I saw Delirium last night. Cirque du Soleil's new license to print money. Three shows in Kansas City in 2 days - 12,000 people a show, tickets about $99.

It is their first traveling arena show (rather than smaller big top shows) and the first time Cirque has been in Kansas City.

The two sided stage was in the center of the arena, about 20 feet wide and 150 feet long. Open to both sides, with the ends of the arena being the backstage. At times sheer curtains were pulled across the stage, allowing you to still see through them to the performers while other things were projected on the curtains.

My seat was on the arena floor, 6 rows back near the center. Pretty good, though I would have liked to have been about 3 rows closer. Seats in the center of the stands would still be good much further back, but I wouldn't recommend the upper levels or toward the ends. There were large screens at the far ends where the performers images were projected. I couldn't see them well from my seat, but it didn't look like the image quality was great.

The show was supposed to start at 8PM, but instead they had a warm-up act, which was introduced as the International recording star - Nitza. She didn't go over well. Although a few people liked her, many people did not appreciate her and folks continued conversations and looked around the arena. At the end of her first song only a handful of people applauded. I couldn't understand what she sang. At first I thought it was a gag and waited for a Cirque comedian to break it up and start the show. During her additional songs, some of the Cirque musicians joined her on stage and the audience warned a little. Fortunately she only sang for 20 minutes, but then there was a 20 minute intermission before the show. The real show is nearly 2 hours long - they don't need Nitza to cool down the audience before the show.

The actual show was quite entertaining, with Cirque's usual combination of music, costumes, acrobatics and dance.

I would rather have had a little more gymnastics. There were almost always performers in the air, but almost all of the time they were fastened to something and singing rather than doing acrobatics.

There was a story line involving a man in a conservative suit being carried around by a balloon, but I found the story even more opaque than the story line at other Cirque shows.

The best part of the show is the enormous energy. My favorite parts were a segment when two drum and dance teams face off & challenge each other, a nicely shaped woman with hula hoops, a segment where the enormous skirt worn by a singer becomes a tent that other performers dance under, and a oriental woman full of wonder that wandered the stage during other acts and flirted with the audience.

During the finale, all of the performers return to the stage - some of them coming through the audience with huge sperm shaped balloons. Enormous balls are thrown around the arena by the audience.

The show was worth the $110 (including fees) I paid, though I wouldn't pay that to see it a second time. But I will be first in line for tickets the next time Cirque comes to town.

Keith

Keith, thanks for that review! I just found out out that Cirque du Soleil will be in Raleigh in May, and am debating if it's worth the money (Base price here ... $70, $85 or $100. Sounds like you had the $100 basic.) Have never seen one of their shows, but am thinking it would be worth it. Just wish my 8 year-old granddaughter was close enough to go with us!

I was there with you last night, Keith. I don't know if you have seen other shows by the Cirque company, but this one is not nearly as good as the one I saw in Orlando. We sat in row G, center, and I wondered about people on the floor or extreme sides.

I don't disagree with anything that you wrote, and you echoed my opinions almost exactly.

Downside were the acoustics in the arena. Loud, and unintelligble.

While my kids liked the show, and missed all of the inuendo (did you see what was going under the Chicquita Banana lady's skirt? Did you get the "all types of love" in the pas de deux section? Yikes.) I have to say I am done with Cirque de Soleil for a LONG while.

My ears are still ringing.

If some of you readers are looking to attend this show, be sure to give consideration to your seat. Despite the promoters line about a different show for every viewer, you will definitely miss some of the show from the fringe seats and front rows.

Okay, Keith: I walked out asking my husband if this all had to do with taking the red pill or the blue pill. What do you think?

We saw Ka - our 4th Cirque performance - in Las Vegas a few weeks ago and were sorely disappointed. All the others were wonderful, but wow, Ka wasn't nearly what the others were. When the bartender told us the best time to take a restroom break was when the baton twirler was on stage, we should've known something was up. BATON TWIRLER??? In Cirque du Soleil? In any event, they have a traveling show coming to our home town soon, but we won't be in the audience.

This show was less risqué and had less of the "all types of love" than the shows I saw in Las Vegas. But it isn't nearly as good at the Vegas shows. I would pay to see Mystere or Le Reve (not Cirque du Soleil but very similar) again, but not Delurium.

Although I also had problems with the quality of the sound (particularly for Nitza), being too loud wasn't a problem down front. I would say they had the volume just about right.

Keith

Thank you for posting. Delirium is coming to St. Paul in May and I think we'll skip it. We loved Corteo but this production doesn't sound like it would be worth the $.

For those wondering about the "all types of love" - it was couples dancing and enthusiastically hugging. Partners switched off without consideration of gender.

There was other dancing and sing performers on stage at the same time.

It is obvious that people from Kansas City have no taste for international music....Sorry Keith you have no class either...

That cuts me to the quick As a first time post, you have soooo much credibility.

Nitza got poor reviews in other cites.

Bottom line, she wasn't what people paid to see or expected. And many people thought the show was too long.

Keith