'Alegria' does what Cirque du Soleil does best
Classic Cirque.
That's how one longtime Cirque du Soleil employee described "Alegria," the baroque-inspired spectacle that opened Wednesday for a brief run at Hoffman Estates' Sears Centre Arena.
The description fits.
Rooted in generational conflict and change, director Franco Dragone's allegorical "Alegria" is the kind of eye-popping, heart-stopping display audiences have come to expect from the 26-year-old, Quebec-based company. It unfolds under a dome that suggests the 17th century era that inspires "Alegria's" visual aesthetic, from the powdered, bewigged musicians to the corseted chanteuses to the "old birds," a nattering quintet whose feathered, ruffled and sequined costumes suggest a cadre of faded courtiers.
The show, which debuted 16 years ago under Cirque's grand chapiteau, has been re-imagined for arenas. Like all of Cirque's arena offerings, "Alegria" lacks the intimacy of the big top shows. Some of the characters are superfluous, and lights and rigging partially obscure the high-bar acrobats, whose gymnastic routine performed hundreds of feet above the arena floor is never less than thrilling. (Like much of "Alegria" it's best experienced from the grandstand, which offers a better vantage point than the floor).
That said, "Alegria's" narrative (never a Cirque strong suit) is more compelling and cohesive than other shows. Dragone creates poignant stage pictures that underscore the show's themes. The wordless exchange between an elder and his fledgling during the elegant performance of the cyr wheel serve as a vivid example of the experiences that link and divide the generations. A pair of lissome Mongolian contortionists - a stunning display of grace and strength in which the artists are so closely entwined it's difficult to tell where one begins and the other ends - remind an aged stilt walker of the life she lived and the fate that awaits.
Other highlights include fire dancers who literally set the stage ablaze; the lyrical, deliciously defiant Power Track, an aggressively energetic combination of gymnastics and trampoline; and the gasp-inducing Russian Bars.
Last but not least, there are the clowns, without whom no cirque would be complete. The Canadian duo of Jesse Buck and Aron de Casmaker send up their acrobat counterparts in a very funny parody of the Russian Bars. Then there's Yuri Medvedev, whose bittersweet encounter with an imagined lover provides "Alegria's" most emotionally engaging and dramatic moments.
"Alegria" Location: Sears Centre Arena, Hoffman Estates, 9333 Prairie Stone Parkway, Hoffman Estates. (800) 745-3000 or cirquedusoleil.com/alegria.Showtimes: 3:30 and 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 1 and 5 p.m. Sunday.Running time: About two hours, 20 minutes with intermissionTickets: $35-$95 for adults; $28 to $76 for children; $31.50 to $85.50 for seniors, students and military personnelParking: $15 in lot adjacent to arenaRating: For most audiences <div class="infoBox"><h1>More Coverage</h1><div class="infoBoxContent"><div class="infoArea"><h2>Stories</h2><ul class="links"><li><a href="/story/?id=363584">Behind the scenes as Cirque du Soleil brings 'Alegria' to life <span class="date">[03/04/10]</span></a></li></ul><h2>Video</h2><ul class="video"><!-- Start of Brightcove Player --><div style="display:none"></div><!--By use of this code snippet, I agree to the Brightcove Publisher T and Cfound at http://corp.brightcove.com/legal/terms_publisher.cfm.--><script type="text/javascript" src="http://admin.brightcove.com/js/BrightcoveExperiences.js"></script><object id="myExperience70362612001" class="BrightcoveExperience"><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="width" value="300" /><param name="height" value="255" /><param name="playerID" value="18011347001" /><param name="publisherID" value="1659832549"/><param name="isVid" value="true" /><param name="optimizedContentLoad" value="true" /><param name="@videoPlayer" value="70362612001" /></object><!--This script tag will cause the Brightcove Players defined above it to be created as soonas the line is read by the browser. If you wish to have the player instantiated only afterthe rest of the HTML is processed and the page load is complete, remove the line.--><script type="text/javascript">brightcove.createExperiences();</script><!-- End of Brightcove Player --></ul></div></div></div>