Disclosure: I received complimentary tickets to help promote Cirque du Soleil in Kansas City May 14-18. All experiences and opinions are my own. Yours may differ.
I honestly don’t know how to find the words to adequately describe the beauty that is Varekai from Cirque du Soleil. Now playing at the Sprint Center, there are 6 more shows, that are not to be missed! I encourage you to get tickets to this masterful production!
Last night I headed to the Sprint Center with my friend Kristen. We both had never seen a Cirque du Soleil show before and were very exited! We had some excellent seats near the front. While sitting there before the show began we had a great time discussing the scenery. There were beautiful bamboo rods in the back of the stage, a staircase that looked like a nest leading almost to the ceiling of the Sprint Center and a circular stage in front. Cirque du Soleil did an amazing job of setting the scene and immersing their guests into their world.
Deep within a forest, at the summit of a volcano, exists an extraordinary world – a world where something else is possible. A world called Varekai.
From the sky falls a solitary young man, and the story of Varekai begins. Parachuted into the shadows of a magical forest, a kaleidoscopic world populated by fantastical creatures, this young man sets off on an adventure both absurd and extraordinary. On this day at the edge of time, in this place of all possibilities, begins an inspired incantation to life rediscovered.
The word Varekai means “wherever” in the Romany language of the gypsies the universal wanderers. This production pays tribute to the nomadic soul, to the spirit and art of the circus tradition, and to the infinite passion of those whose quest takes them along the path that leads to Varekai.
The music in Varekai is made by some incredibly talented musicians. In the beginning of the show some of the musicians walk through the audience while we are getting to know the characters we will soon love. The violinist in particular caught my attention (after all, I too play the violin). He was amazing to watch. I also really enjoyed the accordion. It was simply beautiful. In addition to the instruments there were people singing. They did an incredible job at matching their voices with the instruments and fully capturing the ambiance of the story and this mystical land to which we were being transported. In my opinion they were the true stars of the show. They told us how to feel and how to react with their amazing music. It was gorgeous and unlike anything I had ever experienced before.
The story was moving. There was a love story happening along side all of the other drama and comedy. I really like how Cirque du Soleil broke up the seriousness with some comedy routines. All of the actors did an incredible job in their own roles. The athleticism of the performers was incredible. They had such strength and control of their bodies, it was unlike anything you have ever seen before (unless you have been to Cirque du Soleil before). I have been to some “knock off” Cirque shows and they were like watching kindergarteners perform compared to this. It was such a fun, enjoyable evening.
The show lasted around 2 hours. Most of the show was child friendly but I will say there were a few moments that I would have needed to cover my children’s eyes. For most of the show the performers were speaking in some language you couldn’t understand, then out of no where after intermission they had moments of speaking English. It was very out-of-place, awkward and they made jokes about smoking pot so completely unnecessary and inappropriate. Again, something else I wouldn’t have wanted my children to hear, whether they understood the joke or not, still not appropriate!
Overall it was an amazing experience that wasn’t ruined by the weak English-speaking moments. I’m so blessed to have been able to attend and experience it! I will definitely be making this a yearly tradition when the Cirque du Soleil comes to town.
Rebecca @ A Beautiful Ruckus says
SUCH an amazing show! I feel like I could ait through all of the Kansas City performances and it would still be new each time. I will for sure be back next year! Absolutely incredible!
Stefanie says
I agree! It definitely held my attention and was interesting. It was so amazing, I don’t know what stronger word to use! lol