I always found the idea of a circus to be a bit dark and a little bit spooky. As a child, there was something magical and mystical about people traveling the country and ‘entertaining’ people with their fantastical costumes and incredible acts. So you will forgive me if I could not help but think of Ray Bradbury’s ‘Something Wicked This Way Comes’ when I was lucky enough to experience Cirque du Soleil’s Kooza!
Kooza has a young boy/man approached by a mystical stranger who shows him a glimpse of a fantastical world with costumed folks parading before him with one incredible act after another. Is he good or is he evil? Will our young innocent be transformed by the power offered him, or will he maintain his humbleness and not be swallowed up in all the magic that is demonstrated?
As we were drawn into this magical world, I thought too about Neil Gaiman’s Sandman – #19 in particular. And magician and Christmas go hand in and do they not? Which is why it is so great that this show is running in Vancouver until the 27th.
At the heart of the circus are their incredible performers. Kooza’s acts had my daughter and I hiding our eyes and gasping at the death-defying acts.
The night we attended was also special……Mrs. Claus was hosting a reception in the Grand Chapiteau lobby while her husband had his photo taken with a bajillion children and costumed folks entertained us and fed us lovely cookies. We even got to witness Santa up ON TOP of the tent! It was indeed magical and mystical……a perfect way to get us in the mood for Christmas.
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