Friday, July 27, 2012

Cirque Shanghai @ Navy Pier Skyline


@ Navy Pier's Pepsi Skyline Stage  

I DON'T GET IT. 
All the reviews I’ve read (even Chris Jones!) 
have given Cirque Shanghai nothing but stellar reviews. 
I don’t really share that opinion, but I’ll start with... 

THE GOOD
I liked the theatre itself…an open air theatre on a pier (even if it is Navy Pier) is a nice place to spend a Sunday afternoon. It seems like an ideal space for a family-oriented show, even though this show didn’t seem especially geared towards kids. Also, he tickets were only $22.44 thanks to Hottix & the performance only lasted 90 minutes. 


THE BAD
The performers were clearly skilled, but their skills just weren’t that amazing (or infallible: the imperfections in the acts were not only present but noticeable.) There were awesome & impressive moments, but the performance just lacked an overall WOW factor. The performance also lacked cohesion between the individual acts…it felt more like America’s Got Shanghai Talent than a unified piece of performance art. 

THE UGLY 
The production lacked artistry.; it seemed like a gymnastics show that only gave a second thought to sets & costumes. While the performers were clearly skilled, this type of performance still heavily relies on production design. The women’s ensemble numbers were a train-wreck, costume-wise: they alternated between resembling wedding-cake toppers & retired costumes from baby-beauty pageants. 

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