56 thoughts on ““wherever””

1. Here are a couple of things people said to me in e-mail:
   “I always tell people that Cirque du Soleil puts on the best show they’ll ever see. It has everthing: drama, comedy, art, whimsical costuming and makeup, strange music, and the most unique acts of acrobatics and dance. It’s the kind of show that best demonstrates “human art” (does that make sense? I just made that up). It’s one of the only shows that brings tears to my eyes, it’s so beautiful. ”
   “These are Olympic caliber athletes that posses a mammoth hunger to perform in front of audiences. Many of these performers possess old world values, and in effect, perform for the love, not the wealth. It really shows. It’s refreshing to see such great examples of man, finally being properly respected and rewarded for their supreme talents.
   I believe these are individuals come from humble (and poor) families, who used to perform TRULY dangerous feats in order to afford bread and milk. Their lives are changed forever when the recruiters from Cirque Du Soleil
   travel the world and pluck these gifted individuals (and their families) out of poverty and into abundance.
   When the show is over, you see genuine gratitude in their eyes during the roar of applause. ‘O’ was so moving. I have never applauded so loudly and with such sincere enthusiasm in my life. My wife was moved to tears by the
   show.

2. I was lucky to see “Mystere” at the Treasure Island casino in Vegas last September. It was completely amazing. There was one particular part of the show that astounded me. Two men, buff as Mister Universe, walked onto center stage and proceeded to balance each other. What I mean is they would perform “stunts or amazing feats” like one man would lay flat & lift the other man above him with only his right leg. The rest of his body would remain flat against the floor, likewise the man he was raising would also remain completely stiff. And they did this so gracefully, no signs of struggle or physical strain. I still remain speechless about the whole experience. I’m planning to see “O” next year on my trip to Vegas & I’m sure I won’t be disappointed.

3. I once saw the “Cirque du Puree” but it was stopped mid-show by a big snowstorm.
   I got trapped at my school the next day.
   Long story, youhad to be there.

4. I saw “Varekai” last year and loved it. Then I watched “The Fire Within” on Bravo, which was all about the creation of Varekai. Documentary filmmakers followed about 10 or 12 specific performers throughout the rehearsal process, and it was fascinating and suspenseful and amazing. I believe the series won an Emmy award recently. I definitely recommend watching it.

5. Aren’t you a writer now? It’s “Some friends took Anne and ME to see the current show, which is called “Varekai.”

6. I saw Quidam in Florida at Downtown Disney. I also saw Dralion when it visited San Jose. In Vegas I have seen O and Mystere. However, I have seen Mystere three times. Mystere is by far my faovirte.
   I love the music and the colors. I agree with Layne that the solo motion acrobatics were the most incredible potion of the show. The two men are not only performing incredible feats of strength, and flexibility, but they never alter the pace or fluidity of motion as the move from each amazing postion to the the next.

7. “Mystere” blew me away. Cannot wait to see “O” when I get the chance. They are simply the best performers around.

8. When Varekai was here in San Jose, the tents were literally around the block from my house. To make up for any inconvenience (parking, noise, etc.), every house in the neighborhood received complimentary tickets to the final dress rehearsal. We were seated off to the side.
   The performance was so amazing that I immediately bought four more tickets to see the show again from better seats. For the six weeks or so that the show was here, I often sat on our front porch and listened to the music, the occasional shout of a performer, and the oohs, ahhs, and applause of the crowd.
   Really, really amazing stuff. And the flying twins, who soared out over the audience? Woof.

9. I, too, was blown away when I saw Dralion. I have never felt so proud of being human! As an animal rights supporter, I also applaud Cirque du Soleil for being an animal-free circus. Who needs animals in the ring when you see what PEOPLE are capable of?

10. The hubby and I saw both ‘O’ and Mystere when we were in Vegas for our wedding. I know I sat with my mouth agape throughout both shows. But, that doesn’t matter a bit, because there’s not a chance in Hades that anyone in either audience looked away from the stage for even a second. Awesome. Truly.

11. My girlfriend and I got free tickets (she works in advertising) to see the show Alegria when it opened here in Vancouver. Paying full price would have been worth it!
    I had only seen Cirque on tv before, so I only had a small clue of what to expect. Kathryn had never seen anything of it before, so she had no clue.
    We were both stunned. Spectactular was exactly the word we used for it. Every part of the show was breathtaking. Even the clowns between acts who were there to lighten you up were able to conjure emotions.
    Oh, and the music! Beautifully composed, and the voice of the lead woman singing helped to highlight the very old european feel to the show. Her voice alone almost brought me to tears a few times.
    I have no idea what their other shows are about, but if you’ve got a chance to see Alegria, then I suggest you do so.

12. I’m up in Seattle and saw Saltimbanco and Dralion when they came here and both were fantastic. I’ll say that I liked Saltimbanco more (i have the soundtrack and the video), but they were both fabulous and superb demonstrations of what the human body can really do. We are amazing cratures. Makes me smile.
    On an off-note, when Dralion came, my cousin got a job as an usher. When dralion left, he went with them on tour for the next several months and had a great time. I have a family member who has run away with the circus. My life is complete!

13. Hey !
    I work at Cirque du Soleil. And I’m happy to see this ! 🙂 I’ll be passing the word that Wil Wheaton, none other than our dear Wesley, made such a nice comment on his blog. 🙂
    The shows are magnificent, and it is a GREAT place to work at. I’m happy to be a part of something that amazes and bring joy to people of all around the world, even if I am just a computer analyst at the International Headquarters.
    I myself saw Dralion and Varekai while working here, and saw Alegria when it first came out about 10 years ago when I was a teen (I’m now 23).
    Hope you get to see more shows. And don’t forget Zumanity ! (www.zumanity.com). It would probably be a show that you’d enjoy with Anne 🙂 A totally different side of Cirque, sexy, a bit provocative, but critically-acclaimed, and all in good taste.
    Keep up the website, it’s funny and entertaining to read. 🙂

14. I saw Mystere a few years back in Vegas. My mom, dad, and I had front row seats, and the guy next to us was the one who returned the giant ball to the baby. Thus, we would occassionally get wet when the baby would squirt his “friend.”
    We liked the show so much that as soon as we exited the auditorium, my mom got in line to get tickets to the next available showing. We went to the next show just a few hours later, and we enjoyed it just as much.
    I also caught the 3D IMAX Cirque du Soleil thing. It was neat, but seeing everything in person was much cooler.

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16. The next time you are in Lahaina, Maui, you will want to check out the show ‘Ulalena, which was produced by some of the same people from Cirque du Soleil. It tells Hawai’i’s history in this beautiful, moving art piece. It is very much like a Cirque show in terms of awe-inspiring acrobatics, music and sets, but is also very unique in its own way with its music and history. Highly recommended.

17. Hi Wes,
    As a girl growing up in rural Ontario a big treat for me was always going down to Toronto to visit my grandparents. Well, one year that masterpiece of human art and beauty known as Cirque du Soliel landed not a block from their apartment. My grandfather and I caught a show – I’m sorry, but I can’t remember the specific name of that production – and to this day it is still one of the fondest memories of my childhood that I posess. It completely filled my soul but at the same time gave me a hunger – for art, music, movement, grace, colour and all of those things that make up that utterly ineffable thing we call BEAUTY.

18. Oooh lucky. I haven’t seen Vareki although my dad offered to take me, we just didn’t get to it. I did however watch the series on Bravo, which was awesome. It was cool because you could see what the performers went through to make the show. I think that adds to the spectacularness of it.

19. I’ve only been privileged enough to see Dralion in Portland once. But when I found out Alegria would be in Portland on October, I seized the day and bought tickets right up front. I can’t wait. I own almost every performance they’ve released on DVD. I fell in love with this stuff in high school and all my friends thought I was crazy.

20. Seeing Alegria live may one of the penultimate experiences of my life. I do plan to make a trip to Vegas one day just to see “O”!

21. The wife and I saw Saltimbanco a few years back. We then vowed to see any Cirque show whenever we are in a city they are in, and we’ve done that, including La Nouba (sp?) in Disney World…
    I recommend the same to everyone. You won’t be disappointed.

22. I saw “Quidam” several years back at a (rather wealthier) friend’s birthday party. I wanted to see “Dralion” when it was in town, but never managed to scrape together the money. But yeah, Cirque du Soleil’s performers are truly amazing.
    I recently saw the Peking Acrobats at the Hollywood Bowl, and they were equally stunning. There was one guy who balanced on chairs precariously stacked so high he could have kicked the stage lights — the audience was literally screaming with each new thing he did. There’s just something about seeing that kind of beauty and art with your own eyes, knowing that underneath these are just human beings like you, but they manage these wondrous things …

23. Wil,
    I am still on a high from going to the show last night. I couldn’t get over how amazingly beautiful Icarus was when he fell from the sky and was picked up in the net. And the acrobatics! I think my mouth was hanging open the entire time! I can barely believe such beauty was created under a tent on a parking lot in Downtown L.A.!
    I’ve been lucky enough to see Mystere (twice) and O (once). I’m excited to see Zumanity soon and would definitely see Varekai again.
    -Jocelyn
    PS- Thanks for commenting on Yoshi’s post on my blog. I love attending live performances and I absolutely hate it when the people around me don’t know audience etiquette (or common sense, for that matter).

24. My Cirque story…
    Tonight I went over to the east bank of the Willamette River to read a book about two hours ago. This is the book I am reading… “Orders to Kill: The Truth Behind the Murder of Martin Luther King Jr.” by William F. Pepper.
    I was sitting alone on a bench by OMSI when this old homeless dude wheels up on his bike with his gear in tow. He says: “Not very good light for reading.” I say: “Good enough.” He says: “I can’t read, but I am teaching myself.” I say: “What do you read?” He says: “Mostly the Bible.” I say: “I don’t have much use for the Bible.”
    So he sits down on the bench next to me.
    I go back to reading my book.
    Then he says: “What’s that thing across the river?”
    I say: “That’s the Cirque du Soleil tents.”
    He says: “Wha?”
    I say: “It’s a thing where people in pajamas swing from ropes and shit and they have ribbons and lights. It’s sort of a dancing circus sort of thing.”
    Him: “Oh.”
    Me: “It’s a big lot. The Cirque comes there once or twice a year. There isn’t anything else over there when the tents are gone. Just a big, empty lot.”
    He nods.
    I go back to reading my book.
    About ten minutes later I decide to leave.
    “Have a good night,” I say.
    “Good night,” he says.
    The end.

25. I’ve never had the fortune to see Cirque live, but I have watched Dralion.
    You’re right will..watching them really is undescribable.
    And I agree with you about seeing the pride and the joy in their faces – when the entire audience stands up and applauds.
    I really want to see them live.

26. I saw Dralion about 6 months ago here in Baltimore. My wife’s firm had tickets through the building concierge. Seeing this show up close and in-person, even though I had already seen it on Bravo was like night and day. The costumes and some of the routines were familiar, but the singers were fresh and new. A wonderful thing to see, to feel. Television does not convey the shared sense of wonder!

27. My sad spiral into addiction started with Mystere in LV:
    Quidam in Dallas
    Alegria in Beau Rivage, Biloxi MI (another Steve Wynn hotel…tried permanent house, but it went on the road again)
    Dralion in Dallas
    ‘O’ in LV
    Saltimbanco in Portland
    Vareki is in LA, and my work will take me down there in time to catch the show. Alegria is in Portland in October, and I have tickets for my second viewing.
    I echo all the comments posted before and add my own…They are all different but equally spectacular. If you get the opportunity, you must see all the Cirque you can see. My favorite thru the years has always been Mystere, so my next trip to LV will be a dilemma…Mystere again or the new Zoomanity.

28. My husband was never interested in Cirque du Soleil when I described it to him. Then one day he called me excitedly into the den to watch TV. It was Bravo’s Cirque du Soleil marathon. He was fascinated! I think he watched several hours of it. I’m sure that if they come into town now he’ll want to go.
    Thanks for opening the comments for this one, Wil!

29. I’ve seen Saltimbanco here in Seattle, and flew to see Allegria when they were near New Orleans a few years ago. My next troupe will probably be Varekai, since they’re on the west coast now. A trip to Vegas to see Mystere and O is certainly in my plans, and to see the one in Florida. I’m thinking of going to Amsterdam next year to see the one that’s currently touring Europe.
    If all this seems excessive, you’ve probably never seen a Cirque du Soleil show live. 🙂

30. My wife dragged me to see it two years ago in Chicago-i’m an art snob and a firm believer in “if most of the people like it than the artists are not doing their jobs” Blue Man Group still stands as ever living proof of that dictum. But, I loved the Cirque. Totally cool, and, yes, beautiful. Though, I am waiting for the reorts of child abuse to come leaking out.

31. I had the chance to take some family to go see Mystere in Las Vegas. I had seen it before, and really wanted to show it to them, too.
    As luck would have it, the clown came around and started picking on us. One of the clown’s acts is to pick some guy from the audience and lock him in a box on stage. I wasn’t the guy in the box (thank God!) but the clown dragged me off to sit with the guy’s wife while he was locked up!
    Having seen Mystere before and loving the clown acts, I was sitting there praying, “Oh please, don’t let the clown pick on me!” Naturally, he did! But it was great fun and my family had a blast.
    Next up is “O”. The Cirque is amazing – some of the most talented people in the entertainment world.

32. We like Las Vegas. We go all the time and always saw we are going to see a Cirque show. But we are always too busy gambling.
    The Cirque comes to Seattle every year and every year we swear we are going to go. And we don’t. But this year was different.
    My husband and I just saw Alegria a few weeks ago. We were dorks and took the binocs. Hello….we were on the second row (how were we to know how small the venue was going to be). The day after the show we both checked out the website to see how we could leave Seattle and join the Cirque. Unfortunately, neither one of us are “nymphs” (which is what it seemed they were looking for on the website).
    We have vowed to go and see the show in Vancouver this year. Any excuse to see Cirque and go to Canada is a good one for us.
    Thanks for the fun…

33. Hi Wil,
    First off, great site!
    Second, I am so jealous. I live in Saint John, NB, Canada, and the closest Cirque du Soleil has ever come to here is Montreal. Sure, it’s only an 18 hour drive or a $700 flight, but still, far enough. Maybe someday…

34. Hang on to your hats.
    Check out the new show, but no minors allowed.
    They say the first thing you’ll want to do when you leave the show is to shag your partner…..perhaps before you get out of the lobby.
    http://www.zumanity.com/en/home.asp

35. I saw Quidam for a birthday–my dad got front row, center seats by chance and it was absolutely amazing. I wish I were that cool.

36. Hey Wil,
    I went to the same performance of Verakai on 9/25. I had watched the entire “Fire Within” marathon (I remember i was battling a 104-degree fever that day but got so engrossed in the show I didn’t eat all day or even leave my bed). But as incredible as it was then I have discovered television does not do it justice! When they drop Icarus down and he rises back up in that net thing, twisting and flipping and stuff i swear it was so graceful it was like he was performing underwater. And then he gets his wings back…God! What i would give to go see it again. The entire performance had me in tears, and I never cry.
    S

37. Hi Wil,
    First I wanted to say how glad I was to see you opened up comments, if only on this one post. I continue to read every post and always enjoyed seeing the comments of others. Btw, I bought “Dancing Barefoot” and enjoyed it very much.
    Anyway, I’ve seen “Mystere”, but everytime I try to see “O”, something prevents it. I’m determined though. I’ll get there one day. Apparently, Varekai was in San Jose recently, and it breaks my heart to know that I missed it.
    I was beyond impressed with Mystere, but there is a funny story about the first time I attempted to see it. Apparently, lying by the pool ALL day in 105 degree heat drinking alcohol isn’t a good idea. By that evening, I had a bad case of sun stroke. I was dehydrated and nauseaus. I started feeling worse and worse but I was determined to not miss this show. We took our seats and the show began. I was enjoying it SO much and was so in awe that I was literally willing myself not to puke.
    Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore. I had to find a bathroom–and QUICK. I didn’t even say anything to my date, I just ran out of there like my hair was on fire.
    Long story short, I was a very very sick girl. I ended up passing out in the middle of the casino, and later, throwing up in front of about 100 people waiting in line for a taxi at Mandalay Bay.
    The point it….even though I was desperately ill, Mystere was too good to miss. I waited until the last possible moment. And I’ve heard I haven’t seen anything yet.
    I’m glad you enjoyed the show.
    Now that I’ve gone on and on, it’s probably obvious why you turned off comments. LOL.
    🙂
    Take Care.

38. Hey Wil!
    I saw the NY show this year and it was incredible. The performers are amazingly athletic and prior to the show, I never could have imagined some of what they did. (Who knew that you could spin a person on your feet for 2 minutes?)
    Funky performance tent, and if you ever leave NY going North on Amtrak, you see it as you leave. Definitely one of the more unique features of the scenery we have here.
    -Tara

39. I have seen Varekai, Quidam (x2), La Nouba, Dralion, and Mystere. I sincerely hope to see every Cirque show. Everytime I’m blown away. Quidam will always be my favorite, though, followed closely by Varekai.

40. My husband bought me tickets for my birthday to see Dralion a couple of years ago. Last summer, I surprised him with tickets to Varekai for our anniversary. Toronto, Ontario was one of the first stops for Varekai and we loved it. We’ve become huge Cirque du Soleil fans. Not only are the circus performers amazing but the musical/vocal performers are astonishing. I’m so glad you could see one of my favorite Canadian exports.

41. Hi Will,
    I missed them in Quebec last summer, j’

42. If you get a chance, see “Zumanity.”
    It is the newest production and it is hot.
    I went to the opening night and sat next to H. Heffner and his 6-pack of ladies.

43. All I have to say is that, anything “Cirque du Soleil” is simply amazing and breath taking.
    Let’s see, I have seen, Alegria, Quidam, Dralion, Mystere and O. I will soon see Varekai. I wanted to see it when it came to Costa Mesa rather than Los Angeles (traffic is just horrific) so to say, im excited to see it. I think its one of those “must do’s” if you havent done so.
    Also, now in Veges is a new one called Zumanity, just opened up, from what i believe, there is some nudity in it. I just missed it when I was in Vegas in July.

44. My wife and I saw Zoomanity at the end of August. Brilliant show. If you get the chance to see it, by all means get seats on the ground level. The cast members come out to interact with the audience.
    My wife loves Cirque de Soleil because it is a circus of humans, who can choose to perform of their own free will, instead of animals forced into captivity.

45. My wife (fiance at the time) took me to my first Cirque show, Mystere in Vegas. It was so fabulous that I’ve always jumped at the chance to see them again. By far my best Cirque story was when I bought tickets for my family when Cirque just happened to be in Houston over a Thanksgiving holiday and my wife and I were in town. My younger brother, when told that we had bought tickets to the “Circus” complained about going. Well, I wasn’t going to take no for an answer (especially after shelling out at Cirque prices, even a few years ago!) so he grudgingly came along. At intermission, however, he came up to me, grabbed my collar like you would do to someone you were mad at and said, “THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BRINGING ME HERE!!!” 🙂 To top it off, my wife and I are jugglers (she’s a life member of the International Jugglers Association) and a friend of hers was in that performance. We ended up waiting for a long time afterwards for him to come out, but once he did he was very glad to see us and ended up giving us all (my brother included) a tour of the backstage practice areas. My brother was talking about it for months. 🙂
    So, definitely, if you go to Vegas, go see Cirque. If you go to Florida, go see Cirque. If you and Cirque are in the same city at the same time, go see Cirque. You’ll never be disappointed. 🙂

46. Alegria in Mpls, MN. where I live. OH MY GAWD! Simply moving. It was my first live of Cirque in ’02 and will NOT be my last. As long as they exist I know I will find peace!

47. I just saw Alegria in Seattle. Amazing stuff those people can do.

48. Wil,
    I had similar feelings but they were about the Royal Lipizzan Stallions. (SIC?) These stallions are unbelievable. They dance in the air at times. I’ve seen them up close twice at my old farm and now here at my new one. They are a wonder to behold.
    Take care,
    Bart

49. I saw Varekai in Montreal about 18 months ago before they hit the road w/ the traveling show. It is simply a feast for the senses, magic for the mind, totally involving, totally indescribable. Being a fan for years (anyone remember when it first would show up on HBO??), I was still totally unprepared for the in-person experience. Can’t wait to catch it again.

50. Unfortately I haven’t seen a Cirque show yet, but now that I’ve read this entry I’m considering it again.
    I had an opportunity to see a show when I was in New Orleans and did not take it.
    Next time I have a chance I’m not going to let it pass!
    So thanks for reminding my about Cirque, Wil!
    Jenny

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