Performance review: Cirque du Soleil’s Varekai

Varekai
Sat., Aug. 6-8, at 7:30 p.m.; Sat. matinee at 4 p.m., and Sun., Aug. 9, 1:30 and 5 p.m.
Opens Wed., Aug. 5, 7:30 p.m. and repeats Thurs.-Sat., Aug. 6-8, at 7:30 p.m.; Sat. matinee at 4 p.m., and Sun., Aug. 9, 1:30 and 5 p.m.
Amalie Arena 
401 Channelside Drive, Tampa
cirquedusoleil.com/varekai

Through the years, Cirque du Soleil productions have become synonymous with the words “spellbinding” and “out of this world." (Photos below by Tracy May.) The Quebec-based performance company, which launched a four-show run in Tampa Wednesday evening, gives us a bravura performance with just a few hiccups.

The story offers up a Greek mythology redux, starring Icarus — the boy who flew too close to the sun. Icarus damages his manmade wings and falls (quite enchantingly) back to earth. In this version, instead of drowning he lands in a magical forest where kaleidoscopic creatures investigate on this odd new arrival.

The word “Varekai,” by the way, means “wherever” in the Romani language of the gypsies, but the show does not just take the audience to some unknown destination. Instead, it leads everyone into a colorful and mysterious forest with towering reeds, tangled canopies and ethereal music.

Varekai, as one would expect from a Cirque du Soleil show, is a feast for the eyes and ears. The storytelling relies heavily on enchanting gypsy music, dances and gibberish dialogue. The lovely set and fantastic costumes are more than visually appealing.

As with any other Cirque productions, the acrobatics are simply stunning. An easy crowd favorite was when Icarus does a beautiful routine where he is wrapped and unwrapped in a flexible netting while suspended midair. While in the forest, Icarus falls in love with one of the creatures, The Betrothed, who also demonstrates her unparalleled grace while hand-balancing on canes.

Despite the acrobatic virtuosity and gasp-worthy stunts, there's certainly a lot more downtime than expected, and the show is not easy to follow. The transitions are not seamless, interrupted by antics that ruin the continuity. The interruptions are jarring and take you out of Varekai's magical world. At one point, there was a break in the gibberish language to use English in a scene with The Skywatcher and The Guide. The Skywatcher's prolonged scene has him acting like a peddler fiddling with a bicycle cart of sorts while eccentric sound effects accompany his gestures.

The epic clowning duo of Stephen Bishop and Emily Carragher, however, provide a pleasant digression. In one act, looking like the ultimate Vegas lounge lizard, Bishop sings “Ne Me Quitte Pas” while hilariously chasing the spotlight. He scrambles through the crowd and back into an audience member’s lap in his pursuit of the elusive spotlight.

Back to the mysterious forest: Icarus and The Betrothed get married while a group of men in muscle suits ends the show with the Cirque favorite, the Russian swings. The gasp-worthy airborne somersaults keeps the audience at the edge of their seats for the show's big finale.

More photos from the performance below:

This article appears in Aug 6-12, 2015.