Out With the Old, In With La Nouba

Las Vegas is home to more than half a dozen Cirque du Soleil shows, and I've seen most of them. I've also seen some of the touring Cirque productions that have passed through Denver. But there's also a resident Cirque show in Orlando, and I got to check it out during my recent trip.

From what I've read, La Nouba has been around for more than a decade. As such, it predates the time when each new Cirque show had to have a specific theme to differentiate it from the others. It's basically just straight up Cirque du Soleil without further gimmick, not unlike Mystère in Las Vegas. If I had to put a theme to the show, I'd say it's the most conventionally "circus-like" of the productions I've seen. There's a trapeze act, a high wire act, a juggler -- many Cirque versions of circus staples.

Of those, it was actually the juggler that most captured my imagination. In all those Cirque shows I've seen, this was really the first time I'd seen a performer displaying a skill I possess to any degree. And make no mistake, I'm no great juggler; I can just keep three roundish objects going for a while without dropping any.

I think this passing familiarity gave me greater appreciation for what this guy could do. Balls, clubs, rings... five, seven at a time... sometimes while balancing a stick or bouncing a ball on his head. Around the back, under the legs, and more stunts hard to describe. And some of the more difficult things he did -- such as going one object at a time from three to nine in rapid fire succession -- didn't even get much applause because I think people didn't really understand how crazy hard it is to do.

Needless to say, I was impressed.

I thought the other most eye-catching acts in La Nouba were things I hadn't really seen in other Cirque shows. There was a pair of BMX cyclists that did a wide array of impressive stunts. And there was a trio of young girls (maybe age seven at most?) that had an elaborate performance with Diabolos (yo-yo like flywheels juggled on a string connected by two sticks).

I kept thinking through most of their act that those three Diabolo girls maybe didn't get to have much of a "childhood" with all the practicing they must surely have had to do. And that small internal conflict was amplified when they failed to complete the "grand finale" trick of their act. I've seen a performer miss on a couple of occasions during a Cirque performance; the musicians always vamp while they reset the stunt and go again. This was the first time I'd ever seen the performers fail to complete the trick a second time. Apparently, Cirque policy in this rare case is to "just move on," though in this case it meant ending the segment of the show.

They received rapturous applause both then and at the final curtain call, and that set me wondering. Were people applauding extra just because they were little girls, and the crowd was cheering a collective "we love you anyway, bless your hearts!"? Had I become jaded about the rest of the act just because they missed the one (admittedly crazy difficult) trick at the end? I may never resolve that one.

The final act was a trampoline act, at first blush similar to that you'll find in some other Cirque shows (including Mystère). What set this one apart -- and made all the difference -- was a large three story "building" on stage. Performers would use the trampolines to spring from the ground to the rooftop, "walk" up the walls, or bounce in and out of windows. It was a truly impressive array of choreography that I think lasted over five minutes, and was one of the best Cirque finales I've seen.

The rest of the show was enjoyable, but not as outstanding. I've seen versions of the aerial acrboatics, tightrope walking, and trapeze acts in other Cirque shows. These versions had their share of impressive moments, though not any signature elements to set them apart. But they would all make for an amazing experience if you haven't seen as many Cirque shows as I have.

Overall, I'd grade La Nouba a B+. It's a great choice for an evening out in Orlando, and an absolute must-see for anyone who hasn't been to Cirque du Soleil before.