I have been wanting to see a Cirque du Soleil show for quite some time now. Plays, concerts, festivals… any fun, live event and I’m there. Shows like this one are extra special to me though. So, thanks to my BFF Whitney {yes, this is the 3rd time this week that I’ve mentioned her} my dream came true, haha :) As I’m sure many of you know, Cirque du Soleil has many different shows going on right now, each with a different story or theme. Well, Quidam is the specific show that is here in DC November 16-20! Yep, we were there for opening night! Always exciting :)
So, Quidam. Let me set the scene for you here:
There is a little girl by the name of Zoe whose parents don’t pay her much attention and she feels sad and as if her life has no meaning. Seeking to fill the void, she goes into an imaginary world known as “Quidam.” Now, the word “quidam” means a nameless passer-by; one unknown. We are said to each have this quidam within us and through our time in this world of Quidam, we get in touch with that part of us. We proclaim our individuality and can emerge from anonymity. Of course, I learned most of that on their website :)
Me, Whit, her sis, and their good friend from Florida enjoyed a fun night of crazy trapeze, balancing, and comedy acts to say the least. Let me just say, WOW! There were moments when I couldn’t contain myself with laughter, there were moments when we’d look at each other with wide eyes, and moments when I almost had to cover my eyes because I was so on edge.
The only picture I could get of the actual show because, obviously, photography was prohibited. Here’s the stage set-up just minutes before the show started.
Quidam didn’t seem to have much of a plot. It was almost like a scene from our most random dreams. Characters that don’t quite make sense, strange mannerisms, the craziest of costumes and props. It was a bit difficult to put it all together. A random rabbit? A man with no head but a hat? Weird ghouls with alien heads hanging in the air and then disappearing? Maybe we weren’t supposed to be able to put it together after all. That’s what makes it Quidam.
Here’s a little of what we were seeing to give you an idea:
The German Wheel opened the show. This guy makes break-dancing look lame.
Aerial Contortionist hundreds of feet in the air, suspended by nothing other than silk.
The Banquine Act closed the show and was AH-MAZING! The majority of these people got tossed into the air at some point and that girl balancing on one hand? She got launched across the stage only to be caught by a man who was standing on a man who was standing on a man. You do the math. That’s three men standing on top of each other’s shoulders.
And, now for our favorite act of the night:
This act is known as The Statue. If this act doesn’t prove how strong and powerful the human body is, then I don’t know what will. The way these two artists moved so slowly and {what seemed} effortlessly to balance and support one another was absolutely astonishing.
I can’t even tell you how many times throughout the show I kept thinking to myself, “Wow, the human body is an amazing thing” as well as, “Man, these people have nerve!”
I wish I could tell you that Whitney was pulled up onstage and forced to pantomime a scene with an actor about going on a date in a car and he messed up her hair, tricked her into giving him a kiss on the cheek which turned into a real kiss {yikes!}, and embarrassed her in front of the entire audience. But, well, that happened to another girl. Maybe next time? Better yet, maybe next time they’ll let us become trapeze artists for the night!
The show was fantastic. If you haven’t seen a Cirque du Soleil show yet, I highly encourage you all to go. Check out the trailer for Quidam here. Guys, I think I might join the circus. And by circus I mean {you guessed it} the CIRQUE! ;)
{all Cirque Du Soleil pictures via}
