Go See Cirque Berzerk!
Aug. 7th, 2009 11:14 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
furtechI saw it! With iisaw! Last night!
Here is the complete Flickr set!
Thanks to iisaw jumping up and saying, "I'll go!", I got to see Cirque Berzerk-- a goth-vaudville-burlesque-circus-hybrid camped out in the Los Angeles Historical Park in downtown L.A. (aka, "the cornfield").
I had seen the tent and the gouts of flame as I drove home from downtown Los Angeles for months now. I was very curious (despite the tent, the place had a sinister feel to it), but kept forgetting to look it up on Google. When I finally remembered, there were only a few shows left!
Cirque Berzerk's theme works both for it and against it: the goth-burlesque visuals will thrill some, but might turn others off. I was "meh" about seeing it, as I thought it would just be a parade of freak acts that I've probably seen somewhere else already.
Boy, was I wrong. This is a *Show* in every sense of the word! There is a through-story (an innocent new to this vaudvillian hell). The music is both dark and hellish-- yet blends and accentuates the acts. There is humor both cynical and funny. The show is filled with a cast of characters that you get to know through their performences, however brief. So subtle is this familiarity that you don't realize you're "rooting" for some of them by the end of the show.
The acts don't force the "omigoshthatisimpossible!" aspects of most circuses these days. Rather, they take feats that are very difficult and work them into a choreography (aerial and earthbound) that ranges from beautiful displays to the sensual -- all without going beyond PG-rated visuals (ie, no nekkid bodies). One of the trapeze acts early on was undeniably erotic. The trampoline act was hypnotic (with the music pumping out a raucous, trance-beat) and I wished it could go on even longer. Put together, these characters and acts form a complete show that leaves you walking from the tent with the same feeling you have walking off of a really great rollercoaster.
Outside there is an arcade that has a dance tent (with a good DJ), pinball machines, food and gee-gaw sellers. This felt like a smaller version of the hawkers that surrounded Grateful Dead concerts. Food is circus-food (churros, hamburgers, veggie-stuff, and too much candy), but with the twist of a full bar. Best intermission ever!
I'm hoping that Cirque Berzerk further continues their run in L.A. They need to find a way to get word-of-mouth out there, because I had not seen anything about this show before I looked them up. Particularly, they need to get the word out to the theater community, because that is a huge group that I don't think knows about them-- though I could be wrong: the audience was as varied as you could imagine. Grey-hairs, goths, hipsters and just plain folk. Not sure if this is for young kids, though: kind of loud and somewhat visually frightening. I know a couple of kids who'd love this, though. If they watch anime, they'll love it.
Here is the complete Flickr set!
Thanks to iisaw jumping up and saying, "I'll go!", I got to see Cirque Berzerk-- a goth-vaudville-burlesque-circus-hybrid camped out in the Los Angeles Historical Park in downtown L.A. (aka, "the cornfield").
I had seen the tent and the gouts of flame as I drove home from downtown Los Angeles for months now. I was very curious (despite the tent, the place had a sinister feel to it), but kept forgetting to look it up on Google. When I finally remembered, there were only a few shows left!
Cirque Berzerk's theme works both for it and against it: the goth-burlesque visuals will thrill some, but might turn others off. I was "meh" about seeing it, as I thought it would just be a parade of freak acts that I've probably seen somewhere else already.
Boy, was I wrong. This is a *Show* in every sense of the word! There is a through-story (an innocent new to this vaudvillian hell). The music is both dark and hellish-- yet blends and accentuates the acts. There is humor both cynical and funny. The show is filled with a cast of characters that you get to know through their performences, however brief. So subtle is this familiarity that you don't realize you're "rooting" for some of them by the end of the show.
The acts don't force the "omigoshthatisimpossible!" aspects of most circuses these days. Rather, they take feats that are very difficult and work them into a choreography (aerial and earthbound) that ranges from beautiful displays to the sensual -- all without going beyond PG-rated visuals (ie, no nekkid bodies). One of the trapeze acts early on was undeniably erotic. The trampoline act was hypnotic (with the music pumping out a raucous, trance-beat) and I wished it could go on even longer. Put together, these characters and acts form a complete show that leaves you walking from the tent with the same feeling you have walking off of a really great rollercoaster.
Outside there is an arcade that has a dance tent (with a good DJ), pinball machines, food and gee-gaw sellers. This felt like a smaller version of the hawkers that surrounded Grateful Dead concerts. Food is circus-food (churros, hamburgers, veggie-stuff, and too much candy), but with the twist of a full bar. Best intermission ever!
I'm hoping that Cirque Berzerk further continues their run in L.A. They need to find a way to get word-of-mouth out there, because I had not seen anything about this show before I looked them up. Particularly, they need to get the word out to the theater community, because that is a huge group that I don't think knows about them-- though I could be wrong: the audience was as varied as you could imagine. Grey-hairs, goths, hipsters and just plain folk. Not sure if this is for young kids, though: kind of loud and somewhat visually frightening. I know a couple of kids who'd love this, though. If they watch anime, they'll love it.
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no subject
Date: 2009-08-07 10:30 pm (UTC)As for the show, sounds very much up our alley here. We just saw Cirque Solei is coming back to the Bay area in winter with 'Ovo'. I'd love to see Cirque Berzerk should they do a run up this way.
BTW, are you heading to EF this year? If so, see you there. :)
no subject
Date: 2009-08-08 05:22 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-08 05:56 am (UTC)You know-- after all my pestering about wanting you to get back to EF, I can't make it this year. I'm hopeful about making it next year, though!
Have a Jagermeister for me!
no subject
Date: 2009-08-07 11:29 pm (UTC)Thanks so much for the experience!
no subject
Date: 2009-08-08 03:11 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-08 05:52 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-08 05:30 am (UTC)Glad to hear it wuzza hoot!
no subject
Date: 2009-08-08 05:58 am (UTC)