Cirque Du Soleil

The show begins with the Greek myth of Icarus, picking up where the myth leaves off, reimagining the story of what happened to Icarus after he flew too close to the sun and fell from the sky. In Varekai, rather than drowning in the sea below him, Icarus lands in a lush forest full of exotic creatures.
Varakai took place at the ACC this year instead of it’s usual spot at the lakefront.
My mom and I were offered an upgrade from the 300’s to the 100“s by one of the staff member as a random act of kindness =) score!!!
This is my second year going to watch Cirque du Soleil and I kid you not still gives me goose bumps.
The acrobatics in Varakai are no joke. My mom was at the edge of her seat at every pirouette.
We both loved it and hope to go back next year.

Disclaimer: I am writing this entry under the Unilocal entry for Cirque Du Soleil listed at 51 Commissioners Street. Currently, the Cirque performance in town is called Varekai and is actually held in the Air Canada Centre. Cirque Du Soleil has several travelling shows, so check local listings for locations and times (I feel like I’m sounding a little like some cheesy radio commercial.)
As a general comment, if you haven’t seen any Cirque Du Soleil performance, you much check it out. In fact, run don’t walk. This company has redefined the circus. They kept the acrobatics of the circus, and the comic reliefs, and dropped all the animal stunts. They infused the circus with avant-​garde theatrics that are stunningly beautiful, and are set to experimental music, some of which is live. The talent of the performers is tops. In all, Cirque Du Soleil has created some incredible, breath-​taking shows. It is no wonder that they took Las Vegas by a storm. Note that the shows are suitable for children, but may be too scary for some of the younger children.
There are many different shows offered by Cirque Du Soleil, and even though the concept is similar, some are better than others. Different people may have their own favourites, and it’s hard to give a very reliable rating system, because some people may wish to rank a specific show compared to other shows. Other people may wish to rank Cirque Du Soleil overall.
I have seen three different shows. As a generic rating, I would give Cirque Du Soliel an enthusiastic 5 star rating. However, I would rank them in this order of decreasing preference:
1. ‘O’ — in Las Vegas
2. Kurios
3. Varekai
Last night, saw Varekai, and I loved it. Sure, it wasn’t the best Cirque Du Soleil. I didn’t care too much for some of the theatrics. Plus, the music was not as good as in other shows. At the same time, I would still give it 5 stars. The acrobatics were fantastic. Such amazing talent. The choreography is stunning. The degree of synchronization between performance is flawless. It’s almost like watching an Olympic event in a circus setting.
The show is only in town for a very short time (Sept 3 – 6.) This is why they hold it in such a large venue as the the Air Canada Center. They manage to almost fill the space allocated for the show (one half of the stadium.) You can get some cheaper seats in the upper sections, and you still get the full experience.

Whaaaaaat … Why did i never go to this before? Maybe i thought it was too artsy or somthing and was just refusing to give it a shot. I am stupid for not going! So i got tickets for my wife for her birthday, still assuming that i wouldnt like it but was gonna «bite the bullet» for the whole «happy wife, happy life» deal. We arrived about a half hour before the doors opened. From the outside seeing the big top was neat, toronto skyline in the background… Already got a cool vibe down there as we waited to get in, and when we did…
What a show!!! I dont want to spoil anything as i believe that not knowing what to expect would make it a even better experience like I had. Get some popcorn, a craft beer or glass of wine and prepare to have your freeking mind blown! And pay the extra money for the better seats i dont think there is a bad seat in the place but being close to the point where performers are soaring above your head is a crazy crazy experience… There is zero reason to not go, you will understand afterwards.

I have seen two shows at this site.
I seen Amaluna and the most recent Kurios.
Both were fantastic shows. I will review my most recent show Kurios.
I loved it. I sat in the 100 level and found it to be a great location. Sitting in the back may be too far, as a lot of the effects that you see at the back would be the sets that use the space up close to the top.
I will not get into what there was in the show as I do not want to spoil it for future show goers.
Here it goes with my feedback:
— great classic comedy
— enjoyed the audience involvement
— loved the costumes
— enjoyed all the acts they were captivating
I really appreciate the acts and the performers are amazing. They are all body art in motion.
Must go and spend a little more to be in the section 100’s.

The second half of the show was great and I really enjoyed the show. My one comment is that the seats are a little bit squishy so if you are sitting next to someone that weighs more than 150lbs, you will feel a bit squished.

Went to see Kurios last night. I’m always amazed at the spectacle of Cirque Du Soliel and the detail that they put into every act from costumes and theme to acting to all the small things happening on the side.
Kurios was themed towards a time when simple machines were prevalent somewhere in Europe. You’ll hear French, Italian and Russian all spoken. The story line wasn’t really as evident as it should be. I think it was about a man discovering random things as he travels on land, water and air.
The acts were amazing, as it always is, but if you’ve been to Cirque before, you’ve seen most of it. Some things were very unique and new.
I didn’t like the middle interlude acts, with the ‘clown/​host’. I didn’t find it funny nor inventive, and felt like it was wasting my time. I would have preferred some simple magic or something instead. Pretending to be a cat, trying to win over some young girl from the audience, as a middle aged man dressed in his PJs, came off as a little creepy to me.
TIPS:
— free water by the entrance, bring your own reuseable cups
— popcorn is over priced but yummy. best deal is $ 7 to share, and ask for an extra box
— we found free street parking on some street north of Commissioners
— best place for dinner might just be T&T

Torque was what i saw and it was excellent. I had lots of fun and it’s a good experience. It’s nice seeing a modern take on a circus.

What an amazing show! Such talent. I highly recommend.
I will not even take a star off for the parking chaos trying to get out of the parking lot as the show was so good.

I have seen what I believe are the three most recent of their traveling shows (other than the Michael Jackson one– personally not a fan).
I missed Amaluna at the tent a couple of years ago so I went out to Hamilton this year to catch the show.
My ranking:
1. Totem
2. Kurios
3. Amaluna
I found that though Kurios was better than Amaluna, Totem had me in awe. The one thing I remember about that show were the girls and those bowls. Amazing skill!
Maybe I loved Totem so much because it was the first Cirque show I ever went to so now I just expect them to get better and better…
Regardless, all of their shows are amazing! So much talent!
Get out to see Kurios while it is here. The show at the tent feels much more authentic than it was at the arena in Hamilton.
You can park for $ 10 at the «farther» lot. It really is just over the bridge from the $ 20 lot and it’s like a four minute walk.
Enjoy!

Kurios was absolutely amazing !!! A must watch
I’m not a circus kinda person and I am so happy I steped out of my comfort zone a went. It’s great for kids and adults me and my husband went on our 7 year anniversary and it was great. I have told several people and they aE now going as well. I recommend the 8 pm show they also do not check your bags so you could take in some goodies. Although the concession stand is very cheap popcorn candy and a drink 15 $

Always an amazing show. Cool costumes and performers. I’ve seen 3 different Cirque Du Soleil shows now.
With so many of them touring they’re not all the same and depending what your interested in seeing maybe not be as great as others. Do research on the show and see what the story is and an idea of the performances.

I recently went to the Amaluna show held this past fall in Cirque’s Toronto tour. I remember going to shows back when I was little but so the life of me I could not remember the Cirque du Soleil experience. When I arrived for Amaluna a few weekend ago, my childhood memories were reignited; I loved the Cirque experience. The interaction with the crowd and the atmosphere in the show grounds.
The staff were super helpful, my parents and I were sitting along the edge and there was an obstruction in our view. During the intermission, we were able to move to a non-​obstructed area and the staff assisted us in the move.
With great service and an amazing show (I will not spoil the show for you), I will definitely be back. Cirque makes a great night out for a date or family/​friends!

My rating for Cirque Du Soleil as a whole is FIVE stars. My first experience was in Las Vegas, where I watched the «O» and was totally blown away (see my review for them). However, I recently watched Amaluna and it was not as awe inspiring.
AMALUNA: (Toronto)
There were two incidents where the acrobats fell, and there was gasps all over. I ended up watching the rest of the show holding my breath. I never had to feel nervous for the performers in other Cirque shows, but for Amaluna I was crossing my fingers they won’t injure themselves. The music for Amaluna did not flow through a rhythm of emotions like other Cirque shows, and was more like a heavy metal/​rock concert.
The seats at the Port Land’s venue is also very very small. I didn’t feel like I got my money’s worth sitting in the first row of the second section since Cirque staff would constantly walk/​run across and obstruct my view. Tip: Do not pick seats 1 or 2 on the front rows, there’s a huge pole blocking your view. The popcorn was also very expensive ($ 7) but it smelled amazing. They don’t check your bags to restrict outside food or drinks, so I sneaked in some snacks!
Parking: Do not pay for the $ 10-​$ 20 parking lot. Park for FREE at the T&T Grocery Store parking lot. There’s a guard there that advised us we will get a ticket after 10PM, but we ignored him because that was absurd (What if we worked at the grocery store — which closes at 10PM). At the end, we came back to no tickets on the dash!
Washrooms: I also did not like that there were so few stalls and shared by both males and females, but oh well I can’t complain — it’s the whole circus experience!
My rating of Amaluna may have been higher if I had watched it before «O» — Overall, not impressed with Amaluna.

If it is one thing about Cirque du Soleil — it mostly never fails to astonish and amaze you on how amazing and immersive the show can be — you can literally get caught up in the spell they weave with aerial acrobatics and balancing contortionists.
Merchandising wise — be careful the stuff is pricey — I’m a bit disappointed though that they ran out of the Ameluna fans and they don’t have a soundtrack avaliable for the production.
The concession stand pricing is also a bit misleading too — because I thought they were sourcing Davids tea and so plunked down $ 3.50 for it — turns out they were out and serving a bagged tea. But on the positive side — if you are on a date — a large will do and it is only 6.75– which is only $.50 more than the small.
The combos are as you see them with the taxes included.
Performance-​wise
The preshow was amazingly fun with several performers interacting with the audience. I think my favorite was the lizard guy acting like a cat climbed up to the platform and started distributing popcorn among the audience. — one thing to note — there is no such thing as a bad seat under the big top.
The clowns were great — Pepper the clown was funny — I didn’t quite get the clown giving birth to little clowns — and part of the act might offend some people — or at least have some people questioning.
My favorites was probably the unicyling and the act right after that. The juggler and
Tightrope, the uneven bars; plus the teeter-​totter jumping were also very astounding.
I think my one gripe about Ameluna was that there wasn’t much Luna and enough coherent thought to the «story» line — that made it easy for the audience to follow along.
One more thing — Parking is highway robbery here; because it is «special» event parking. Plus getting out is a royal pain in the rear. I suggest taking your time and meander you way back to the car because you’re basically in parking lot situation when you are trying to get out.
Also doors; 1 – 4 are directly in the concession tent — so you are sheltered. The others entrances are in open air

My first Cirque Du Soleil show yesterday, Amaluna and I’m still dreaming about it! As expected, their costumes and makeup is beautiful and very very creative. The way the costumes flow with every movement is amazing. The music actually makes their costumes SPEAK. It’s so beautiful!
I absolutely absolutely admire how they utilize the entire tent space, the stage, lighting, and basically every inch of everything. The way they made the entire show a, well, a perfect show. The transition between acts, how new props are introduced to the acts, how props get taken away from the acts, etc… Every detail is well-​thought of and I’m not saying this is new to me, I’m saying I LOVE IT!!! And I LOVE it when all details are thought of.
Oh and every single prop is unique for this show. And of course, new costumes always. It’s so nice! The lighting was cool too!
And the performers? «Talented» is an understatement. They are breath-​taking.
THANK YOU UnilocalERS for the tidbits on WASHROOMS. Yuck! Shared washrooms with guys/​girls, outdoor… I didn’t go and didn’t plan to.
MY TIDBIT FOR YOU: I sat in the last row so it’s probably why I was able to get a cushion :) They usually give this to children so they can sit a bit higher. For ME I couldn’t see past the 7-​foot giant two rows in front of me! Get a cushion if you’re in the last row! AC is also blasting there.
So! That’s all to be expected of a Cirque show, yeah? Alrighty, now onto Amaluna
…
UPDATED:
==========Amaluna, Toronto Sept 6 to Nov 4, 2012
I was told (after the show) that the performers are a bit slower, the clowns not so interesting, and story harder to follow.
This being my first Cirque show, I thought the pace was SO quick! I loved the clowns, they were fun and made me laugh. Story-​wise… yeah I didn’t like it much. It was a bit shallow for me and too simple. (Spoiler alert: I didn’t like the lizard man getting such a quick defeat)
Four stars because I really didn’t like the story… and it’s hard to get me to NOT like something.
Cirque Du Soleil themselves deserve 5 stars :) I’ll be coming back and I hope Totem comes to Toronto again!
==========Worlds Away (2012), the Cirque movie!!!
MUST SEE, some spectacular uses of the stage! Watching a Cirque movie means… slow-​motions, close-​up view of performances and actors, and you’d watch the performance at a view that the directors think is best (you’re not limited to your seat in the audience anymore!)
Really enjoyed it!
==========Varekai, Hamilton Jan 2014
So disappointed with this one!!! Only 1 – 2 acts were interesting… Usually I don’t mind if Cirque doesn’t have a storyline to follow (too abstract for my dumb brain), but Varekai was baaaaaaaadd. I thought too many acts were unrelated!

Over the top entertaining. Was entirely mesmerized by the talented crew and lived a dream for a few hours in Kingston ON.

As both Steph L. & Tony F. have stated, Totem was a great show. For me, one of the points of focus is the music.
The premise of the show is evolution. As such, there are actually a lot of tracks that include drumming, and native chants and vocalizations that are so pure and passionate that I bought the soundtrack. My favourite tracks would have to be Onta, Omé Kayo, Toreador and Qué Viyéra and Indie-​Hip.
The most memorable part for me were the Asian girls and the bowls as well as the Russian acrobats.
And as Tony mentioned, the Italian who plays the Native American bride-​to-​be roller girl is quite fetching, at least compared to the testosterone-​overloaded-​muscular beach «babe» that was more ripped than Arnold. Why those roller skating boys at the beach wanted her was beyond me.
This is my second most favourite CdS show after «O» in Vegas.

I’m a huge Cirque fan. From the time I won free tickets to them from a radio station oh so many years ago, thinking I hate circuses to seeing almost all the road shows and a bunch in Vegas, Totem is up there amongst the better ones.
There’s no bad seat in the house, and the show was made better because I managed to score a 40% discount to the show.
PS
I’m in love with the Italian (playing native American) roller girl.

Who doesn’t want to go to the circus!
Totem doesn’t disappoint!
It’s a creative (and of course, very weird) take on the story of evolution.
I’ve seen several other Cirque performances and this was by far the most random and oddly pieced together in terms of costumes and theme.
Frogs, monkeys, aboriginals, business men, aliens, the beach, insert a group of Chinese people with bowls, and of course scientists.
But we only care about the amazing performances anyways!
[Highlights]
* Crazy muscular super chick on the rings. Holy crap!
* The «beach boys», two young men with the most perfect bodies ever sculpted on this earth… and hey, they can do cool tricks too!!!
* Chinese unicycle girls with bowls on their heads.
[Other Things]
This show was different than other shows I have seen.
There was a lot more slapstick humour. A LOT of it.
(maybe it’s not my thing because I’m not 10, it seemed to be a bit much… but kids seemed to love it).
There was more dance performance than expected… I think they should stick to circus tricks, but I guess they wanted to do try something different.
The show was long. It ran past two hours (along with a 30 minute intermission). I feel that they could have cut some of the meaningless skit bits out and made it shorter.
Additional Tips:
It’s mad busy, a zoo within a circus.
* If you want to attempt grabbing a cab, you should leave before the cast finishes taking their final bows.
* There is no way that TTC can accommodate the number of people streaming out of the performance and there’s no where to walk.
* There are $ 10 dollar parking lots, don’t pay $ 20.
Also, traffic can get super chaotic and annoying.
* If you don’t want to use the port-​o-​potties, there is a T&T across the street. (also good if you want snacks that aren’t $ 6 popcorn). The port-​o-​potties are probably cleaner.
* If you are a loud clapper and stomper (you know who you are). Please stop. It bothers people in front of you. There’s a special super hot place in hell for loud clappers.
Anyways, great show!
Go see it if you are a fan of Cirque!
…Also I still hate clowns.
It doesn’t have anything to do with this review.
But whatever, I hate them!!! (Shaking fist)

Magical