KOOZA

This past Sunday Mandy, Mark and I headed down to Baltimore to see Cirque du Soleil's KOOZA. It was awesome!!! Seriously, fantastic.

According to Cirque du Soleil's website, "KOOZA tells the story of The Innocent, a melancholy loner in search of his place in the world."



"KOOZA is a return to the origins of Cirque du Soleil: It combines two circus traditions – acrobatic performance and the art of clowning. The show highlights the physical demands of human performance in all its splendor and fragility, presented in a colorful mélange that emphasizes bold slapstick humor."

"The Innocent's journey brings him into contact with a panoply of comic characters such as the King, the Trickster, the Pickpocket, and the Obnoxious Tourist and his Bad Dog. Between strength and fragility, laughter and smiles, turmoil and harmony, KOOZA explores themes of fear, identity, recognition and power. The show is set in an electrifying and exotic visual world full of surprises, thrills, chills, audacity and total involvement."

That guy above is the Trickster and is seriously creepy. Just odd and gives you the chills with a single look. But, a wicked dancer with some fantastically gaudy costumes.

One of our favorite acts was the Wheel of Death. These guys had this contraption spinning and they jumped (and jumproped) on both the inside and the outside of the wheels. I was the stereotypical audience member, starring high up at the wheel, with my mouth hanging open.

We also loved the super bendy contortionists (seen a couple pictures above). When Mandy leans over and says, "I really think she might be the devil," you know it's good. We also, surprisely, loved the juggler. He was able to juggle a ball on his head (a la David Beckham) while also juggling clubs and rings with his hands. All while wearing a super-shiny silver suit. It just can't get better than that! Well, I suppose it could, if he had done all that whilst jumping through the air.

So, if you're able to catch KOOZA while it's still in Baltimore, or can check out any of the other shows while they tour your city - although not all Cirques are created equal, so avoid Delirium which I thought really stunk - please do. I promise you won't regret it! But beware, KOOZA has a lot of audience interaction, so you just might become a part of the show, losing a wallet and a watch along the way!