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| Thu 08 Jan 2009 |
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LAS VEGAS SHOW STOPPERS - IT'S ALL ABOUT CIRQUE DU SOLEIL |
Friday, 04 January 2008 |
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O @ THE BELLAGIO  Las Vegas. The shows are bigger than Broadway and pull in crowds in their thousands. With so many shows to choose from, there are bound to be some show stoppers and some theatrical lemons (Manilow/Celine). Thankfully, after experiencing Las Vegas for a week, the scales where tipped into the WOW department with shows likes of Le Reve, O, Ka and Zumanity. Those tainted with the world famous Cirque Du Soleil brush made the trip a show stopping adrenalin rush of quality entertainment. Give yourself a good hit with 2 shows a night, this will leave your senses a tad overloaded, but well worth keeping the fires burning all night long. We bring you our very own Las Vegas Show Guide - the best of the best.  O @ THE BELLAGIO (pictured above) O, the show is quite aptly named. As every detail of this awesome production unfolded that is exactly what you hear from the audience, a very passionate and spellbound 'ohhh'! From the creator of Le Reve, O comes to the stage in the same mesmerizing and awe inspiring vein, but on a slower paced scale. This is to the audience advantage as the production is so richly focused on effects, one needs to take a moment to appreciate them as they unfold. With the elements of fire and water adorning the stage, complimented by performers of extraordinary skill and costumes of remarkable detail, this show leaves no stone unturned when it comes to rich aesthetics. From the moment the show opens and the curtains are virtually blown away to reveal the stage adorned with carousel horses floating mid air, through to the final act when the climatic drama comes to an end, 'O' keeps up an unbelievable pace that succeeds in chaperoning the audiences undivided attention throughout the duration of this amazing production. It's opulent, it's lavish and it's excessive. 'O' stands for 'Oh My God' , every step of the way in this Las Vegas spectacular. KA @ MGM GRAND (pictured below)  It’s the ancient Egyptian world for Invisible spirit guide, but Ka, the production takes a very visible form that ignites all the senses. From the critically acclaimed theatre director Robert Lepage comes Cirques du Soleil's 'KA', playing at the MGM Grand Las Vegas. The show actually supercedes the internationally renown high standards of Cirques du Soleil's past productions. This is a show where a marriage of martial arts, acrobatics (using 147 different harnesses), puppetry, interactive video projections and pyrotechnics all take place on the grandest of scales and biggest of stages. With a dramatic highlight being the point where the stage itself is flipped sideways to face the audience vertically. Ka’s scenes follow the traditional elements of water, earth, wind and fire andare ingeniously and dramatically mapped out using these very elements as backdrops to the action unfolding onstage. This is perhaps the most story telling of all Cirques du Soleil's productions, something I appreciated after seeing a number of shows where effects preceded the story line. The tale follows the journey of a set of twins who are on a spiritual path to fulfill their destinies. Although I was well seated, one could appreciate the grandiose effects of what was taking place before them from any seat in the house. To compliment the awe inspiring soundtrack of the production, the seats have individual speakers built into the headrest, delivering maximum effect on a very personal level. I was wired for sound and every other of my senses ignited with a barrage of color, movement, and dramatic choreography (think Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), that left me quite literally, speachless.  ZUMANITY @ NEW YORK NEW YORK  It's Eyes Wide Shut with Both Eyes wide open. Zumanity is a show with spunk, sensuality and sexuality, oozing off the stage in a tasteful and mature way. Famous drag Diva, Joey Arias narrates this show in a witty and entertaining manner, which visually explores all sides of sexuality, physicality and love through a choreographed and wonderfully synchronized production of extraordinary talent. Costumes, which were designed by Thierry Mugler were sleek and sexy and personify the raw heat of sensuality as they are worn by performers who move about the stage in an erotic, tantalizing manner that is every bit as classy as it sounds. Yes there is nudity, but this is no strip show, this is a visual display of the human form in it's most stripped back appearance. Combining raw human energy with untamed heat, Zumanity succeeds in creating a tasteful show that takes on a very European approach to sex and sexuality. The ninety minute show has put off some audience members with its element of nudity, however if you cant handle the heat, get out of Las Vegas. Zumanity does the theme a brilliant justice in all that it delivers and the way that it delivers it. Tasteful, magical, beautiful. by Billy T  |
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