Wednesday night we were invited to attend the premier of Cirque du Soleil's show (and first of it's kind on ice), Crystal in Portland at the Cross Insurance Arena. I'm going to be completely honest here, I saw a Cirque show in Orlando YEARS ago and while I was amazed at the stunts, I fell asleep. Add to that if you asked if I preferred Disney on Ice or Disney Live I would say Live- because I feel like they can do more "on land." So while I was excited to go, my expectations weren't super high. I will be the first to admit, I struggle with being wrong, but let me tell you- I WAS SO WRONG.
I had been invited to go behind the scenes the afternoon before the show to interview/take photos/a tour, but didn't go because I had the kids in tow and wasn't sure they could handle it. I am kicking myself now for not dragging them with me, because I am still in complete awe over what we saw. If you want to see some behind the scenes photos check out our sister site's Instagram feed for some fun photos.
Anyway, the show is just breathtaking. The story is about a girl named Crystal who doesn't feel like she fits in and she suddenly falls through the ice into this surreal, underwater world in her imagination. In this alternate world she sees a mirror image of herself and she guides her through a time of self-discovery and learning to be content and happy with who she is (such a positive message, I know a lot of us struggle to find our way and be content with who we are.)
The start of the show has a sweet little start with people merrily skating together while a feisty clown decides to throw snowballs- yes, real snowballs- at the audience. That got my children's attention right away and had them laughing and ready for more. The first half of the show they were both glued to their seats, especially my five year old, she was riveted. My three year old also couldn't take his eyes off the stage (although during the second portion they both were wiggly as it was past bedtime.)
There are so many incredible aspects to the show, it's hard to know where to even begin. You can't go into the show thinking it's like a circus, because it's something far more than a circus and it doesn't have any animals. What it does have is a beautiful story that is narrated throughout, terrific music, world class acrobatics and performers, beautiful sets, and a jaw-dropping experience. Then you add ice to all of that and the latest in projection technology and you have CRYSTAL.
First off, something I noticed right away was live musicians. The music throughout the show was amazing, there were some nods to current music, but a lot of the music was original and having the musicians playing were incredible.
Second, the costumes and set design... just amazing. I really love things with a graphic punch, being a designer, and the details on the costumes and the set were just so much fun and right up my alley. I loved how they brought retro elements in with modern elements in a really playful way- the school set (and sort of retro 50's/60's vibe of the family room) and office with the typewriters were examples of what I loved.
Third, I absolutely loved the stage- it was mind blowing. I loved how they had these minor details that you might not notice right away (or maybe even at all) that pulled things together. And this all really leads up to talking about the projections on the ice- which were phenomenal. During one scene, Crystal becomes part of an ice hockey team. However, if you are paying attention to the ice you will see that it's not just an ice hockey team, but it's a pinball machine they are all in. The jumps and extreme stunts were crazy and so fun to watch (and I am pretty sure my child re-enacted one on the bed last night which is how we ended up in the ER- he's okay though!) If you pay attention to the ice ramps you will notice the projection of arrows just like you might see in an athlete's play book. The projections on the ice were just amazing- watching the ice crack, or seeing their "trails" as they skated or watching it change from grass to water to whatever else they came up with was simply amazing. Seriously, I am going to need a thesaurus to come up with new words to describe how awesome everything was.
Lastly, the pure athleticism, bravery, strength, grace and beauty the performers have is a sight to behold. They seem to defy gravity. I cannot tell you how many times I gasped or held my breath. During the trapeze scene I was just completely blown away and thought it couldn't get much better. Then there was the scene with the aerial straps which was so beautiful and intimate, tender and had my jaw on the floor marveling at how strong they both were. There were so many times during the show I found myself gasping (along with everyone around me) or holding my breath, it was just spectacular. It really amazed me to see how gymnasts and skaters perform acrobatics on the ice and in the air, combining multiple disciplines together and making it look so seamless (especially to someone who trips over her own feet.) There was synchronized skating, freestyle figures, extreme skating juxtaposed with circus disciplines such as swinging trapeze, aerial straps, and hand to hand for something simply amazing. The talent was incredible.
At the end of the show, in the car on the way home, my husband (who doesn't like to spend money on things like this) said, "That was one of the BEST shows I have ever seen, if not THE BEST. I think it's worth whatever ticket price they ask." (He had better watch what he says, because after some Googling I now want to see Axel... and all 10 shows in Vegas, HA!)
Do yourself a favor, if you can, go see it. Honestly, I don't think there is a bad seat in the house- if you are down below and close to the stage you can see the performers expressions and costumes up close, if you are up high you have the best view of the projections on the ice which really made the show. So you can't go wrong either way.
The remaining shows are: Friday, August 9 @ 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, August 10 @ 4 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, August 11 @ 1:30 p.m. & 5:00 p.m. You can purchase tickets at Ticketmaster. The show is a little over 2 hours long with a 20 minute intermission. If my 3 and 5 year old can stay captivated I would definitely say it's kid approved!
Enjoy the show!
Photo Credit: Cirque du Soleil & Photographer Matt Beard
