A Review by Barbara Mehlman and Geri Manus.
Every year, Broadway offers us a surprise. A few years ago, the puppets of "Avenue Q" were the big hit. This season we've seen a green-faced monster do a soft-shoe in “Young Frankenstein,” mermaids and crabs glide across the stage in “Little Mermaid,” Greek roller-skating muses in “Xanadu,” and now a circus, minus, thankfully, the smelly animals. “Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy” has come to Broadway.
“Cirque Dreams” is the latest production of Neil Goldberg’s Cirque Productions, creators of international performance and touring sensations, "Cirque Ingenieux," "Cirque Dreams Coobrila," and "Cirque Dreams Illumination." Since 1993, it has been the company’s mission to blend European circus artistry with Broadway theatricality, and to a large extent, Goldberg has succeeded.
"Cirque Dreams " is visually stunning, with gorgeous detailed costumes and backdrops reminiscent of a Peter Maxx psychedelic trip to an imaginary exotic playland. From the opening in which huge turtle-like beings crawl across the stage, to the prancing squawking ostriches, to the luminescent owls, this production has us enthralled with its inventiveness. Add to this the balletic butterflies, the no-doubt invertebrate lizard-like contortionists, balancing giraffes, and the fantasy flyers, and you have the makings of a great acrobatic, aesthetically exquisite family show.
The question is: Why Broadway? Did Goldberg lose his way en route to Madison Square Garden or Radio City Music Hall just as "Blast!," the half-time drill-team extravaganza, did seven years ago? Nothing like it has ever been done on a Broadway stage before, so why now?
Goldberg has a not-very-secret ulterior motive: winning a Tony for Best Special Theatrical Event, a new category created for anomalies such as this that don't fit into the traditional slots of Best Play or Best Musical. We’ll have to wait till next year to see if his own fantasies are fulfilled, but for the savvy five-year-old boy sitting behind us, his were. He was dazzled -- and so were the grandparents.
"Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy" is an American creation, and not to be confused with "Cirque du Soleil" which originated in Quebec, and is geared towards more mature, more sophisticated audiences. But that doesn't mean it's just for kids. You'll be amazed at the acrobatic feats and utter strength of the performers, hold your breath as the trapeze artists fly above the stage, and gasp as the 3-D human propelled tetrahedrons twirl with abandon to soaring musical accompaniment. It’s summer in the city and this is where to take the whole family.
Barbara Mehlman & Geri Manus
