Phineas T. Barnum’s notion of a “Grand Traveling Museum, Menagerie, Caravan & Hippodrome” made him a millionaire, delighted the masses and became known as the Greatest Show on Earth, however, it was lost on me. As a child the movie Dumbo depressed the hell out of me, clowns frightened the hell out of me and it is likely my anxiety regarding the fate of trapeze artists contributed largely to my nervous bowel syndrome. Not a fan of the circus, I was.
While in college I suffered through a torturous semester attempting to parle le français (I suspect only salvaging a “D” by virtue of agreeing to hang out and have drinks with the instructor) and became violently ill after dining at Che Pierre’s maison de saumon gate. Needless to say, Canadian or otherwise, I was, coincidentally, also not terribly jazzed by French stuff. [“But wait,” you query, “should that not be ‘ironically’ as your last name is ‘Gerard’?” Well, no, as were it not for a sketchy marriage and adoption in my paternal lineage by a mysterious “Mr. Gerard” the byline would read “by Don Kosolowski”.]
Years ago one of a cable “arts” channel began running a program featuring the majestic spectacle which evolved from the brainchild of a pair of Montreal street performers [“Guy” something and some other fellow…you are an internet-savvy individual — Google it] and I found it to be off-putting and creepy.
“Nope, not for me,” I said.
However, years later a friend — for whom my affection is only rivaled by her desire to remain absent from appearing amongst my printed prose — was the impetus for my first “Cirque” encounter. Despite my preconceived notions and prejudice, I was riveted by the feats of acrobatics, strength and agility. By the way, as great figure skaters go on to don Toy Story costumes, etc. and make a career working for a company which has “On Ice” it its name, great competitive gymnasts must choose between coaching and Cirque. [NOTE — this was not even a “real” Cirque du Soleil event, but merely one of the “Cirque-lite” shows…if I am not mistaken there is such a show in Branson, Missouri where, presumably, it is pretty much like the other Cirque shows save prior to each amazing stunt the performers yell, “Hey, y’all! Lookit me!”]
But, I digress…
This week one of the first and most popular incarnations in the Cirque du Soleil family of fine entertainment (which now includes “Viva, Elvis!”, I kid you not), Alegria, comes to the great, concrete flying saucer that is the Assembly Hall in Champaign. The show, which has been seen by, like, a bajillion people worldwide, while decidedly darker and more thematically dense, features not only the most popular of all the Cirque soundtracks (selling, like, a bajillion copies), but also a menagerie of extremely colorful characters. For example, the Nostalgic Old Birds, who “… observe the goings on as though they were still young and beautiful and the future was still theirs. They admire their reflections in mirror-less frames but are only empty shells, shadows of their former selves…” (and, one presumes, finagle their way into staying after last call for drinks, too).
Sacre bleu!
Alegría Show Schedule (March 17 – 21, 2010):
- Wednesday, March 17 at 7:30 p.m.
- Thursday, March 18 at 7:30 p.m.
- Friday, March 19 at 3:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
- Saturday, March 20 at 3:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
- Sunday, March 21 at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.