Cirque's Zarkana

[uncageg]

Posted: 6/14/11 at 11:21am

I posted this in a thread titled "Zarkana" but cant't find it...

I saw the show on Sunday evening. While it is beautiful to look at, the show pretty much just recycles acts that we have seen before with small changes. The sand art girl that opens Act II was pretty neat but, in my opinion, went on too long. The music was nice for the most part and sung in English. It was nice to hear Garou sing also.

Walking into Radio City you are "surrounded" by and interact with the cast both in the lower lobby and mezz as well as inside the theater. Flash photography is happening everywhere and the audience pretty much ignores the announcement about picture taking. Cell phones were out taking pictures during the entire show, which was annoying.

I have seen a number of Cirque Shows and worked for them. This is not one of my favorites. If you have not seen a Cirque show and want to, you will probably enjoy it. And I am sure a lot of Cirque fans will like it also. I just found myself kind of drifting while watching it.

[uncageg]

Posted: 6/17/11 at 8:26am

Bump

Has anyone else seen it?

[Brian07663NJ]

Posted: 6/17/11 at 8:31am

Going June 26

[Horton]

Posted: 6/17/11 at 8:55am

Better than Banana Shpeel.

[brettystar]

Posted: 6/17/11 at 10:56pm

I saw the second preview on June 10th. I had never seen a show at Radio City Music Hall before and the experience was pretty exciting.
This is the third CDS show that I have seen and I enjoyed it but it wasn't the most thrilling I have seen.
I enjoyed the trapeze section the best, and also enjoyed the sand art girl.

[Dennis-in-ct]

Posted: 6/18/11 at 8:06pm

>>>> I just found myself kind of drifting while watching it>>>>>

I know I am in the minority but I felt the same way about "O" in Vegas. I loved Mystique and KA.

I have seen a bunch of cirque shows in Hartford CT including the Orlando show and the area show Delirium.

I was looking forward the the Radio City show but maybe I will skip it. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
Updated On: 6/18/11 at 08:06 PM

[Luv2goToShows]

Posted: 6/18/11 at 10:07pm

For those who went, What was the running time? Thanks

[Dollypop]

Posted: 6/18/11 at 10:09pm

The flash photography in a show like this with acrobats and trapeze artists puts these performers in danger. The show should be stopped (a la Patti LuPone) until the photograph ceases.

Posted: 6/18/11 at 11:22pm

Does Garou perform live? I dated a guy when I lived in Montreal who was obsessed with him...

I used to be a long time Cirque resister--just due to my snobbism but saw their touring version of Alegria and was won over. (I had seen them as a small kid--they used to perform at the Vancouver Francophone festival all of us French Immersion kids were taken to). Having seen a number of their shows now I do think they start to get samey--and only a few really transcend that.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 6/19/11 at 3:55pm

Going back to vegas in a few months. Which one would you choose?

1.Mystere
2.Ka
3.Zumanity

We have seen the rest.

It was on TKTS today.

[Brian07663NJ]

Posted: 6/20/11 at 8:15am

Mr Roxy...

Absolutely KA is the choice between the 3 that you mentioned due to the fact that the stage is immense, hydraulic and impossible to tour. Mystere would be my second choice and unfortunately Zumanity last. Each show is completely different. KA is sort of a Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon and it is the one Cirque that has story line about Imperial Twins and fighting between two tribes. Mystere is very fun, sort of Circus like and the original Las Vegas Cirque show. Zumanity I want to like it so much more. It is stuck in a limbo between not being sexual enough for those wanting sexual and being too sexual for those thinking they will push their limits by attending a sexual show. The Zumanity CD is one of my favorite CDs but unfortunately when you read the 'fine print' - it is music INSPIRED by the show Zumanity. The CD is very strong with a beat and the actual show plays the music in a different slower tempo.

I have seen each show several times and I do not work for Cirque so I can be completely objective.

Enjoy!

[uncageg]

Posted: 6/20/11 at 8:26am

Eric, Garou does sing live.

I have only seen "KA" in Vegas and I enjoyed it much more than "ZARKANA". It has been a few years since I have seen it but if memory serves me correctly the "death wheel" is the only really acrobatic act in the show, near the end. "KA" is different from their other shows and it is massive.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 6/20/11 at 11:31am

How was the set?

[uncageg]

Posted: 6/20/11 at 11:50am

The set was ok. The projections were really cool. The stage had two levels and was open enough for the acts to perform. They also used the front platform that lowers a lot. There was also a bizarre segment with a baby that looked like it iwas in the womb being rolled across the stage. The snake segment had very cool visuals but the song was strange. And, there is a sider woman and a clown that flies out over the orchestra section of the theater. The curtain was the standard red velvet curtain.

[Maxway]

Posted: 6/20/11 at 11:57am

I saw the show Saturday afternoon. I enjoyed it, but it is not my favorite Cirque. That being said, it is probably the best Cirque show that has played in New York to this point. From everything I have seen, my favorite Cirque overall would be O which I found stunning both times I saw it. Keep in mind I have not seen Ka, although I will be doing so in August.

In many ways the show reminded me of the Phantom of the Opera, with the abandoned theatre and the Gothic setting. Of all the Cirque shows I have seen, this is perhaps the most outlandish, with the aforementioned baby and some very strange rock songs that Garou sings as the character Zark. I was told that the music was in English however I had a difficult time discerning any actual lyrics. Interestingly, more so than any other Cirque show this plays like a musical with defined characters and songs that advance the plot. Mixed in with that are the typical circus acts, many of which we have seen in other Cirque shows.

Visually it is fairly stunning. The set is gorgeous and the use of projections is the best I have ever seen. The 2nd act focuses more on acrobatics and thrills whereas the first act is more about setting up the world and the characters.

I would recommended seeing it, but not paying full price. If someone asked me to, I would go back as visually there is a LOT to take in.

For the record, the Cirque shows I have seen include: Love, O, Mystere, La Nouba, Saltimbanco, Ovo, and Wintuk. I am a big fan and will hopefully have the opportunity to see every show of theirs I can.

The show ran 2 hours and 15 minutes, including a 20 minute intermission.


Updated On: 6/20/11 at 11:57 AM

[uncageg]

Posted: 6/20/11 at 12:07pm

I would not have known the plot had I not read it beforehand. The only indication I got that he lost his powers and got them back was that staff he was holding, had taken away and given back. I really didn't feel as if he was "searching" to get them back. But as I said, I found myself drifting during the show.

[DrewBill]

Posted: 6/20/11 at 1:21pm

I saw "Zarkana" on Friday evening, and have very mixed feelings about the show. They got a good crowd, but Radio City was far from sold out. And the premium seating at the front seemed somewhat empty.

Visually, this is one of the best Cirque shows -- the set is truly amazing and the use of projected imagery is state-of-the-art. In truth, I was so entranced by the stage visuals that I often found myself paying little attention to the actual performers.

The acts are generally very good -- if you've seen other Cirque shows, you kind of know what to expect. I was a bit surprised that a number of the acts only seemed to get "polite" applause the evening I was there. Perhaps the normal Cirque formula is starting to wear a bit thin?

However, I think the real weakness of this production is the music. As stated above, the show's main vocal performer, Garou, is supposedly singing in English -- but I could barely make out any actual lyrics. And unlike other Cirque shows I have seen, the music in this production is just kind of flat -- a lot of sulky songs for the Zark character (Garou), mixed with by-the-numbers music that echo other Cirque productions. Nothing particularly memorable or unique.

[uncageg]

Posted: 6/20/11 at 7:46pm

Drew, the evening I was there that acts also got only polite applause with the exception of a few. I agree that the formula may be wearing a bit thin.

[trentsketch]

Posted: 6/20/11 at 8:32pm

For everyone who saw it, was this the sand artist? Kseniya Simonova? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOMgDbcA84A

[DrewBill]

Posted: 6/21/11 at 12:20am

The sand painter is Erika Chen. She was very good.