Don't expect a coherent storyline from "Dralion," the Cirque du Soleil show playing through Sunday at Sullivan Arena. Although the spectacular production apparently has a backstory (more on that in a minute), it exists to entertain rather than to convey a plot.
"Spectacular" is the word, all right. The capacity crowd for Wednesday's opening night show was treated to a two-hour onslaught of jaw-dropping acrobatics, European-style clowning, brilliantly colored costumes and a hypnotic world-beat score from a live band.
Except for the 20-minute intermission, the grace and flexibility of the human form was on nonstop display. Performers flipped, rolled, danced, sang, trampolined, clowned, juggled and vaulted in complex routines that had my 8-year-old companion gasping in disbelief. Aerialists used ribbons and hoops rather than trapezes to produce routines that were both graceful and powerful.
"Power" is the best adjective for this production. Although the acrobats, contortionists and dancers were lithe and at times sensual in their movements, a raw and simmering strength informed every onstage motion.
That stage was a large circle attached by runway to a giant semicircular grid against which trampoline artists flung themselves and acrobats crawled and clung. It also featured a balcony where singers sometimes held court as acrobats performed. The lyrics (those that may have been in English) were mostly unintelligible due to the at-times-too-loud music and the Sullivan's mediocre acoustics.
Lyrics aren't the reason to attend Cirque du Soleil. Spectacle is. If you're not much for contortionists, stick around for a minute. Next thing you know, acrobats will be doing a routine with flags and banners that's sort of a cross between a Vegas floor show and a marching band's color guard.
Or the clowns will pop up again. This trio of pranksters might take some getting used to, since they're non-smilers who wear shabby black clothes and funny hairdos (the mobile comb-over is a hoot). Their vibe is a mix of mime, court jester and creepy uncle, yet they warmed up the crowd effectively and proved to be pretty limber themselves.
The title describes a cross between dragons and lions, supposedly representing the East and West. Dralions are fantasy animals that look a lot like the dragons from Chinese New Year parades. They run around a lot, and also do traditional circus animal routines with a giant ball and a teeter-totter.
A character apparently known as the Little Buddha (but looking more like a startled gingerbread boy) pops up from time to time. The colors of the acrobats' costumes apparently represent the elements of air, earth, water and fire. I say "apparently" because there is no spoken explanation and no program available, as with traditional theater. A souvenir program, which may explain this backstory, cost $15.
However, Cirque du Soleil is to be credited for avoiding the hard sell. Vendors stood near each arena entrance holding the programs but did not urge passers-by to purchase them, and the relatively small souvenir stand was tucked off the main drag. Parents who are already stretching to be able to afford the tickets, which start at $40 and go upwards of $185, will be relieved not to be bugged to shell out more.
Families weren't the only ones in attendance, though. The crowd of more than 4,200 people was made up of a wide array of ages and situations: elderly couples, middle-aged singles, folks on dates and, yes, parents with children.
One caveat: Very young children might not be able to take it all in unless you hold them on your laps or bring a booster seat. It would get frustrating to be 3 years old and unable to see all the action because of the giant grown-up bodies in front of you.
Donna Freedman, a former Anchorage Daily News staff reviewer, is an online personal finance journalist and blogs at DonnaFreedman.com.
Cirque du Soleil: Dralion
When: 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Fri. and Sat., Jan. 16-17, 1:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. Sun., Jan. 18
Where: Sullivan Arena
Tickets: $40-$195 at ticketmaster.com