WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF QUIDAM

March 9, 2011

Cirque du Soleil rolled its Quidam production into Rogers Arena Wednesday night, the first of eight shows that promise to delight and entertain. It is an adventure filled with breathtaking acrobatics, music, laughter, and an edge of gloom and fear.

The story begins with a young girl named Zoe. Unable to get attention from her distant, apathetic parents she seeks to escape her boredom, transporting herself—taking the Vancouver crowd along for the ride—into a whimsical, mystical world of her own imagination.

Bored and ignored describe the spark that ignited the imaginative world of Cirque du Soleil’s Quidam, but they certainly aren’t words that the audience would use to describe their experience during the show.

Thoroughly entertained fits the bill significantly better.

The arena slipped into an imaginary world where all quidams—nameless members of the crowd, anonymous faces—break free from the shadows and express their individuality. Zoe and the characters that she meets on her journey transfixed the crowd, drawing them in, sometimes literally.

Throughout the production several members of the audience were brought on stage for humorous scenes, including a young woman who accepted a rose and found herself accompanying an performer on an imaginary car ride and ultimately a comically doomed romance.

The music, brought to life by six musicians playing a range of instruments from the violin to the electric guitar, was perfectly synced with the performers actions, adding a dramatic effect and sometimes comedic element.

Reflecting the ever-changing, unpredictable world, the stage beneath an archway of light, transformed scene to scene.

Of course you can't talk about Cirque du Soleil without mentioning the acrobatic feats, which were aplenty and awe-inspiring on opening night. First up was the German Wheel, a metal hoop, which encircled an artist who twisted, turned, and somersaulted around the stage, defying gravity.

The Aerial Contortion in Silk was another highlight, as a female artist performed aerial acrobatics, aided by a red, silk band of fabric hanging from the archway.

Since its world premiere in Montreal under the Big Trop in April 1996, Cirque du Soleil's Quidam has toured five continents and enchanted millions of people.

The origins of Cirque du Soleil date back to 1984 in a small town near Quebec City. A group of 20 lively street performers—jugglers, stilt walkers, dancers, musicians, and the like—has morphed into the world-renowned organization and household name. Its innovative, artistic productions have entertained 100 million spectators around the globe.

Their mission to invoke imagination, provoke senses, and evoke emotions, was certainly achieved tonight. A thunderous applause greeted the end of the show as Zoe, reunited with her parents, and the characters of her imaginary world took a final bow.