After spending last week in Las Vegas (and winning *BIG*, thanks for asking), I caught my third unique production of Cirque du Soleil, "O" (named for I assume, the French word for water "Eau"), the "water-themed" version of Cirque du Soleil.
For those who have yet to catch Cirque du Soleil (either from one of the traveling shows they used to have more often years ago, the two Las Vegas productions, the Disneyworld production or the many times they air one of the performances on the Bravo Channel) you're missing out on a treat. To call it a circus is far from the truth, yet not at all false. Acrobatic, agile, flexible performers show off on the ground, in the air, and as in "O", in the water in a Fellini-esqe atmosphere. Each separate show has a unique story.
Imagine Dead Can Dance's "The Circus is Over" video come to life. Even the music is breathtaking, atmospheric. Costumes are beautiful and whimsical. I have known a few friends scared off by the price (O was starting at $96), but I have never felt my money more wisely spent then at a Cirque du Soleil show.
I understand that they are once again travelling this summer. If you've caught the Bravo channel's airing of one of the shows, and was as underwhelmed as I was, let me assure you that it's the difference between between throwing a bullet and shooting it. If you are within 300 miles of a Cirque du Soleil production, don't miss it! If you're planning a trip to Disneyworld or Las Vegas, you can make reservations for the show 3 months in advance, which I recommend you do. It's extremely popular and sells out fast. The show we went to went on sale the day we reserved tickets and we were still stuck with "obstructed view" tickets (which were still excellent thanks to the fact that most of the theatres they perform in now were made specifically for the show).