Ooops, missed a day

I was up late Thursday night after being up early to go see Kelly Miller Circus put up their tent. We received complimentary tickets to Quidam (Cirque du Soleil) from one of our agents, so we went. I got to bed at about 1 am and didn't sleep well after that, either.

Quidam was not a show I'd recommend to anyone at this point. I'm always leery of Cirque shows; they are a bit too grotesque for me sometimes. This one was beyond grotesque and I really didn't have a very good time. There were a few performances that were lovely, actually, all of the performances were lovely. However, the presentation of the acts left a lot to be desired. There were an incredible amount of distractions going on on the stage and behind the stage and around the performers, and the distractions did not add to the performance. There were times when you weren't sure what you were supposed to be looking at. Additionally, the act themselves were presented in a macabre way; costumes either were almost pornographic in nature, or smacked of blood, death and violence. It was disturbing to watch.

Additionally, there was plenty in the show that didn't seem to belong. Many of the clown bits, which were very very funny and really quite traditional, didn't fit with the theme of the show or with the imagry we were seeing in the other acts. And towards the end, a performer was in an act with a giant rope swing and you got the distinct impression that she'd been brought in to fill in for an act that was missing. Her costume was completely different from everyone else in the show and looked very much like traditional circus, and she wore her hair loose, no wig, no hat, no head covering. Her music was rock-based and also didn't fit in with the other music in the show, which had been haunting. And as she performed, she styled and presented like a regular circus performance, and afterwards bowed to the three portions of the audience, something the other performers had not done. That whole act didn't "fit" at all, which I found odd.

Of course the crowd loved it, and gave the performers a standing ovation. I thought the performers were wonderful, it was just the presentation of the show that bothered me. I am glad we only had two tickets and didn't bring the kids; it was definitely not a show for children to see.

Anyway, it's now Saturday, and I have to perform this afternoon, and have a party tonight, so not much writing prep will go on. Sunday's plans include viewing a tape of Cirque Ingenue I got from my library, and we'll drive out to see the Kelly Miller Circus in the afternoon, of course for more research!