Kurios: A Steampunk Cirque-cus

Seeing is disbelieving. Reality is relative.

And with that, I could not think of a better first Cirque du Soleil show to attend than Kurios: Cabinet des Curiosites. The steampunk girl in me have been excited for this since they kicked-off their traveling show in San Francisco last year.

Although Cirque has brought their traveling shows to Vancouver – although not this one – I always held off going because I wanted my first show to be special. Memorable. I would’ve wanted to catch a resident Vegas shows over any that came to town. I would wanted to see The Beatle’s Love, Michael Jackson One or O. But I was happy to pop my Cirque cherry with Kurios.

Sean and I absolutely LOVED it. It had all the retro-futuristic elements that appealed to us: the half-machine/human neo-Victorian era characters, victrola record-players, electric lights glowing in bell jars, ancient locomotive, the large mechanical hand making its way around the stage, underscored by the sassy 1930s French jazz music.

And the teensy weensy mini lili played by Antanina Satsura, one of the 10 smallest people in the world. The 3 foot, 40 pound woman who lives in her host’s metallic belly is utterly charming, as she serenades the crowd in her tiny rowboat.

For more on Satsura and 10 other curious facts about Kurios, check out the Bold Italiac website. But in the meantime, check out where we were seated! Good seats, non?

My favourite acts were the one with the 4 Asian contortionists as eel-like creatures, the team of high jumpers bouncing sky high on a huge net trampoline, the upside-down dinner party slash parallel universe and the goggle-wearing aviator in his biplane, swinging high above our heads a la moving pictures style.

And the exquisite costumes!

The show was reminiscent of The City of Lost Children, The Extraordinary Adventures of Adele Blanc-Sec, The Prestige, Hugo, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and Van Helsing. If you loved the movies and are a fan of Jules Verne, you’ll love this show.

It was theatre of the absurd and whimsical, with oddball characters that made me wish I could run away and join this very circus. Go see this show!