Kooza

On the first weekend of the quarter, a bunch of us went to see the Cirque du Soleil show Kooza. It was awesome, sort of residual holiday fun spilling over into the beginning of school. While the day was gloomy and rainy, I couldn't help but smile when I saw the big top circus tent. They had clowns doing a hilarious pre-show show with slapstick humor (vacuuming popcorn as someone was about to eat it, checking the bald guy's wig). I loved the atmosphere; the costumes were bright and fun, the live music was fantastic, the circular stage was like an old-time circus. The acts were unbelievable and entertaining; they started off with jaw-dropping contortionists, a little creepy and breathtaking, like something out of a dream. I can't understand how their bodies are able to make such shapes, but it was very artistic. The other acts were just as remarkable: a trapeze, a unicycle, a highwire (with jump-roping and leapfrogging). They had the most amazing juggler, doing beautiful and mindboggling patterns with bowling pins, rings, and balls. I really enjoyed the pickpocket, a stunning performance of showmanship, trickery, and humor where he managed to take an audience member's watch, wallet, and even necktie without him realizing. I'd seen the watch steal before, but this took it to another level. The ending was this catapulting extravaganza with people flying through the air. The plot made no sense, but that's okay. It was cool. The group was awesome (thanks to Steph for organizing!) and it was a really fun evening.

Image shown under fair use, taken from Wikipedia.