Cirque Dreams

DAILY BREEZE
Torrance, California
DECEMBER 2004

THEATER REVIEW

Circus Fans will Find a Dream Come True at Redondo Center

By JEFF FAVRE
Daily Breeze

When Neil Goldberg brought his Cirque Ingenieux to Southern California five years ago, it seemed the country was overrun with European-style circuses, each trying to compete with the giant that is Cirque du Soleil. 

These days, most of the smaller competitors have been left stranded by the wayside. But Goldberg's productions continue to thrive. The creator of Cirque Productions -- the only major American company producing European circuses -- has brought his latest, Cirque Dreams, to the Redondo Beach Performing Art Center.

And just as with Cirque Ingenieux, Goldberg and his troupe clearly display why they weathered the glut of similar shows. Cirque Dreams is two hours of imaginative, funny and often breathtaking action that can be equally enjoyed by children and adults. As a stage show, it suffers a few spatial limitations compared with the big tent performances of Cirque du Soleil, but Goldberg's detailed fantasy world and high talent level more than make up for it.

The loose framing device for the show is a man going to sleep and experiencing wild dreams.

The dreams are the various circus acts, each accompanied by Luly, an American singer dressed in gold from head to foot, and singing an imaginary language set to French-style synthesized pop.

The performances are the type you would expect, though most are first rate.

Byambasuren and Byambajav Janchivdorj of Mongolia are perhaps the most twisted contortionists to make an audience wince in empathy. Their last move made it impossible to tell which limb belonged to which woman.

The trio of Russian strong men, Sergey Parshin, Alexander Tolstikov and Sergei Slavski, lifted each other into pyramids that seemed to defy gravity.

Russian Yevgen Vilkovskyy did acrobatics on a ladder of chairs that stretched to the ceiling.

The hit of the show was Russian Victor Dodonov, who balanced on a series of mismatched cylinders and blocks 15 feet above the ground. If he hadn't started to fall at the end of one trick, with blocks and cylinders flying to the ground, you would have been sure that the objects were glued together.

The clowning was whimsical without becoming too lengthy. The best bit, Symphony of Bells, was performed by audience members and conducted with great humor by Russian Iouri Klepatsky. The music, as well, as Luly's frequent maniacal laughs, are occasionally distracting. A couple of the high-wire performances lack originality. And the dream theme isn't used to its full potential.

But those few negatives aside Cirque Dreams is well crafted entertainment that will satisfy circus lovers or those simply looking for a night of escapist fun.