Posted: 11/10/19 at 11:09am
Last night I attended a performance of Cirque du Soleil big new show in Las Vegas - R.U.N at Luxor. I'm not great at writing reviews, and re-reading this I maybe have put too much plot description. I put spoiler warning before part below, though it isn't so much for plot points.
Cirque tries something new, in actually having a more plot based show instead of just a bunch of circus acts strung together. It looks like they have poured a lot of money into this, but it is a heck of a lot of money wasted on a messy, poorly constructed show. They could have put together a very good stunt show and I would have left happy. Unfortunately it is welded into a very cliche & boring plot about a gang war and some sort of "on the run" love story. But they don't actually invest more than a passing glance to that plot and no one is invested in the characters.
It is supposed to be like being in a live action thriller movie. The very thin plot is that there are two rival Las Vegas motorcycle gangs. It starts with 10-15 comic book styled pre-filmed movie, set to 21 Pilots song "Jumpsuit" (as performed by some unknown singer), with the hero breaking up the rival gang leader's wedding to steal a heart locket. Later we learn that he used to be involved with the Bride & maybe she's in on it?? There's something really important in the heart locket that everyone wants. I don't know if we ever find out what it is. Cue screens go up & now about two dozen dancers/stunt people brawl. It is supposed to be exciting, but it just boring. The whole show has pre-recorded voiceover and then dialogue is projected on screens and it is all stupid things like "An ace in the hole is better than a fist in the face!" Really? Then why are we watching all these guys throw fake punches ar each other? The show is supposed to be "immersive," which means that characters run off stage into the audience, up to the back of the theatre, or into stages built high up into the walls of the theatre. So everyone down in the expensive seats spends the whole show trying to turn around & crane their necks to see what the heck is going on. It is all just distraction from the fact that actually nothing is going on.
Oh yeah, I forgot - so before the show starts, when the ushers seat you, they give you a big warning that you should stay in your seats because lots of things happen in the aisles & you need to stay in your seats. She said to me, "There's going be bikes, like real live motorcycles! And you could get hurt if you get out of your seat." I'm not sure if it is meant to entice you to stay to see these "real live motorcycles " or as a threat. Maybe more Broadway shows will come up with something similar: "We know this show stinks, but we will have guys in the aisles with clubs who will beat you if you try to walk out." Anyways, to whet our appetite, a few motorcycles ride up & down the aisles. They'll be back later.
I've been trying to keep this light, with some humour, but nothing in the show is played light or wih any humour; it is all very serious, agressive, angry, violent, and now gruesome. What came next is the worst thing I have ever seen performed live onstage ever.
SPOILERS
The bad motorcycle gang have some sort of evil doctor/ torturer in their employ and the hero ends up in his lair. This evil doctor is played by a circus "freak/ side show artist" whose specialty is sword swallowing & sticking things through his face. They also have an actor who is double jointed at the shoulder. The evil doctor makes like he is torturing the double jointed fellow, breaking & twisting his arm while he screams in pain. Then the Doctor sets another actor on fire (for real) to burn that character alive. While most of the show so far has been pre-filmed segments projected onscreen, this is all performed live on stage violently. Hero escapes, and in turn tortures the Doctor putting hooks through his face dragging & him about, before he is slaughtered by jamming a sword down his gullet & hammering it in with sledgehammer for good measure. Basically they use all these sort of traditional sideshow freak talents to put on a gruesome horror movie style sequence. During this part of the show, despite all safety warnings, there were audience walkouts. It was very bad, & I debated walking out myself.
End spoilers
Then some more boring things happen, like the hero and the bride sit in a car while the screen moves behind them, and then more gangsters fake fight. Finally four guys dressed as Tron - the costumes are staight up stolen right from that 80's movie- ride back in on the motorcyles. Now they do wheelies, and jumps on stage, and ride over stuff, and more jumps. It looks like it takes skill, it should be exciting. The dancers are all in the audience whooping it up and trying to get the audience to clap, and most of the audience frankly just doesn't care. If any of the riders screw up, they actually could come careening into the audience & kill someone, but it just is boring. The show lasts only 80 minutes, but it felt very long.
Like I said, they could have put together a very good stunt show, and motorcycle riding act, but by instead telling a super violent, and at times gruesome, story I left unhappy.
Updated On: 11/10/19 at 11:09 AM
