REVIEW: Amaluna by Cirque du Soleil
I attended the preview night of Cirque du Soleil’s traveling production of Amaluna, which is in town through October 20th. There were a couple goofs and glitches due to it being a preview night but I wont include those in my review since I understand that’s not fair. Amaluna is entertaining but it is just too overpriced and there are better shows to spend your money on.
The acrobatics and other spectacles will definitely amuse you. The banter in between acts, however, was childish, stupid and annoying as hell. This banter was mostly from two random characters babbling incoherently with lackluster physical comedy intended to fill the gaps between act changes. I really couldn’t stand it. This is about as “mean” as I get in a review but it’s my honest impression. Impressions are subjective, however, and others might find those characters endearing.
The main acts included jugglers, bar gymnasts, aerialists, extreme yogis and the like and were good but not mind blowing. I very recently saw the Golden Dragon Acrobats and they were much, much better than the Cirque acrobats so that jaded my view. The gymnasts were fun to watch but it didn’t lead to much awe if you have ever seen the Olympics. Perhaps it’s not fair to compare the Cirque performers to Olympians but you won’t have that “what did my eyes just see” reaction if you have seen better, even if on television. Again, Amaluna is entertaining, but it is just not consistently jaw dropping. For as expensive as the tickets are, your expectations rise accordingly. I would rank Pilobolus, Golden Dragon Acrobats and Cavalila much more splurge-worthy than Amaluna.
If you go…
- Concessions are offered but at super steep prices. Go to the show full or find yourself craving $7 popcorn and $5 bottles of water.
- Be prepared for some airport noise.
- Purchase discount tickets via Goldstar or another outlet.