Cirque du Soleil’s LUZIA Review – Miracles Under the Big Top

Going to Cirque du Soleil’s Luzia is an exercise in learning the seemingly infinite permutations of crowd WOW! murmurs.

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No matter how many times you go see a Cirque du Soleil performance, the demonstrations of physical prowess do not fail to amaze. Doing multi-turn somersaults in the air, moving in and out of twirling hoops or hanging from silks, juggling what seems to be shards of icy light, hand standing higher and higher on stilts, diving through hoops, curling a human body in ways you think only a worm should be able to do, and more—these are physical feats that might make you wonder why Olympians are so plain Jane.

Mexican Dreamscape

For lovers of Morelia’s butterfly migration, and news of how these Monarchs have somehow survived yet another Michoacan freeze, it seems fitting that one of the first gymnasts to seamlessly sail through the air is in butterfly costume. She takes off in what could be one of the lush gardens of Cuernavaca, these though with robotic watering cans that are dancing to the touch of mariachi music, as the gymnasts in colorful bird garb sit near by waiting to take flight—so literally.

An Aztec wheel in the backdrop changes hues to signal the new scenes. We meet armadillos, dancing cacti, snakes and other magical creatures of dinosaur meets rana (frog) in a landscape that is not Mexico but rather the stuff of a Mexico-inspired dreamscape where acrobats, gymnasts, masters of aerial dance, and clowns show their stuff.

Water Engineering Miracles

Like other Cirque du Soleil shows the behind the scenes engineers seem to deserve—and get—as many WOWS as the incredible athletes. In this case it is the dance of designs in a fast-moving water curtain creating by hundreds of faucets with throttles turned on and off with computerized rheostat synchronized precision. The shows name, Luzia, is a marriage of lluvia (rain) and luz (light).

If you are a lover of spectacle, engineering miracles and/or awe-inspiring demonstrations of athletic prowess, Luzia is absolutely your show.

 

When:

Now through September 3

Where:

Under the white-and-gold Big Top at the United Center parking lot

Tickets:

$35+

For more information, visit the Cirque de Soleil website.

Photo credit : Matt Beard / Costumes: Giovanna Buzzi / 2016 Cirque du Soleil

 

Amy Munice

About the Author: Amy Munice

Amy Munice is Editor-in-Chief and Co-Publisher of Picture This Post. She covers books, dance, film, theater, music, museums and travel. Prior to founding Picture This Post, Amy was a freelance writer and global PR specialist for decades—writing and ghostwriting thousands of articles and promotional communications on a wide range of technical and not-so-technical topics.

Amy hopes the magazine’s click-a-picture-to-read-a-vivid-account format will nourish those ever hunting for under-discovered cultural treasures. She especially loves writing articles about travel finds, showcasing works by cultural warriors of a progressive bent, and shining a light on bold, creative strokes by fledgling artists in all genres.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ARTICLES BY AMY MUNICE.

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