Cirque du Soleil - Alegria

"All photo and video cameras are strictly prohibited."

That's what our tickets said, and they were serious about it, for at the door they were asking to see in our bags. So I'll have to tell you, rather than show you, about my afternoon with Tim at the Santa Ana Star Center, where we saw the Cirque du Soleil show, "Alegria."

It was really a beautiful show, and something I'll always remember. Imagine, if you will, trapeze artists performing breath-taking synchronized acts in mid-air; fire dancers; contortionists; jugglers; ballet dancers; acrobats; trampoline, bungee cord and gymnastic-ring artists; and clowns - all of them dressed in elaborate costumes and wearing fascinating painted faces.

One of the most incredible acts was the one where acrobats were thrust high into the air from a flexible board (at most 6" wide), where they performed in-air acrobatic feats and then landed, amazingly, time and again, back on that narrow springy board, which was perched on the shoulders of two fellow-performers. That act and others made me think about the high level of trust that these risk-taking performers, in the spotlight, must have in their partners who, though less flamboyant, have critical roles.

The lighting, the colors, the action that was happening all over the stage (and sometimes off the stage) was almost hypnotizing. The music was haunting, and the story line was, at times hilarious, and at other times thought-provoking.

I want to thank Tim for sharing his extra ticket with me. And thanks to his supervisor, as well, who gave Tim the tickets. We saw the show from one of HP's suites, which made it even more special!

You can view a trailer of the show HERE.