Cirque Du Soleil’s ‘Luzia’ is Simply Amazing

“Hey girl, I bet you a kiss I’m more flexible than you.”

If I were Alexey Goloborodko, that’s the line I’d use right before twisting into a humanly impossible (and yet obviously possible) spine-defying pretzel, the same way he does to shocked gasps when he makes his mindblowing appearance at Luzia, the mindblowing Cirque du Soleil show that closes its tent flaps at Marymoor Park in Redmond, WA on May 21, 2017.

I witnessed a Cirque du Soleil show for the first time back in February, when I went to Le Reve, an entirely water-based show that largely left me amazed aside from some questionable music choices.

So when Luzia debuted just a couple months later near my home, my initial reactions were:

1. I don’t need to go see another Cirque show so soon
2. It can’t possibly be better than Le Reve

Well, needless to say, I went, and aside from an excessive $15 fee to park in a dirt lot in a public park, Luzia is undoubtedly better and more entertaining than Le Reve, and a can’t miss experience if you live in the area.

And truly, Luzia is an experience. Staged in a large tent, the Mexican-themed show plays like a circus on steroids, with various acts of gravity-defying leaps, juggling, comedy and music intertwined into some semblance of a narrative that doesn’t really matter. It’s all really quite beautiful, largely thanks to the mesmerizing music and gorgeous stage design.

Of course, it’s the physical performances that really stand out. The aforementioned contortionism is simply perplexing; it’s rare these days to have a live audience audibly mystified by what they’re witnessing, but there were plenty of gasps and “Holy fucks” (actually, that was me) to be heard by the sold-out crowd. But there are many other acts that stand out, including an impressive routine in which a woman performs tricks while rolling around in a giant hoola hoop; a man juggles an endless amount of objects; people fly high into the air in a form of trapeze display; and countless others I can’t even describe.

The show isn’t perfect–the closest thing Luzia has to a central character, a goofy-looking man who is mainly there to evoke laughter while the rest of the cast prepares for the next scene–grows tiresome after a while; his shtick works sometimes, but other times falls flat. And there are a few segments that are notably less impressive than others, as to be expected.

Nonetheless, Luzia offers a grand experience at an affordable price. It’s only in the Seattle area for another week, so don’t miss out as it is one of the most impressive things you’ll see all year.

On a side note, the show’s alcohol is overpriced and subpar. Pre-funk or sneak your own in.

from FilmJabber Movie Blog http://ift.tt/2pyOr3s