Everybody loves a good circus but the traditional take on the circus with its performing animals, trapeze artists and clowns are pretty much a thing of the past. This however has not seen the demise of the circus but rejuvenated it and thrust it into the international arena under a new guise. Probably the most famous of the new kids on the block is the Cirque du Soleil organization that can be found far and wide these days, most notably with a number of shows in Las Vegas.
The organization itself was set up not in France as the name might make you think, but in Quebec, Canada by a performing artist by the name of Guy Laliberté who would juggle and breathe fire on the sidewalks surrounding the St. Lawrence River. With his band of performers, the first official Cirque tour took place in 1984 to commemorate the anniversary of Canada’s discovery and its success saw the birth of the now internationally acclaimed Cirque du Soleil group.
If you want to catch the most number of shows by Cirque in one place then the best place to visit is Las Vegas where they have a number of shows running at the moment. The most critically acclaimed of their performances and probably its most famous can be seen at the Bellagio Hotel and Casino. The show, O’ is themed around water and is a play on words of the French name for water, eau. This spectacular performance features everything that Cirque is famous for – death defying aerial work and acrobatics – and culminates in a jaw dropping 60ft dive by a performer.
Something that is a little different by Cirque’s standards is the more musically theme One. This show has artists performing their tricks to the soundtrack of some of Michael Jacksons best known hits. It can be found at the Mandalay Bay Hotel and has an 1800 plus seating capacity. The sound system gives the songs an extra dimension and all the seats have a built in surround sound system.
Along the same lines as One is the show Love which can be found at the Mirage Hotel. This performance has a swinging sixties theme to it and will take you back to the era of peace and the flower-power generation. The high wire acts and gymnastics are all done to a powerful 60’s Beatles soundtrack. For those who like a bit of nostalgia, of all their Las Vegas shows this could be the one for you.
