Peter Carl Faberg
é created beautiful, bejeweled Easter eggs for the Czars and
wealthy Russians in another era.
Peter Carl Fabergé created beautiful, bejeweled Easter eggs for the Czars and wealthy Russians in another era.
The eggs opened to reveal “surprises,” such as a working three-inch gold-and-red enamel copy of the coronation coach or a wind-up mechanical peacock that strutted around. His work is priceless and some of us have only heard of, let alone viewed or held, any one of his creations. They are the ultimate form of this art.
Well, folks, get ready to experience that feeling of opening and seeing a priceless Fabergé egg in all its exquisite, serendipitous glory because the Cirque Du Soleil has arrived. Simply open the tent flap and you are there.
I have experienced just about all the Cirque Du Soleil’s presentations, (I say experienced – you don’t just “go” and “see” the Cirque Du Soleil – you “experience” it, become a part of it). I have come to the conclusion that this is really not a theatrical presentation but a work of art.
The artist has taken a canvas each time and painted a seamless mural of delicious joy, glorious color, spectacular thrills with sounds from another planet that bombard the senses with an awareness that you are involved with something different and new each time. There is a sophisticated innocence within this production that simply makes you feel good to a point that you wonder if it’s legal. This time the artist signed the mural “Alegria,” (meaning elation, jubilation and exhilaration in Spanish). The completed work delivers all these adjectives and more. “Alegria” does not disappoint.
The Cirque Du Soleil originated and is based in Montreal, Canada. This will be the only scheduled appearance of “Algeria” in Northern California.
Look for the familiar blue and gold Grand Chapiteau that was made in France. This state of the art, electrically self-sufficient, climate-controlled big top will comfortably hold 2,500 people with the intimacy of theatre-in-the-round.
This production, as with all the others, is unique unto itself. The one difference I noticed is that “Alegria” does not have the philosophical thread that ran through the others. This is not a detriment, just a little difference.
The clowns and mimes are a little wilder and more physical and sometimes surprisingly intellectual in their crazy quilt of delightful antics. As mentioned previously, this a more innocently sophisticated production then the sensuous “Saltimbanco” and “Veraki.” None of this matters; its the Cirque Du Soleil and that is like saying Rolls Royce and Rolex. You know here that there is commitment to quality and artistic discipline.
Picture a colorful stained glass window with streamers of elusive glittering colorful sunbeams shimmering through. This is the Cirque Du Soleil’s “Alegria.” Nothing you can grab on to, nothing you can put into a treasure box. All you can do is imprint it on your mind and enjoy it over and over again by simply remembering. If you don’t go anywhere else this season, go to the Cirque Du Soleil. I guarantee you will be glad you did.
