Alegria!

Ugh...I slept 10 hours last night, but at least I didn't have one of those trying-to-wake-up-but-unable-to-move dreams.

OK, OK, the bit you have all been waiting for. Miss S and I went to Cirque du Soleil's production of Alegria last night! (Which in Spanish means happiness, I think.)

And indeed, much of the psuedo-language had a Spanish flavour to it, but the songs were real, in Spanish, Italian and French. That's the amazing thing about Cirque - they don't actually speak a real language but pepper their sounds with real words and essentially you understand what they are saying.

The clown sequences in Alegria were the funniest I've seen yet. They were hilarious, and yet, true to the spirit of the original clown, there were some sad moments. At one point, it snowed paper strips and then a powerful fan blew it all over the audience. Paper was everywhere, in our clothes and hair!

These are the kinds of shows you watch, eyes shining with delight, mouth agape with awe, gasping with astonishment along with the rest of the audience. The enticing tunes entwined themselves around the pounding drums, very addictive.

In the middle, for a moment I could not believe I was actually there, watching human bodies toying with the laws of physics. There are things they do that you almost think impossible.

The costumes and characters are so quirky, as only the French (even the Quebecois) can do. The sounds, sights, and entire experience make for a truly surreal experience.

If you ever get the opportunity to see Cirque, do go! It will be expensive, but something you will remember for the rest of your life as being totally worth every penny.


Here is a link to a detailed guide to the productions of Cirque du Soleil.