Cirque du Soleil: BAZZAR
For the uninitiated, encapsulating a Cirque du Soleil experience presents an enjoyable challenge; where to begin? What aspect do you highlight first? The jaw-dropping physicality of the acrobats? Or perhaps the incredible variety, and wild array of colors in their outfits? Maybe the live music, as dynamic and expressive as any performer on stage?
It’s evident approaching Cirque du Soleil’s famous Big Top – employed here in San Antonio for the first time – that the Montreal-based organization are no strangers to putting on major events. Having transformed the humble parking lot of the Nelson W. Wolff stadium into a small city replete with practice areas for performers, tailors making repairs and alterations, and a space for washing the many, many intricate ensembles worn throughout the show, the extensive care put into this event can be felt before you even see the stage.
As the show began in earnest, I glanced up toward a raised platform, where a performer dressed in the kind of light-up attire befitting a businessman from a future ruled by dance, bobbed rhythmically while gazing down at the proceedings below, mouth agape in apparent wonder. Taking in the spectacle before me, I realized we shared the same expression.
The Maestro, artfully engaging the audience in a call-and-response, modestly requested each and every voice respond with “wow!” every time he bellowed “Cirque du Soleil.” With every flip, spin, and display of superhuman balance however, it quickly proved unnecessary. By that point, they’d already won us over.
A collection of eye-poppingly impressive circus acts interspersed with brief moments of humor and crowd interaction, Cirque du Soleil’s BAZZAR sets the bar high from the start, then effortlessly flips over it for the remainder of the performance. Feats included some of the displays one might expect to see: a high-flying duo trapeze set, a fire manipulation act, an electrifying rope segment featuring the Floating Woman, and massive flips involving a teeter-board, but also included fun, surprising additions, like a high-speed segment involving a duo on roller skates, spinning harnesses, and a precariously-small platform.
While the eyes feasted upon the visual spectacle onstage, musicians played beautifully-intricate accompaniments across a range of instruments; from barely-there accents alongside a delicate aerial maneuver, to lush, emotive soundscapes over a maximalist grand finale. Adding heft to the score was vocalist Tamara Dikyova, whose powerful notes lifted the aural aspect of BAZZAR to another level entirely.
At a runtime of just over two hours including a 25-minute intermission, BAZZAR’s tale of a charismatic Maestro and his sparkly chapeau (French for “hat”) uniting his players for a grand finale bounces skillfully between levity and awe. Seamless transitions made each performance extra punchy, with efficient openings and decisive, flourish-filled finishes. Every act was executed with such effortless grace that as I walked away from the Big Top following the show, I caught myself thinking “I bet I could do that thing with the trapeze.” Reader, I assure you, I cannot.
Sponsored by Canadian Air and Liquid Death, Cirque du Soleil’s BAZZAR is running now through December 3rd at the Nelson W. Wolff stadium. Check out their website for tickets and more info.
Editor: Nick Blevins
Photographer: William Ziller
