Cirque du Soleil on Broadway? — Page 2

Wassn't their show "Banana Shpeel" supposed to come to Broadway? It played Chicago, and got disastrous reviews.

@Fisherman I know about Montreal, haha! I think it closed because it was supposedly in the middle of nowhere in the Disney Resort. They said that if you went to the Disney resort, you wouldn't even know it existed. Not really sure how true that is.

@Jon Well it ran at a MSG theater, and it failed too because of the horrible reviews.

@Starship That's what I heard too haha

Updated On: 6/28/13 at 07:40 PM

"Wassn't their show "Banana Shpeel" supposed to come to Broadway? It played Chicago, and got disastrous reviews."

I don't think they were ever eyeing a Broadway theater for the show, at least publicly. They opened, after many delays and huge revisions after the initial run in Chicago, at the Beacon back in 2010, where it was ripped apart by audiences and critics just as badly as it was in Chicago. They ended up closing at the Beacon about two months earlier than originally planned. It re-opened later that year in Toronto, announcing that as the first stop on a tour, but ended up closing it there and canceling the other announced cities (I think at that time only San Francisco and L.A. had been announced officially).

@dramamama611 - I definitely feel this way too. I believe this is mostly because Cirque doesn't really switch up their shows much - lately it's become a "you've seen one you've seen 'em all" kind of thing. The only thing they truly change is the theme and sometimes they'll give us some interesting technology (which isn't REALLY supposed to be the highlight of the show (!?))

@justincharacter - Now I hear it's a Big Top show and the theme is unannounced...it appears the extreme sports concept was put back on the shelves. Also, very true about their Florida venue. It's not really advertised by Disney World, PLUS the actual show building is very generic and doesn't scream "Cirque" or really anything entertainment related so it doesn't really attract people.

And I agree, Zarkana was just plain obnoxious. I felt the show was all over the place and there never really was a consistent theme. If the show was translated into text, I think it would just be nonsensical gibberish. Plus, without the program's description of the show, there would be no way anybody could follow the storyline. I feel like Cirque sometimes gets lost in their own little world that they forget everybody in the audience isn't picking up or following the story. The only Cirque shows with plots I was able to understand during the performance were Corteo, Iris, and oVo.

Updated On: 6/28/13 at 08:05 PM

@justincharacter - YES! I forgot about Amaluna! I SUPPOSE Totem's "evolution" theme could also be followed when they used that theme (which was only a few times in the show). And, Corteo is really meant for the Big Top. The only Cirque shows I could see working/being popular on Broadway are "Iris" and "Zed".

This might explain why it won't happen http://americantheatrewing.org/wit/detail/producing_commercial_theatre_12_05
59:57 onwards

That's very interesting. I read something that mentioned the union in a article about IRIS, but don't recall what exactly it said. Their new show, Michael Jackson ONE, is blowing up with rave reviews. Reviewers and audience members have stated that it is the best Cirque show that was ever created. I can see that running at Radio City Music Hall. It would obviously be more successful than Zarkana.

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQIYgu6TB7A I like how there is above head interaction

The way the theater is set up is amazing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBgRMAjBhuk

I love how they have photographers or the "media" roaming around the theater that takes many pictures of you, flashing in your eyes, symbolizing what Michael went through his whole life. Then they take the pictures and put them on the screens, publishing rumors about the person, like how rumors were always created around Michael.

Updated On: 7/2/13 at 01:59 PM

Aren't ALL shows hit or miss?

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Both shows are totally different. ONE is a success already and it just opened, and Immortal has got REALLY bad since it's opening years ago. Many people get them both mixed up, thinking that they are the same show which they are definitely (thanks Dramamama!) not! According to reviewers, ONE is way out of Immortal's league...



And what "many acts" as you described, are in ONE? Please tell me...except for the pole which is curvy in this show.

Updated On: 7/2/13 at 02:26 PM

My sister had an interesting theory on Cirque which she shared with me aftr I'd seen my first cirque show in vegas. I was so taken with it, I told her I couldn't wait to see another show. "Don't!" she said, "It won't be as good, EVERYONE I know was disappointed in the second Cirque show they saw."

About a year later, I finally got around to seeing another one. She was right. I was incredibly bored. I've had no desire to see a third.

This is a really good point. :)

My family and I used to see every Cirque show that would come to San Francisco, starting with their first, Saltimbanco. I really didn't like the second that came (Alegría), but Quidam won us back. I also enjoyed Dralion and Varekai. Corteo was okay. However, I hated Kooza and swore off Cirque after that.

Then... I saw Love in Vegas and it was wonderful. Maybe it helped to have stayed away for a few years!

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"The Acro act is set up the same way as IMMORTAL and most of the tricks and style are the same. The spanish web is similar to IMMORTAL."

What acro act are you referring to? Tricks and style of what? The dancing? The Spanish Web is different than Aerial Straps which was performed by two people.

Oh, I get what your saying. Just that one act seems very similar, but overall this show is way more theatrical than Immortal. But comparing it to Immortal is just like "Huh?".

More depth of the scenes and acts at 0:39 and 1:38: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyVZrPzFPVY

Updated On: 7/2/13 at 03:00 PM