My family and I are all non-gamblers, and our nine-year-old niece was with us on this trip. So, for the most part, we just skipped the casinos, even the slot machines. But Vegas is really so much more than its “Sin City” reputation. It could also be a fun city for families.
And if you are a savvy traveler, you would know how to enjoy your time there without splurging so much. In fact, we only splurged on three things – a Cirque du Soleil show, an expensive buffet dinner one night, and an elegant sit-down steak dinner on another.
The Cirque du Soleil show was my idea. Since my brother insisted on paying for our hotel, I insisted on treating them for a night of world-class circus extravaganza followed by a buffet dinner. My husband, who hails from Montreal, takes pride in this Quebec-based entertainment company. From a troupe of street performers in small-town Quebec, they have become a household name throughout the world and they have redefined how the word, “circus” is viewed.
We had seen two of their shows – one in Vancouver, and one in Montreal, and we wanted my brother and his family to experience their magic on stage. Though they’ve been back-and-forth in Vegas where there are always a number of Cirque du Soleil shows that are running, they had never been to one.
Initially, I wanted to buy tickets for O, which was a spectacular water show at The Bellagio featuring acrobats, synchronized swimmers, and divers performing in a huge pool on stage.
Unfortunately, tickets were sold out. I had to chose among Ka, Mystère, and The Beatles’ Love.
Ka, playing at the MGM Grand, is a dance battle involving magical creatures from the vast heavens and the great ocean. Mystère, hosted by the Treasure Island, is a playful performance featuring jaunty, music-stuffed adventure in a play of lights and colours, bubbly acrobats, silly tricks, and gut-bursting gags. Love, of course, is a tribute to the music of the Beatles through a show filled with world-class aerialist and dancers performing to the remixed Beatles soundtrack. They were playing at The Mirage.
I ended up getting tickets for Mystère. Since none of us were hardcore Beatles fans, that was the first to go. The decision between the remaining two shows was based on the availability of good seats. Ka only had side seats left, while we got decent seats on the centre Mezzanine level for Mystère.
In my mind, we were close enough to the action, but not as close as the Orchestra, where we could be “potential targets” for the performers. Cirque du Soleil shows are known for engaging the audience to participate. In the two previous shows that we watched, those in the first few rows were picked on. At the Mezzanine level, we would be “safe,” or so I thought.
While we were waiting for the show to start, a character dressed like a magician wandered through the theatre, leading people to the wrong seats and then dumping popcorn on those who wouldn't follow his instructions. I noticed right away that this man did not limit his antics at the Balcony level, but went all the way to the top. Uh-oh!
At the beginning of the show, there was this baby boy character dressed in an over-sized diaper and baby bonnet. He had a pacifier, giant milk bottle, and a huge red ball. He went onstage and started looking for his “mama.” A nice lady at the front row was picked on and she happily obliged (in fact, at the end of the show, her “baby” gave her a ride in his “toy car,” which was a golf cart, and they drove around the stage). A teen-aged boy was picked on as well, by two clown-like characters. They snatched his popcorn away, but replaced it with a bigger bucket later on.
The show's storyline revolved around the baby boy and his friend, a baby girl dressed in pajamas and pig slippers, with a pink bow on her head, and holding a stuffed escargot toy. Together, they discover this fantasy world filled with unique creatures - exotic out-of-this world characters and stylized animals.
The explosion of colourful sets, flamboyant costumes, brilliant lighting, and dramatic music that includes primal drumming all come together to create an almost psychedelic theme. Rather than a free-flowing storytelling style, the show featured vignettes made up of acrobatic performances on trampolines, high bars, Chinese poles, aerial cubes, and bungees, as well as dances, drumming, puppets, animatronics, and short comedy skits that were all tied together. A common thread is the running gag involving the magician who pops in-between performances to interrupt the narrator, mock the show, or play tricks. Little did we know that we were about to become "victims."
In the middle part of the first act, the lights went dim after a particularly engaging acrobatic exercise. Suddenly, a spotlight shone on our section and zoomed in on my husband. Uh-oh!
The magician appeared with a couple of minions and approached us. Before we could even react, he ordered his men to “kidnap” my husband and escort him to the stage. There, he locked him in a wooden crate, which he covered with a red cloth, spun around and around, and “zapped.” When he lifted the cloth, my husband was gone! We were laughing so hard because he got picked on unexpectedly, and we thought that in a few minutes, the magician would make him reappear somehow and that it was going to be the end. But not quite!
After the minions took away the magic crate, there was another acrobatics number, and then the spotlight was back on us once more. It was another “uh-oh!” moment...this time, for me.
The magician was back. Through mime, he indicated that since he had gotten rid of my husband, he could now sit beside me. He produced a magic bouquet of roses from his side pocket, put it in a magic vase that he fished out from the other pocket and placed it on a portable table that he had been carrying along that also came with a picnic tablecloth. Then, from his satchel, he got a bottle of wine and two plastic glasses, poured us drinks, and acted as if he was wooing me.
But in reality, he was saying to me, “So, you guys are from Canada!” I could tell from his accent that he’s a Francophone. I told him that I am from Vancouver and that my husband is from Montreal. And he added, “And he speaks French. I was chatting with him backstage. Fantastique! What a coincidence!" Then he whispered, while still in his "romantic" character, “By the way, thanks for being a good sport about this.” I just chuckled and said, “Yeah...did we have a choice? Hahaha! But hey, anything for the show! It sure is embarrassing, but I must admit, also fun! Plus, we are Canadians and we love Cirque du Soleil!” We made a toast and then he did some victory gestures, as if I accepted his proposal.
While the audience cheered and clapped, his two minions came back with ropes. The magician pointed at the two guys in front of us, who were, of course, watching our “performance” and gave them a look that said, “What are you two looking at?” He gestured to his minions to take care of them. The minions tied their hands behind their backs and covered their eyes with handkerchief. It was hilarious!
Towards the end of Act 1, the magician brought my husband back from backstage, but before he released him, he made him mimic his funny dance moves, which my husband willingly did. Imagine that! My husband, who claims to be shy and not at all thrilled to be onstage, was performing in Las Vegas before a huge crowd. And I, who prefers staying behind-the-scenes, managed to “star” in a little portion of this show.
I am not exactly sure how we got picked. I heard that sometimes, they plant people in the audience, but sometimes, they just pick the audience at random. I guess it was just a lucky (or unlucky) night for us. It’s too bad photos were not allowed during the performance, but my husband said that while it had been fun, he did not want the moment immortalized in print. We left the show feeling so exhilarated and still in disbelief that we were put on the spot.
For future reference, I noted that when it comes to Cirque du Soleil shows, there are no “safe” seats. But as an assurance to everyone, the performers never do anything to poke insults at people. It’s all wholesome fun and the tricks are done in good taste. So, just go there, sit and enjoy, and be prepared for possibilities. If you’re familiar with French-Canadian humour, or have seen episodes of the French gag show, Just for Laughs (Juste pour rire), you’d know what I mean.
Photo Credits:
cirquedusoleil.com, cirquedusoleil.fandom.com, familyvacationhub.com, richasi.com
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