiting for her to do somethingastonishing, but ultimately she just twirls her legs in it like a human swizzle stick at her "finale."
12/12/2015Theater: Cirque Du Soleil's Amaluna Far From Full | Evernote Web
https://www.evernote.com/Home.action#n=ed0f207b-a064-485d-9b32-e7ab347021ab&ses=4&sh=2&sds=5&2/3This is followed by the hyper-flexible Iuliia Mykhailova doing some contortionist tricks along the rim of that bowl.She finally plunges in and it's momentarily pretty but rather anti-climactic -- if sexy -- and then her act is over.A large troupe of gymnasts come out, with the women dressed in warrior bird-like outfits and loudly "cawing!"and "Cawing!" and "CAWING!!" at the crowd while they do some very basic synchronized moves on parallelbars. Again, you think they'll build to something more impressive but before you know it the very deflating firsthalf is over.The second act is little better, though it starts somewhat strongly with the male gymnasts coming back out anddoing some fun tumbling built around a teeterboard. It's perhaps not wildly original but they have energy andcharacter and play to the crowd, waking everyone up with their enthusiasm and some genuinely challengingmaterial (time and again one of the guys will not quite hit the edge of the teeterboard when landing and they'llscramble to get on target before another gymnast sends them hurtling into the air). It's fun, at least, a rarecommodity at this show.Then comes the unquestioned highlight of Amaluna, an act one can spoil by building up too much. It should be awonderful surprise amidst a much bigger, more explosive show, not the climax of a lesser work. "BalanceGoddess" Lili Chao comes out onstage where there's a pile of wooden sticks of various sizes, thin on one endand stumping out on the other. They look like uneven bamboo poles or fronds stripped of leaves or something.She picks up a very small one with her foot, then picks up another and carefully balances the first on top of thesecond. Then her foot raises up a slightly larger one and that too is threaded through the first two in a way thatbalances them all. Then comes another, even larger one and that too is placed on the other side; it's likewatching a skeleton in a museum being assembled before your eyes -- perhaps of a wing? Then comes anotherand another, each one picked up by her foot and then threaded through the delicate array of sticks jutting outthis way and that until she's balancing a giant, beautiful strange structure on her hand.Chao performs this with dramatic style, breathing in every once in a while to center herself and surely also justto add to the drama. The audience is immediately and completely quiet, first wondering what the heck is goingon and then willing her to succeed by their focused attention. Finally she's created an impressively largesculpture out of these delicately balanced sticks and then places it all on her head while it slowly turns a bit inthe air and the audience applauds. But there's one more stick, the largest of all and she picks it up with her foot,balances it on the ground and then places the entire structure on that with effortless grace. It simply sits there,but somehow the effect is lovely. As a final flourish, she pulls out one stick and the entire structure cascades tothe ground...but because of the graduated sizes of each stick and how they were balanced, it cascades in abeautiful pattern that is deeply satisfying. This act is simple, elegant, and feels remarkably original. It isexceptionally hard to create an act or stunt or illusion (if you're a magician) that is genuinely fresh and Chao maywell be doing this one for the rest of her life.That's it, really, though there's more clowning and more subpar show to come. Kurkin looks great and doessome athletic work on the Chinese pole, but like so many acts before it feels inelegant and unimaginative. Heclimbs to the top of the pole and then slides down to the ground in a rush, using only his hands or legs or waistor whatever to stop his fall at the last moment. The first time he does it, it's effective. But that's all he does andhe does it four or five more times. Kee does some banal juggling and you hope yet again it's building to a bigfinale. People troop out with bamboo poles, assistants appear with what seem to be an array of juggling stickson fire, ushers arrive at every aisle and crouch down for security...and then one tiny ball is set on fire andjuggled amidst the rest for a few moments and it's over and everyone goes away.A little more aerial work and then the big finale with everyone trooping out for bows and Amaluna fades away.Half moon? Quarter moon? Take your pick of imagery to reflect a show that doesn't begin to do justice to thestandards of Cirque Du Soleil.