It's All You Need

Friday, May 9, 2008 | 3:35 PM

Two weeks ago, my lovely wife Ling and I spent some time in Las Vegas. We were there for the usual reasons - sun, fun, perhaps a little gambling - but our super objective (to use a popular acting term) was to see the Cirque de Soleil/ Beatles extravaganza, Love. She and I had both heard positive things and managed to score pretty solid seats (probably because it was a Sunday night, and Vegas, mercifully, was emptying out), so I would describe the level of anticipation as pretty damn high.

We were not disappointed.

Although I'm sure we influence each other a bit, both of us agreed, at the conclusion of Love, that it was one of the greatest shows - of any kind - that we had ever seen. I, personally, can't think of another entertainment experience that I have enjoyed as much as I did this. It was that good.
I'm sure there are personal reasons why this was - my fierce love of 90% of the Fab Four's catalog and my near total unfamiliarity with the Cirque among them - but I believe that the key factor was simply the overall, breathtaking excellence.

Start with one of the most beloved musical groups ever, add a stunning stage design (the stage splits into several sections which can then form a wide variety of patterns and configurations), blast the brilliantly remixed songs on one of the best sound systems I've ever heard, and mix in charming (and, on occasion, oddly moving) characters displaying mind-bending athleticism in perfect synchronization with the music, and you've got a spectacle that can only be described as jaw dropping.

One of the most stunning - and bizarre- parts of the show was the fact that nearly a third of the characters entered FROM THE CEILING. That's right, they were lowered 120 feet on ropes, where they swung and twirled, seemingly without effort, on and off throughout the 90 minute spectacle. Sometimes they would get off the rope, do something athletically totally impossible, and then leap onto another tether that would then whisk them twelve stories up to the backstage (upstage?) where they would dismount and, presumably, change costumes. I found myself thinking, And they do this twice a night. Astounding.
There were many memorable moments - the terrifying sequence in Mr.Kite where the performer rides a surfboard one handed (and upside down) despite being 80 feet in the air without any kind of safety net, or the ecstatic Hey Jude finale - but it's impossible to pick just one.

Perhaps the best thing about Love is that it makes no difference where you sit, for every seat is excellent. There is so much going on at once that no matter where you look, it is nearly impossible to absorb the entire experience in a single viewing.

I guess that means we'll have to see it again. Bummer.

By Zach Galligan in Zach Galligan | Link | 0 Comments | Recommended (1)

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