Cirque du Soleil: Zarkana Review

Cirque Du Soleil Spectacle "Zarkana" Hits Broadway

The golden glow of the walls and the oddly dressed performers walking the aisles set the stage for this year's incarnation of Zarkana, the latest spectacular by Cirque du Soleil that runs through September 2, at New York City's Radio City Music Hall. The show tells the story of Zark, a magician who has lost his powers, on his quest to rescue his love who was kidnapped.

The plot, although confusing, was secondary -- after all who doesn’t love a good Cirque du Soleil show strung together on a flimsy premise? As for action, Zarkana doesn't disappoint. The opening act features an impressive juggler and although she didn’t miss a beat, the onslaught of performers around her, was quite a distraction from her art. The Trapeze and Acrobatics were sensational, and sure to keep you on the edge of your seat.

The "Sand Paintings" Shine

The Cyr Wheel and High Wire acts, although exciting, felt a little too circus-like.The Flag Throwers fell flat, hardly perilous enough to compete with the other death-defying feats followed by the Hand Balancing performer who will not only have you gasping, but will inspire you to run to a local yoga class. The Sand Painting was by far, one of the highlights of the evening. The magical ability to highlight every segment of the show using only hands and sand could easily leave you feeling mesmerized.

The Wheel of Death was the show stopper -- with the huge cage-like cylinders rotating while two daring performers leapt inside and out, flipping and jumping -- was nerve wracking. In an apparent misstep, when the performer’s leg became stuck in the jump rope as the wheel rotated at lightning fast speed, it appeared that near disaster was averted -- or maybe it was part of the act. Either way, it made for a nail biting experience. As for the creepy factor, the six-armed floating fetus, the “Freddy Krueger meets Little Mermaid's Ursula” Snake Lady, and eyeball projections will have you and that five-year old having nightmares for weeks.

Broadway's Must-See Show

The stage sets and elaborate costumes made you feel instantly transformed into an odd enchanted world. For a show that is supposedly a rock opera, the music is unimpressive, actually distracting to a point. It was hard to make out what the singers were saying, even though it was in English versus Cirque's typical Esperanto.

This is an entertaining show filled with phenomenal talent. Even with the many distractions, Cirque Du Soleil's Zarkana, is a must-see -- but leave the timid toddlers at home. If you can’t catch Zarkana's swan song in the New York show, don’t worry -- beginning this fall, Zarkana will make its permanent home at Aria Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.