The 12 Reasons You Need to See LUZIA by Cirque du Soleil Before November 10!
LUZIA by Cirque du Soleil has been playing under the Big Top at eagle Farm to standing ovations and more oohs and ahhs than ever before!
With extraordinary acrobatic performances, LUZIA brings traditional and contemporary circus disciplines to a whole new level. Cyr Wheel artists perform the unprecedented feat of rolling and spinning under the rain, while an aerialist suspended from a Trapeze flies and twirls through pouring showers. Hoop Diving is taken onto gigantic treadmills, expanding exponentially the speed and amount of daring leaps executed. A powerful Aerial Straps specialist defies the laws of gravity at the centre of a cenote (natural sinkhole), a juggler tosses seven pins at breakneck speed, and two football freestylers deftly mix street dance with mind-blowing ball manipulation. LUZIA unfolds as a stunning kaleidoscope of colour, sound and gravity-defying feats, with 47 artists from 26 countries wearing 1000 costumes, and the story, it’s a tribute to Mexico, exploring some of the deep and rich myths and characters of the country through colour, performance and music, all of which is played live. A magic moment is the RAIN WALL, a first for a Cirque du Soleil touring production.
Written and directed by Daniele Finzi Pasca, LUZIA invites people to an imaginary Mexico, like in a waking dream, where light (“luz” in Spanish) quenches the spirit, and rain (“lluvia”) soothes the soul. In a series of grand visual surprises and breathtaking acrobatic performances, LUZIA takes audiences on a surrealistic journey through a vibrant world filled with wonders, playfulness and striking artistry. Smoothly passing from an old movie set to the ocean, to a smoky dance hall or an arid desert, LUZIA cleverly brings to the stage multiple places, faces and sounds of Mexico taken from both tradition and modernity.
What’s more, one of the lead artists in LUZIA is Queensland’s own Helena Merten! LUZIA travels with a team of 120 people, including 47 artists, from 26 different countries and is the 10th Big Top show to visit Australia in 25 years.
HERE’s 12 reasons why you NEED to see LUZIA before the Big Top comes down:
1. You’ll LUZIA Yourselves Between Dream and Reality
You’ll absolutely LUZIA yourselves in this show! Moving from an old movie set to the ocean, to a smoky dance hall to a vast desert via a kaleidoscope of colour, light and sound, you are guided by light (‘luz’ in Spanish) and rain (‘lluvia’), with breathtaking visual surprises and gob-smacking acrobatic performances; enjoy the dream ride!
2. The Butterfly Effect
Picture this: as the morning sun rises, a woman and a giant metallic horse run together to awaken an imaginary world of colour and wonder. The Running Woman (who happens to be Queenslander Helena Merten!) spreads her “butterfly wings” in a tribute to the annual migration of the monarch butterfly from southern Canada to central Mexico… this scene is so powerful you’ll be goose bumped from head to toe!
3. There’s Gob-Smacking Acrobatic Performances!
You really do have to see it to believe it! Incredible acrobatic acts like the high-speed Cyr wheel with artists spinning across the stage, the gravity-defying hand-balancing act and the unbelievable contortionist (known as the world’s most flexible human!) will leave everyone gasping in amazement. You’ll LUZIA your mind ().
4. The Wonder of Water
One of the many reasons LUZIA is so special, is because it’s the first Big Top show to feature water. There’s a breathtaking water wall and a giant cenote (water-filled sinkhole) that artists perfrom in, under, over and around. In on stunning sequence, a curtain of rain falls on the stage, creating the perfect canvas for projections as aerialists perform.
5. It’s Just So Beautiful
From the moment you enter the Big Top, you are colour-bombed in the most incredible way. Then, the show begins with a field of 5,000 Cempasuchil flowers in bloom. These flowers are the Mexican or Aztec Marigold, and from now on, will be your new shared bloom of choice! You’ll be oohing and ahhing about LUZIA for a long time after you leave the Big Top!
6. There’s an Extraordinary Blooming Love Dress
You absolutely won’t believe your eyes when a dress magically turns from white to red, literally blooming on stage. Here’s a fun fact: to make the dress ‘bloom’, the clever people at C:LAB (the creative lab at Cirque du Soleil) fitted the dress with 61 white, individually programmed flowers, each one with a small motor. When the flowers open their petals, they reveal their red interior – it’s a magical metamorphosis. PS. The dress weighs a whopping 9kg!
7. There’s 1,000 costume pieces in the show
It’s a masterclass in costuming and colour.
8. It’s Really Really Funny – LUZIA’s LOLs
The humour through LUZIA is playful, spontaneous and clever! The Traveler (a clown character) interacts with artists, the audience and even the water (!).
9. The Music is ALL Live!
The music of LUZIA makes audiences smile, tap their feet and clap their hands! It is a mixture of ancient and modern Mexican sounds infused with the brassy notes of tubas and trumpets and the suave melodies of the Spanish guitar, all driven forward by the relentless percussion and drums. And it’s all LIVE, enjoy
10. There’s Incredible Animal Puppets and Characters
Huge, lifelike and breathtaking – the jaguar that prowls the stage and the horse that gallops are so mesmerising, it’s magic. Then there’s the performer who mimics the movements of a hummingbird, the high-flying straps artist, suspended above a giant cenote (water-filled sinkhole), who flies like a bird, and of course the stunning monarch butterfly – it’s all creatures great and tall!
11. Yep, There’s a Football Dance!
You won’t believe the skill! Football is highly celebrated in Mexico and in this act two men try to out-skill each other. They make the ball bounce, roll and spin using their knees, feet, soles and the back of their neck. Call the Olympic selectors!
12. It Really Is Magic Under the Grand Chapiteau
Nothing compares to seeing a show under Cirque du Soleil’s Grand Chapiteau. Inside both French and English is spoken, you can even opt for the VIP experience and sip on bubbles and nibble on tasty LUZIA-inspired treats. Even finding your seats is an adventure to remember as artists mingle, and the music begins. LUZIA is infused with themes of transformation, wonder and joy. The show’s finale, with all performers coming together in a vibrant, celebratory dance, will leave you both feeling fantastic. Try and stay seated during the finale – bet you can’t!
LUZIA by Cirque du Soleil runs to November 10
Under the Big Top next to the Royal Queensland Golf Club, off Curtin Ave East
WEBSITE AND TICKETS www.cirquedusoleil.com/Luzia