Irena Begelfor

Last week, Cirque du Soleil opened their magnificent show LUZIA in the heart of the Flemington Racecourse.

The sight of the big top triggered memories of Cirque du Soleil’s previous visit to Australia during the pandemic. I vividly recall attending the opening night of KURIOS, only to discover its abrupt closure the following day. The global impact on Cirque du Soleil’s existence was undeniable. It is truly exhilarating to witness their triumphant return after such adversity.

Stepping into the world of LUZIA under the big top is like entering a whole new dimension of wonder and amazement. As the show begins, time seems to stand still with the interplay of light and rain, awakening a profound sense of spirituality. This ability to reproduce reality through a dream-like surrealism is a quality that Cirque du Soleil have mastered in numerous productions worldwide.

LUZIA combines elements of the rich Mexican culture, mythology, and nature with its vibrant colours and beautiful imagery. The main character is the Traveller who falls from the sky and gently comes down with the help of a little umbrella into a land of blooming marigolds, and majestic birds. When he turns a giant metal key, he opens a world where we travel through his imagination.

Along the way, we encounter a running woman who spreads her beautifully pigmented butterfly wings, representing the migratory journey of the monarch butterfly from southern Canada to central Mexico. Then, we meet a group of agile hummingbird acrobats, that leap through hoops. The traveller steps through a smoky dance hall, a tribute to the golden age of Mexican cinema, where three porters manoeuvre a female acrobat into a human skipping rope.

Each act in LUZIA is like its own separate show all wrapped up into one unforgettable experience. We travel through the Agave plants with dream like women dancing within giant hula hoops. Then, we watch the superior artistry of players manipulating a football, a passionate sport for the Mexican people. In a separate scene, the Peyote, known for its hallucinatory properties and grown in Mexico, is honoured in a bizarre pole dance of strange creatures.

Luzia is a show that defies expectations at every turn. One moment, you witness a demigod of rain gracefully leaping and soaring through the air, emerging from a circular pool with breathtaking aerial acrobatics. The water splashes around him as he reaches great heights, leaving an indelible impression on the audience. Then, a juggler takes the stage, skilfully manipulating numerous pins with incredible speed. The pins seem to blur into a metallic mass, creating a mesmerising visual spectacle.

Following this, a performer on a colossal swing captivates the audience by propelling himself to unimaginable heights. The swing eventually tips over, leaving the spectators in awe of the daring feat. But the surprises don’t end there. Acrobats astound with their free-falls from swing to swing, executing complex manoeuvres with apparent ease. Their agility and grace make it seem as if they are weightless. We see a contortionist, whose movements resemble that of a hypnotic snake. With seemingly impossible flexibility, his body contorts in unimaginable ways.

LUZIA’s magic is made possible through complex technical stage designs and the incredible creativity behind them. For instance, since rain is a major theme in the show, they’ve set up a water system with a rain curtain and a pool on the stage. This allows water to be used in various ways throughout the performance. The team can create the illusion of rain, and even form intricate water shapes and symbols using 178 individually controlled valves. Water is also incorporated in a funny scene where the thirsty traveller tries to catch the unpredictable rain.

Other unforgettable props include a massive disk that represents the sun, moon, and the Aztec calendar. It is suspended at the heart of the stage, weighing 2,000kg with the ability to rotate 360 degrees. Another elaborate prop is the Papel Picado, or punched paper, a cylindrical curtain that looks like an oversized lantern with cut-out characters like horses, flowers, and hummingbirds.

Speed is an important theme of LUZIA, like the Tarahumaras, a north-western native tribe known for their superior strength and agility. For superior speed, some acts are supported by giant wireless treadmills that can move in different directions and are used as launch pads to allow for swift tumbling and leaping by the acrobats.

Animals hold a special place in Mexican culture, art, and spiritual beliefs. They are featured through most of the acts whether through costumes where the acrobats morph into animals or through life-size puppets, such as the jaguar that interacts with the artist on stage.

Costumes are designed thoughtfully keeping specific colours and textures carefully crafted for each scene. Some consist of bright colours, and some are designed to represent part animal and part human like the man with the head of an armadillo, or a woman wrapped in an iguana shawl with one arm the head and the other a tail.

The audience in Cirque du Soleil’s Luzia is taken on an incredible musical journey. It’s like the soul of the show. You can feel the rhythmic beats of cumbia and flamenco guitar, creating a pulsating energy. The percussion instruments are like a constant heartbeat. The tubas and trumpets add a vibrant, brassy sound that fills the air. There is a female singer whose voice is hauntingly beautiful, and even though I didn’t understand the words she was singing in Spanish, I could feel the Latin vibe and the raw emotions that transcends language.

Today I met with Terrance, he is one of the magical hummingbirds in the performance. I asked him what makes LUZIA and Cirque shows so different from any other circus. He said: “Everything about our show is extravagant, it is a very big production, with big make-up, loud costumes, and extreme physical agility”. He added: “It is like going to watch a live version of an animation movie and making the impossible possible right in front of you.” He added “For some people, it might even be life changing”.

Luzia is a true fairy-tale brought to life, where the extraordinary becomes the norm. Each act leaves an unforgettable mark.

This review also appears on It’s On The House. Check out more reviews at Whats The Show to see what else is on in your town.

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