Cirque Éloize 'iD' a Chicago? C'est Tres Bon!

The mixture of passion-filled performance and mind-blowing technology is apparent from the very moment Cirque Éloize's troupe (under the skillfully innovative eye of Jeannot Painchaud) takes to the Palace Theatre's stage during their new incarnation, iD. With Robert Massicotte and Alexis Laurence's eye-popping 3D video projection design bringing Massicotte's blank urban landscape design to life, the urban dances and circus acts in iD are resoundingly funky, fresh, and beautifully mesmerizing.

Similar to last Winter's fantastic Traces at the Broadway Playhouse (with strong ties to the well-known Cirque du Soleil), iD incorporates daftly staged circus acts with a higher production value and larger cast. Painchaud's show, featuring electric break dancing choreography by performing troupe member Christian "Sancho" Garmatter (who nails an urban pas de deux), features no dialogue, but manages to convey a loose through line of forbidden love, construction workers, and battling street gangs, all accompanied by Jean-Phi Goncalves & Alex McMahon's techno-infused score. I use the word 'battling' loosely, as Act 1's finale featured dueling jump ropes rather than knives or guns. A comic and smart choice, highlighting the modern nuances interwoven throughout iD's 2-hour run.

Technology, music, and Linda Brunelle's colorful costumes aside, Cirque Éloize's bread and butter lies within their circus skills, 98% of which went off without a single hitch at Tuesday night's opening. All sixteen performers receive a moment or two to shine, most notably Richard Maguire's vertigo-inducing hand balancing, the charming Nicolas Fortin's gravity-defying juggling, Fletcher Sanchez's breath-stealing Chinese pole routine, and Emi Vauthey's wildly brazen aerial and contortion skills. And whether as transitional moments, ambiance-driven routines, or full out dance numbers, iD's Urban Dancers also deserve high praise.

For the past several years, I had considered Timothy Bird's design of the Menier Chocolate Factory revival of Sunday in the Park With George to be the premiere in innovative projection staging, but iD proves Massicotte and Laurence are the new minds to beat. Without giving much away (the element of surprise heightens Krzysztof Soroczynski and Olivier Lemieux's exciting contributions to the piece), their 3D design goes for broke in iD's stunningly animated and energetically performed finale. It's a rousing and intricate marriage of off-the-wall modern ballet, ensemble trust, and modern circus whimsy.

'Éloize,' Painchaud aptly informed us Tuesday night, is a French word which roughly translates to 'heat lightening.' With that, Cirque Éloize iD  is only in Chicago for 2 weeks. Catch it (in a bottle if need be) now.

PHOTO CREDIT: Valerie Remise

Cirque Éloize iD runs now through May 8, 2011 at the Cadillac Palace Theatre. Tickets are available at all Broadway In Chicago Box Offices (24 W. Randolph St., 151 W. Randolph St., 18 W. Monroe St. and 175 E. Chestnut), the Broadway In Chicago Ticket Line at (800) 775-2000, all Ticketmaster retail locations, and online at www.BroadwayInChicago.com.