The Cirque du Soleil production of "Varekai" combines acrobatics, dance, music and elaborate costumes, at the Giant Center, October 29, 2014. Dan Gleiter | dgleiter@pennlive.com
Cirque du Soleil, regardless of the show, always delivers on a promise of beauty.
Varekai, its latest production currently being performed at the Hershey Giant Center, is no different.
The show follows the journey of Icarus after he has fallen from the sky. He finds himself in a strange forest filled with creatures that he befriends and, in one case, falls in love with.
- Read our interview with Cirque du Soleil performer Emilie Schram
The show stuns. Costumes immerse you in the world, where performers resemble insects and flowers. A group of performers wear skull headpieces at one point that are a horrific delight, spooky in just the right kind of way.
The music is gorgeous and guides the audience along, filing you with wonder at one time, and making you tense at another.
And, of course, the performances amaze. A juggling act after intermission is particularly astounding, the juggler not only juggles with his hands but with his mouth as well. The speed at which he tosses his pins is truly incredible.
Clowns prove that one doesn't need words to make you laugh. One sketch that stood out involved a roving spotlight. The concept was simple but the execution was spot on and had the crowd laughing. Their antics include some "adult" jokes, but they'll go over the heads of children.
When it comes to the acrobatics, Varekai showcases the Cirque performers mastery. Oftentimes performers hang by one arm from ropes, twirling about in the air. You're so in awe that often you forget to applaud. Another act featuring performers bouncing around on each others feet was a highlight.
The moment that sticks with you though, is from the very beginning. Icarus descends from the sky in slow motion, his wings vainly trying to lift him up again. His fall is graceful, like a painting come to life.
But the show wasn't perfect. There were clear timing issues and a few other kinks that need to be worked out. The story isn't easy to follow just by watching it - but if you pick up one of the programs ($20) you can piece it together pretty easily.
The clowning, while hilarious, takes you out of the Varekai world with its distinctly human costumes. At another point the cast breaks out of its gibberish language to use English. It doesn't work and, once again, takes you out of the world. That's a shame, because Varekai has a beautiful world, so every moment you're taken out of it is jarring.
Still, that being said, the show delivers in spectacle. If you want to be amazed, this is the show to catch in central Pennsylvania. It entertains, it wows and it impresses. It makes for an evening that you won't forget and, like Icarus, you'll wish you could fall into its world again and again.
DETAILS: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 29-31, 4 and 7:30 p.m. Nov. 1, 1:30 and 5 p.m. Nov. 2 at Giant Center, 550 W. Hersheypark Drive, Hershey. Cost: $42.84-$152.84. www.giantcenter.com, 717-534-3911.