Cirque du Soleil - Wintuk. January 2, 2010.

Madison Square Garden. Section 203 (Seat X10, $72.50).

This is supposed to be a half price offer from New York Times (full price $110), however, after adding the convenience and facility fees, we ended up paying $72.50 for each ticket; plus an order handling charge.

Ellie & Kuau saw a couple of Cirque shows when they were in Las Vegas, and they like it. Anne & I only attempted to go once (in Orlando) but the show we wanted to see was sold out.

The stage was bigger than I thought, and there were only six live musicians who managed to produce a rich sound. I know there was some pre-recorded music (e.g., during curtain call) but wonder if they used any during the show. However, the music was pretty lame.

We saw Varekai on DVD a couple of days before this show, which set our expectations somewhat in terms of staging and the acrobatics involved. Wintuk didn't quite live up to Varekai on either count. For one, there were not too mnay high-wire acts, one reason is that the clearance on the stage is quite low. The closest they came to a high wire act were two ladies hanging from ropes. There are some acts that are quite difficult, including juggling with 8 tennis balls, rag doll, and bicycle dances. No being experience circus (or whatever) goers, we sometimes had trouble finding where the "act" was. With a DVD recording the producer makes sure the acts are front and center.

There is a bit more of a story in Wintuk than Varekai. The concept is similar to The Nutcracker in that the principals are transported to a fantasy land where various dream-like acts take place.

While this kind of show doesn't appeal to me, I have to marvel at the creativity that brings this about, the technical challenges to put it together, and the doubtless hours of rehearsal that result in a performance with very few mistakes.

A show that is probably okay at 1/2 price. Nonetheless, I am not sure how eager I am to see another one.