“La Nouba” is blindingly good Cirque

La Nouba
Worth the $43? Yes

By Dan Hudak // hudakonhollywood.com

Pale imitators aside, there’s literally nothing like a Cirque du Soleil production. Regular live theatre doesn’t even begin to compare. There’s the circus, but that doesn’t feature the same energetic delirium as most Cirque shows. There’s also the Blue Man Group, which excels in pantomime but lacks the daring feats of grandeur that make Cirque productions so impressive.

In Cirque’s “La Nouba” at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, we have the brilliantly run Disney Corporation and the neon-infused, awesome stimuli of Cirque du Soleil on bold display. And it does not disappoint.

Unlike traditional theatre, there’s no narrative or plot structure in “La Nouba”; this was done intentionally to allow the audience’s imagination to take over. Rather, the 90-minute show is a series of jaw-dropping acts that are dangerous, daring, breathtaking, probably a little foolish, and always impressive.

After a humorous opening segment with clowns Balthazar and Sergei, a man rides an upside down bicycle across a high wire. Then two brothers defy gravity by spinning relentlessly on six-and-a-half foot wheels. The true high wire act follows, which culminates in one partner holding the other atop his head as they walk across a 90-foot, half-inch wide steel wire. And the girl isn’t just on top of the guy’s head — she does a handstand.

And that’s just the beginning. The Chinese yo-yo girls, called “Diabolos,” are the highlight of the first half of the show. Each of the four girls holds two sticks linked by a string, and on the string is a wooden spool that they flip in the air, toss to one another, and ultimately try to outdo one another with incredibly impressive maneuvers.

Rokardy’s chair-balancing act — which includes balancing on top of six chairs, two books, and a baby carriage atop a table — is nothing if not incredible, as are the flying trapeze artists, who glide through the air 53 feet above the stage. Hold your breath when all four artists swing in tandem, and seemingly come within inches of one another.

None of this, however, prepares you for the timing and choreography of the finale, a trampoline act with such athletic and acrobatic grace it rivals the aesthetic joy of ballet. The segment includes both a floorshow and trampoline artists bouncing off of and into the façade of a building, and doing so in perfect precision. 

The set design includes four platforms that ascend from the floor as needed, and a black, circular stage that allows every seat in the house a good point of view. The costume design is equally impressive, with each character in bright, often form-fitting attire that suits his/her particular talent. What’s more, many of the 67 artists apply their own makeup, which can take anywhere from 20 to 90 minutes.

If there’s a problem with the show, it’s that at any given time there are as many as four different acts on stage drawing our attention, with superfluous clowns, ballet dancers, etc., making it virtually impossible to take everything in. The show also falls into the trap of blinding the audience with bright light on numerous occasions, something I always find baffling. But these are nitpicky gripes for what is otherwise a thoroughly entertaining production, one that is in many ways the epitome of what the 25th anniversary (which this year celebrates) of Cirque du Soleil should encompass. It’ll keep kids of all ages mesmerized, and if it’s your first Cirque show it will literally be unlike anything you’ve seen before.

Did you know? “La Nouba” premiered in December 1998 in a 1,671-seat showroom that was the first permanent theatre ever built for a Cirque du Soleil production.

Cirque du Soleil’s “La Nouba” is playing at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, 1478 North Buena Vista Drive in Downtown Disney. Performances are Tuesday through Saturday at 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. There are no performances on Sundays and Mondays. Tickets range from $43.00 to $117.00 (not including service charges), and there are no bad seats in the house. For more information go to cirquedusoleil.com/lanouba or call 407-939-7600.

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