![\"Photo](\"http:\/\/itsnotaboutme.tv\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/23385_TORUK_120515_AllentownPA-9485_ORIGINAL1.jpg\")
<\/a>Photo by Jesse Faatz, as is the big one at the top of this page.<\/p><\/div>\n
As many of you know, (especially if you read my December Holiday Gift Guide,) I\u2019m a huge fan of all things Cirque. But this one takes the cake! Toruk<\/em> is a huge departure for them. Outside of the beauty, creativity, and athletics, it\u2019s something I\u2019ve never seen before. Toruk<\/em> is the most visually ambitious show Cirque has ever offered us! I found myself uttering \u201cWow\u201d every few minutes. My friend kept commenting on it all<\/em>, (in glowing terms, of course,) but I was too awed to respond. (But no worries\u2014every superlative in the book was running through my mind, so get ready to read them all here!)<\/p>\n Photo by Jesse Faatz.<\/p><\/div>\n Toruk<\/em> was inspired by the film Avatar<\/em>, so it\u2019s a full start-to-finish story. I\u2019ve never seen that movie, but it\u2019s totally not a requirement to do so beforehand. And, quite honestly, with Cirque shows, I never care about the tale they\u2019re telling. It\u2019s all about the unbelievably exquisite and ingenious visuals for me. There\u2019s never anything like it anywhere else in the arts. The Cirque du Soleil folks are the most creative people on the face of the planet! No hyperbole\u2014that\u2019s just a fact. The rest of us earthlings are blessed to just be witnesses to their collective genius.<\/p>\n Photo by Jesse Faatz.<\/p><\/div>\n But, if you\u2019re curious about the narrative, this is how the press release describes it, so much better than I can: \u201cToruk–The First Flight<\/em> is a mythical tale set thousands of years before the events depicted in the film Avatar<\/em>, and before any humans ever set foot on Pandora.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen a natural catastrophe threatens to destroy the sacred Tree of Souls, Ralu and Entu, two Omatikaya boys on the brink of adulthood, fearlessly decide to take matters into their own hands. Upon learning that Toruk can help them save the Tree of Souls, they set out, together with their newfound friend Tsyal, on a quest high up in the Floating Mountains to find the mighty red and orange predator that rules the Pandoran sky. Prophecy is fulfilled when a pure soul rises among the clans to ride Toruk for the first time and save the Na\u2019vi from a terrible fate.\u201d<\/p>\n Photo by Jesse Faatz.<\/p><\/div>\n My friend tried to follow the story a bit, but I didn\u2019t, because, to me, it wasn\u2019t important. (But, if you\u2019re an Avatar<\/em> fan, of which there are many, you will love<\/em> it!) I didn\u2019t even really care about the physical feats this time. This one was all about getting lost in the visuals. And I absolutely adored<\/em> the magnificent music! If I heard it in a club, I\u2019d be dancing all night!<\/p>\n Photo by Jesse Faatz.<\/p><\/div>\n One aspect of Toruk<\/em> that I wish I had known going in, (because Mr. X gets too nervous seeing dangerous acts, so he would not come with me, which I\u2019ve been miserable about ever since I saw it and now know he had nothing to be fearful of,) is that this show has no real danger<\/em> acts; only astonishing ones! And there are no real \u201cvariety\u201d acts, like the trapeze, the tightrope, and someone climbing sky-high chairs. And also no clowns (thankfully, for me–I’m not scared<\/em> of them–I just hate<\/em> them, maybe because of an experience I had when I<\/em> was in a circus. But that\u2019s a story for another time.) While it does<\/em> feature several daring and exciting performances, (like aerial silks and a bit of acrobatics and balancing,) that’s not the main feature of this production. It’s much more about the spectacular, amazing, and stunning effects.\u00a0 And the cleverness, too. The ingenious \u201cpuppets,\u201d the stunning projections, and the unbelievable visual effects are what it\u2019s all about with this one. And as an example of the non<\/em>-danger this time, one of the most mesmerizing parts of the show is a boomerang and kite act! Who could have imagined that<\/em>?! I\u2019ve really never before experienced anything quite like this show.<\/p>\n Photo by Jesse Faatz.<\/p><\/div>\n Toruk<\/em> does have a few of the attributes of all the Cirque du Soleil shows that I\u2019ve been fortunate enough to see. One is that there\u2019s constant movement. Performers flip and jump at the drop of a hat (or of a codpiece, in this case); part of the set is even disguised trampolines. (My friend said, \u201cOh look\u2014they must be rubber!\u201d Duh.) Another is that, all of a sudden, characters are right next to you, speaking from the audience. I know it\u2019s a bit corny, but it is<\/em> always fun to witness. (At one point, my friend whispered, \u201cI don\u2019t know where to look first!\u201d)<\/p>\n Photo by Jesse Faatz.<\/p><\/div>\n And this time, there\u2019s a technological innovation\u2014an interactive app! (And it\u2019s free.<\/em>) They somehow \u201cnotify\u201d you when it\u2019s time to hold up your phone, which you do facing out. When the audience does it ensemble, it looks like there are stars, etc., in the audience! Very cool. But for me, as fun as it was, it was more than a bit distracting. I always want everyone in an audience to put their phones away for an entire show, (which they rarely do, anyway) so this gave them an excuse to keep them out, and do everything from checking their emails to texting, to even recording the show!!! (I can’t tell you how many people were doing that<\/em>! Shame on them.) And the added visuals were so not necessary; the show is so fluid and captivating that even people with ADD will be spellbound by it, without needing any extras! But if you do<\/em> want to take advantage of that\u00a0perk, just make sure that your phone is fully charged going in.<\/p>\n Photo by Jesse Faatz.<\/p><\/div>\n So, you are nutty if you have the opportunity to see Toruk<\/em> and miss it. I swear, I don\u2019t usually see shows twice, but I\u2019m so sad that Mr. X missed out on this beauty the other night, that I really want to take him to see it on Sunday. Which means that I will have seen Toruk<\/em> twice in four days! And that will be just the perfect way to spend the day after<\/em> my birthday. I\u2019ll have gotten my wish!<\/p>\n Toruk\u2014The First Flight<\/em> running through January 15, 2017 \u00a0(The day after my b-day!!!)<\/strong> CIRQUE DU SOLEIL\u2019S TORUK\u2014THE FIRST FLIGHT Stop what you\u2019re doing this very instant, and order tickets for Cirque du Soleil\u2019s Toruk\u2014The First Flight! If you\u2019re in Los Angeles, you have the opportunity for this week-end only, and then they travel elsewhere in the country, so check-out their website at the bottom of this review for<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>
\n The Forum \u00a0 3900 W. Manchester Blvd. \u00a0Inglewood \u00a0www.cirquedusoleil.com.toruk<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"