BWW Reviews: Cirque du Soleil's QUIDAM Still Wows

It's always amazing to witness the beautiful physical feats the human body is capable of achieving when watching the circus, and ever more so at a Cirque du Soleil production. Internationally famous for their fantastical, imaginative shows—more sophisticated than your average sawdust-in-a-tent extravaganza—the Montréal-based troupe's brand of whimsy and jaw-dropping acts are in full display in QUIDAM, one of several Cirque du Soleil shows now touring the globe. First produced in 1996, QUIDAM's Southern California stops continue at the Long Beach Arena Convention & Entertainment Center through April 22 before swinging up to Ontario, CA to play the Citizens Bank Arena from April 27 through May 1.

Boasting an ethnically-diverse cast of 52 world-class acrobats, live musicians, singers, and performers, QUIDAM is a veritable feast for the senses that offers plenty of eye-opening, gloriously stunning acts, with whimsically comedic moments (many involving audience members plucked randomly from their seats to join in), and even some gorgeously symbolic visuals to tie together its themes. One reaction seems to recur with each viewing: Can you believe human beings are capable of any of these amazing stunts?!

At its core, QUIDAM tells the poetically abstracted story of young Zoé (Alessandra Gonzalez), a little girl whose mother and father (Denise Wal, Patrick McGuire, respectively) are too preoccupied to pay any attention to their daughter. In order to cure her lonely boredom and curiosity, she decides—on one stormy night, of course—to follow the path of a headless stranger... a Quidam. This nameless passerby lures the young girl to an enchanted imaginary world beyond her own, where mystical figures that happen to be really great at acrobatic feats and whiz-bang trickery encourage her to free her mind and her rejected soul. Soon her parents join her journey as well, experiencing a deeper connection of family and love.

Much more easily-transportable and compact than their sit-down productions all over the world—including all those first-class permanent shows that line the Las Vegas Strip—QUIDAM is an excellent palette sampler of the Cirque du Soleil oeuvre for those who have yet to sample their brand of French-Canadian showmanship or for those who want to relive the wondrous experience without having to take out a second mortgage for good tickets. This is by no means a second-tier show; there is truly no substitute for their brand of magic and mind-blowing acts.

Conducted by a unique, seemingly bumbling ringmaster John (Mark Ward), QUIDAM is a continuous cavalcade of daringly impressive acts: from the hypnotic beauty of a trio of ladies working aerial metal hoops, the rousing action of the rope skippers led by Norihisa Taguchi, to the moving intensity of a contortionist wrapped around a single column of red silk, and the Banquine finale that features fifteen genetically-blessed acrobats that defy gravity with each athletic leap and bound. Interspersed between the awesome feats of human agility are some ingenious "clowning" vignettes, many of which are spearheaded by the brilliant physical and interactive comedy of Toto Castineiras. Each of his antics clearly steal the show, as he grabs unsuspecting "volunteers" right from the audience to help with some highly-improvised comedy bits. Consider this a warning—there's a good possibility you'll be asked to come on stage and be slapped and shoved around... all in the name of great comedy, of course.

I'm not going to lie: the high-risk factors and genuinely remarkable tricks each act possesses—particularly those Banquine aerial tumblers at the end—did cause me (and my friend who accompanied me) to let out genuine shrieks of fearful excitement. It's just that kind of behavior that makes the child in all of us love the circus, and particularly, why Cirque du Soleil's uniquely-honed brand of big-top entertainment remains a successful theatrical enterprise for all these decades. QUIDAM is no exception—it's a marvelous night out that will slay you with laughter and shock you with its stunning beauty and astonishing displays of extraordinary human athleticism. Catch it locally before it takes off for Canada!

Watch BWW's Behind-the-scenes look at the QUIDAM National Tour: Here.

Photos from CIRQUE DU SOLEIL presents QUIDAM by Al Seib.
From top: Alessandra Gonzalez as Zoé; aerial hoop artists; Spanish web acrobats.

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Performances of Cirque du Soleil presents QUIDAM continues at the Long Beach Arena Convention & Entertainment Center through April 24, then moves to the Citizens Bank Arena in Ontario, CA from April 27-May 1.

For tickets or more information about Cirque du Soleil presents QUIDAM, visit www.cirquedusoleil.com/quidam or call 800-745-3000.

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