When the Smoke Clears

Last night was a great night. It made taking today much more bearable. In fact it was the first time in a long time I really felt like I had taken a break, a for-real break from the world.

A close friend bought me “down in front along the stage” tickets to Cirque du Soleil in Atlanta, and last night was the night. The show: Corteo.

I know I know… some people think of Cirque as a giant freak show. That’s okay, so do I to a degree, but they have really made an effort to create a unique experience. This show is no different.

I left the cell phone in the car all evening. We walked around the area near the show and had a leisurely dinner. And drinks to take a little of the edge off we’ve both been feeling. By the end of dinner I was comfortable and less stressed, and off to the Circus tent we went.

One of the great things about a traveling Cirque show is that there really are no bad seats. They don’t sell huge numbers of rows and rows of seats so even the ones in the far back are really not that far from the stage. But we were able to note that from the front, of course.

Making our way through the concessions we waited outside the main tent in the cold for a while watching people headed to the port-o-johns, which, it turns out, were well lit, clean, sanitary and not bad at all. (I had a few drinks, what can I say?)

Finally they opened the tent for seating and down we went to the front, part of the band just behind, a small group of strangers in our little section representing a myriad of ages and backgrounds, but such great conversation.

Great show. It was made even better for me by the fact that this was the first Cirque show I have seen that wasn’t perfect. The performers goofed a few times, which made it more immediate and comfortable. Stage crew and performers sat next to me on the steps several times during the show, which brought me in a little more.

This show was about… and I’m just guessing here because no one really can understand these things… a man on his sickbed dying and dreaming of his funeral and becoming an angel. Okay, not wild fun, but it worked for a mood that became celebratory. However the official description was that it was about a grand parade imagined by a clown. I certainly didn’t get that from it.

Things missing from this show: the odd demonic looking clowns, perfection in all things, a sense of “tada!” after every risky move but rather more humble performers. What was even more interesting was the enjoyment of some of the performers. In a show like this, performed hundreds of times, every bit of banter and “improvisation” is well planned out, the smiles on the faces practiced to a degree though they do give their effort to each performance. But a few of those on stage were just enjoying the hell out of the show, more so than some of the others. It’s fun to see that intensity of energy

In this show: chicks swinging and hanging from chandeliers, angels, a great trampoline act that was essentially kids jumping up and down on the beds, beautiful music, someone floating freely around the tent that the audience could push and bounce around like a beach ball suspended from helium balloons, a trapeze act that involved no trapezes… they only used huge people to be the bars from which they would swing, all sorts of hoops and gymnastics, giants, and, most importantly, midget contortionists.

Little people are a part of the history of circuses but to actually see some who have remained in such good health and shape that they can do the whole contortionist thing… holy crap.

A vacation from the world in only 5 hours.

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