As you may have seen on Facebook and/or Instagram, my family was hosted at opening night of Cirque du Soleil's CRYSTAL this past Wednesday and all I can say is that I certainly hope that you also had a chance to see this incredible show. Not yet? There is still a show at 5PM today, so get off the couch and go see it!
Seriously, though, this show definitely ranks in the top 5, probably top 3, performances I have ever seen, and I have seen A LOT of shows in my years, including some on Broadway. The entire show was comprised of incredibly rivoting, edge-of-my-seat, jaw-dropping circus and ice acts, all telling the story of Crystal and her vivid imagination. The unbelievable levels of creativity and talent that went into the years-long making of this stunning spectacle absolutely floored me; there were times I was holding my breath for the performer(s) and didn't event realize it. Watching someone flip on a trapeze or balance on stacked chairs 10-20 feet in the air will do that to you, I guess! Talk about literally breathtaking! I was so enthralled that I often forgot to take pictures of the amazing acts I was seeing; luckily, my hubby remembered and grabbed some great shots so I could share them with you here and on social media. Cirque du Soleil's CRYSTAL is off to New Brunswick after Sunday, so, if you missed it, it's a great excuse to take a road trip before the end of summer!
SHOW OVERVIEW
CRYSTAL is Cirque du Soleil’s 42nd creation and explores the artistic possibilities of ice for the first time. This unique production pushes boundaries of performance by combining stunning skating and acrobatic feats that defy the imagination.Watch as world-class ice skaters and acrobats take their new frozen playground with speed and fluidity as they challenge the laws of gravity with never-before-seen acrobatics. Follow Crystal, the lead character, on an exhilarating tale of self-discovery as she dives into a world of her own imagination.CRYSTAL invites you to suspend reality and glide into a world that springs to a colorful life with astounding visual projections and an original score that seamlessly blends popular music with the signature sound of Cirque du Soleil. CRYSTAL features an international cast composed of figure, extreme and freestyle ice skaters, acrobats, musicians and a comic character. Eleven different nationalities are represented in the cast.
STORYLINE AND THEME
Crystal is a creative young woman who feels misunderstood and out of sync with herself. To escape her reality, she ventures out on a frozen pond and falls through the ice into an upside world. In this underwater world of her imagination she sees a reflection of herself. Her reflection guides her through this new world and wakes her up to her own creativity. As Crystal continues her journey she turns her quirks into creativity with the stroke of her pen. With this newfound power, she is able to find her true self and journey back up to reality. The show CRYSTAL is about looking at things from fresh angles, peeking through the veneer of everyday life, reframing one’s daily reality to see what one might have missed. Sometimes the only way to appreciate things is to look at them sideways. Discovering one’s individuality and uniqueness requires venturing out on thin ice.
MELDING CIRCUS ARTS AND ICE SPORTS
BLURRING THE BOUNDARIES – With this new creation Cirque du Soleil explored the essence of skating, bringing its signature style of acrobatics into unchartered territory – a sheet of ice – and blur the boundaries between gliding sports and circus arts. In CRYSTAL, gymnasts and skaters perform acrobatics on the ice and in the air, seamlessly combining multiple disciplines together. Synchronized skating, freestyle figures, and extreme skating are featured alongside circus disciplines such as swinging trapeze, aerial straps, and hand to hand. Figure skaters learned how to be pushers on Chinese poles, while circus artists learned how to skate, and extreme skaters learned figure skating moves.
Check out the show's trailer: .
Looks and sounds pretty amazing, right? Well, your chance to see it is coming up at Cross Insurance Arena August 7-11. You can purchase tickets here for any of the following shows:
- Wednesday, Aug 7th 7:30 PM-9:30 PM
- Thursday, Aug 8th 7:30 PM-9:30 PM
- Friday, Aug 9th 7:30 PM-9:30 PM
- Saturday, Aug 10th 4:00 PM-6:00 PM
- Saturday, Aug 10th 7:30 PM-9:30 PM
- Sunday, Aug 11th 1:30 PM-3:30 PM
- Sunday, Aug 11th 5:00 PM-7:00 PM
BUT WAIT!!! Wouldn't you rather win tickets? Of course you would, and you can with Macaroni Kid Portland! You can win a family 4-pack of tickets to the show of your choosing. Entering is simple: Just fill out this Google Form by noon on August 5, 2019. Giveaway rules and restrictions are outlined in the Google Form. Good luck! CONTEST ENDED
CONGRATULATIONS Angela M.!!! You're the lucky winner of a family 4-pack of tickets to see Cirque du Soleil's CRYSTAL! There were 231 entrants in this contest which makes this the biggest giveaway Macaroni Kid Portland has ever hosted. Thank you all SO much for entering.
