Quidam

Chris and I just got back from our first Cirque du Soleil show, Quidam.

When I realized Cirque was on tour I was confused.  "Why in the world would they come to Reno?" I asked myself.  Then I started getting my hopes up.  There are tons of acrobatic shows that come to Reno and I'm always saying to Chris that we should go, just so I can see something cool here instead of all the bands I don't care about or, god forbid, Thunder from Down Under.  When I saw the dates I knew we would be low on money by then and tried to wrestle my hopes back.

As it got closer I thought about it more and more and finally sent two texts.  I asked Dad how much he paid for his Cirque tickets and I asked Tracy if I NEEDED to go.  She confirmed that it was indeed something I could not afford to miss and asked if there wasn't a student discount.  OHHHH... so I finally went online and checked the prices.  Dad's tickets- in the nosebleed section, with a huge discount- were twice what nosebleed tickets here were.  He advised me to grab them.

I am so glad I did.  I also stand by my decision not to bring Ant.  I felt guilty but it was already more than we could really afford to spend and I had been waiting at least 10 years to see a Cirque show.  I figured there would be future opportunities to take him to great shows when I am earning money and there's more padding.  There were many kids at the show and I started feeling like an asshole but the little girls to my left were noisy and the very little girl behind me had running commentary through the whole thing.  This is not to say that Ant would have behaved poorly- he is angelic at performances.  I really didn't consider this to be a show for kids and my experience confirmed that.  Plus I got to hear what they were most impressed by, and that was the jump rope act.  Out of everything.  I think this show was like a rich dessert, perhaps best appreciated by those who have developed some taste buds.  They thought it was great, but I wondered how much they would remember and Chris thought they liked the jump roping best because it was something they could relate to.  I felt like the extreme nature of most of the acts went right over their heads.  I know Ant would have loved this show.  He would have been well behaved and blown away but I think I'd like to reserve something like this until he's seen other acrobats, other "amazing feats."  Right now he's pretty easily impressed and I think that's right where he should be.  I would hate to set the bar so high that anything under it would be unimpressive.  I still feel bad for not taking him but I do think it was a good decision, if that makes any sense.

But oh, this show.

Before the show started Chris warned me not to talk all the way through it, and then spent the whole show whispering to me about where the spotlight guys were hidden in the trusses, what each piece of equipment in the racks was for, how the sounds were being made.  At intermission he said he liked it, it was awesome, which of course made me crazy because I wanted to talk about it!  He did not disappoint on the way home, though.  At Topaz this morning Chris was apparently reading up on Cirque de Soleil and after the show he filled me in on the company, Quidam's history, and how advancements in technology allowed them to take this show on the road.

I LOVED the German Wheel.  It was the first act and I was immediately convinced that I would love nothing nearly as much but there were some very close contenders.  You're right, Tracy, those aerial acts are amazing- every one of them.  I'm not sure I could pick a favorite but I will say the girl who does the Cloud Swing needs her head examined.  Banquine kept me gasping.  We were arguing over how young those performers had to be.  The Juggler's balance was hard to believe and I'm ready to pitch a fit now because WHERE WAS STATUE?  I bet that would have been my favorite part because I adore that shit.

Quidam Show Acts

I left the arena, walked down stairs, climbed up stairs, and drove home with my jaw hanging.  I think I remember renting this show on DVD at some point and about all I remember is the girl in the hat.  Now I understand that it is absolutely USELESS to watch this any way but in person.  Absolutely stunning.