One of the perks of living in or near Atlanta is convenient access some of the world’s best performers. Cirque du Soleil is among them, regularly stopping in the metro area on their North American tours. They’re here again through Sunday with Corteo at the Infinite Energy Arena in Duluth.
Get ready for an unusual show this Labor Day weekend. Built around a circus-like theme, Corteo is particularly accessible for anyone new to Cirque du Soleil. There’s all the skill and surreal art that’s made Cirque famous, but it starts off with an introduction in English to set the scene and quickly draws you in. You’ll find out it’s a funeral, though not a very sad one since the dear departed, a clown, is imagining all of it anyway and, what’s more, is thoroughly enjoying it.
The way Cirque explains it, Corteo pairs “the ridiculous with the tragic” to show the humanity in all of us. Go ahead and indulge in the fantasy. It’s a mesmerizing two hours from the time the curtain lifts.
Chandelier scene | Credit: Lucas Saporiti, Costumes Dominique Lemieux 2015 Cirque du Soleil
Favorite acts
Corteo opens with a flourish. Acrobats defy gravity on swinging, spinning chandeliers. In another stunt, they somersault and jump between beds that double as trampolines. Everyday objects, like hula hoops and ladders, turn into circus props. A teeter-totter becomes a platform for strength and showmanship.
Cirque plays on the unexpected in Corteo. In one scene, a marionette is alive, and it’s poetic. In another, so is a golf ball, and it’s comical. One of the most memorable and surprising stunts involves a woman floating from balloons over the audience. If she starts to fall toward your head, just give her feet a gentle push and she’ll take off again.
Bouncing Beds | Credit: Lucas Saporiti, Costumes Dominique Lemieux 2015 Cirque du Soleil
All in art, it’s an art extravaganza from the jugglers to the aerial dancers to the elaborate, moving stage. Humorous sketches lighten the mood between sets, and the live music that accompanies most of the acts is impressive in its own right. If you love Cirque du Soliel, this show is another classic. If you’ve never tried Cirque before, see Corteo and you’ll have an idea, in a nutshell, of what this Quebec-born circus troupe is all about.
Duo-straps act | Credit: Costumes Dominique Lemieux, 2018 Cirque du Soleil
Remaining Shows:
Friday, Aug. 31, 2018 – 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 1, 2018 – 3:30 pm & 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 2, 2018 – 1 p.m. & 5 p.m.
