Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy at Broward Center

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“Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy” a Visual, Sensory Overload

By Skip Sheffield

Step right up for the greatest show on Earth for a limited time through Sunday, July 27 at Broward Center for the Arts.
“Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy” is an amazing human circus of sight, sound and sensory stimulation. The show was created in Pompano Beach by Neil Goldberg and ran on Broadway to good reviews in 2008 and has since travelled all over the world.
The show is a pastiche of circus acts from Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, Mongolia, Ethiopia and the USA. There is no particular plot other than a jungle motif, with props, puppets and performers costumed as animals. The show seemed to me like a modern-day Ed Sullivan variety show minus, the wooden emcee.
Instead there is an attractive woman with a strong singing voice in the unannounced role of Mother Nature. In fact none of the performers is named, which gives the show an anonymous, to whom it may concern quality. For the record there is a pair of adorable, amazing female Asian contortionists; a high-flying male-female aerial duo; a girl who twirls about a dozen Hula Hoops at once; a few jugglers, acrobats, dancers and a hunky, shirtless, long-haired guy who plays an electric violin strapped to his brawny chest. My female companion was transfixed by this blond god, and several of the other very fit beefcake specimens. For a finale there is a balance board artist who does some of the most amazing, towering tricks I have ever seen live onstage.
That is the special magic of Cirque Dreams. Everything is live (except pre-recorded music) and accidents can and do happen. If you are looking for excitement and sensory overload on a hot summer’s night, this is a show for you.

Tickets are $34.50-$74.50. Call 954-462-0222 or go to www.browardcenter.org.

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