DC Theater Arts: A clown falls from the sky, buoyed by a parasol, and finds himself in a field of marigolds. A large key, as if from a music box, sticks out of the ground, and, unable to resist, he turns it. Behind him, the sun appears to rise, and a woman with gauzy monarch butterfly wings falls into a sprint, a giant metal horse galloping behind her, as dancers in elaborate hummingbird costumes flit around the stage. At this moment, every person under the Big Top is locked in and ready to be awed by Cirque du Soleil’s Luzia.
4 comments:
I love the butterfly wings they made for this Cirque du Soleil performance! Their flowing wings that are puppeted by a runner on stage reminds me of a smaller version my high school made last year. The task was for a surrealist scene in the play my friend wrote, Parallel Lines and Infinite Spirals, where the characters turned into butterflies. Costuming had to make 5 pairs of monarch butterfly wings that showed to the audience when the actors faced front. By taping wire to the back of the wings, they stood out above the actors’ arms while they acted. It was super fun, and definitely impressive to be made from scratch, but Cirque du Soleil’s wings take that idea like 10 steps up. The way they fly when the performer jumps into the air is simply beautiful, but serves a very different purpose from what my high school play needed.
I saw Cirque du Soleil for the first time last year, and it was honestly one of the most mind-blowing experiences I’ve ever had. Luzia sounds like it takes everything I loved about that show and pushes it even further. The imagery described here about the clown falling from the sky, the woman with butterfly wings, the hummingbird dancers, it all already makes me feel like I’m stepping into a dream. I love how Cirque du Soleil doesn’t just present acrobatics, but builds a whole world with costumes, lighting, music, and surreal storytelling. The mix of Mexican traditions with fantastical visuals sounds so unique, especially the waterfall that creates moving patterns of animals and plants. I’m also intrigued by how they take importance in live music, with the Spanish guitar, brass, and cumbia influences shaping the atmosphere. I think it’s amazing how they make a circus performance feel like theater, dance, and concert all in one.
The photos and videos of Luzia look so incredibly beautiful and I would never have known about it if it weren’t for this article. I am a sucker for special effects and designs using water, and to see how the water literally glows with the help of the lighting, so insane and beautiful. The performances too from the video and as they’re described in the article look and sound super cool and made me attempt to picture it all in my mind. To see such a display of beauty and pride over Mexico/Mexican culture is so amazing to see, especially in Hispanic Heritage Month. I myself in the past have done a lot of research into symbolism and myths and the culture, and to see the use of the monarch butterfly in the show and be able to be like, “Ahhhhhh I see you, I get what you’re doing.” is pretty fun and interesting. Not only that, but the costume with the butterfly wings in downright gorgeous and the way they use and set up the butterfly wings is amazing and beautiful in its own right. Overall, I wish I could go see this, it seems incredible and like I’d really enjoy it.
Cirque Du Soleil is the definition of world class. Everything from their performers to the tech to the stories is just incredible. Cirque is so known for their water shows as well as their standard shows so it looks like Luzia is a mix of them both. The photo of the performer spinning in the rain is absolutely stunning. Seeing rain indoors although more common now is still quite the novelty. I would love to see a show with rain and a pool. I am glad that they are paying attention to the cultural background of the story. I am absolutely in love with the color palette. The one photo of the four spliced together images with what I am assuming is the sun in the background. The costumers outdid themselves with the butterfly wings and the horse puppet. The scale of the wings in comparison to the horse is such a strong visual image.
Post a Comment