What The...

Five things I loved about Cirque du Soleil’s Quidam, playing now through Sunday at the North Charleston Coliseum:

1. It confused me… in a good way. The storyline goes like this: Young girl full of imagination feels shunned by her apathetic, not fun parents. To fill that void, she escapes to “Quidam,” a fictional dreamland that’s home to other “creative” spirits. In it, hellish character (like this one who reminded me of Bane from The Dark Night Rises)

Cirque du Soleil 

mingle with vaudevillian clowns; a near-naked drape contortionist performs hundreds of feet in the air (with no nets below, mind you), just after a crazy guy rolls about stage in his graduated hula-hoop.

Photograph by Al Seib

Nothing makes sense, which—with regard to the plot line—makes perfect sense.

2. Their bodies. Need some motivation to hit up the gym? Go see this show. I mean, statues should be sculpted after these folks. This physical perfection was most evident in one act in particular—not surprisingly named “The Statues.” This duo does things with their bodies’ one never thought possible. Kinda like this:

Photograph by Matt Beard

Soon after that, a dozen guys and two girls take the stage to do a series of lifts, flips, and throws that’d make the Jabbawockeez and any competitive cheerleading group walk away in shame. 

Photograph by Mark Beard

Seriously, these people are FIT. Which brings us to number three…

3. This funnel cake. Because it’s not really a “cirque” without one, right? Think about it: When’s the last time you’ve had one? A year? A decade? You know it’s been too long. (Just a heads up: Don’t watch them make it. Best not to stare at the bubbling vat of oil from which you’re about to eat.)

4. The regular people’s participation. Over the course of the show, six lucky audience members from the ground floor section get pulled on the stage to act out ridiculous scenes with the clown. Humiliating slapstick comedy at its finest.

5. The acts pictured below. In general, the things these people did were UNBELIEVEABLE. From the jugglers to the trapeze ladies to the jump ropers on steroids to everyone else. Words don’t do them justice, so I’ll stop trying to.

Photographs (3) from Cirque du Soleil  

Learn more about the show and buy your tickets here.  

* BONUS TIPS BEFORE SEEING THE SHOW:

- Bring $5 cash (or a check made out to the City of North Chas) for parking. Why you need to pay to park at a show you’ve paid to see I do not understand, but indeed you do.

- Your kids may love it… or they may hate it. Some of the acts are pretty erotic, some of the characters are pretty creepy, and some of the clown’s jokes are at least PG-13.

- Act One is good. Act Two is GREAT. 

- Don’t bring your camera. The event staff will threaten you.

- Don’t do drugs before the show. You feel like you’re on them the whole time anyway.