Zoe is bored with life. Fueled by her parents’ indifference, the young girl escapes into a magical world of fantasy, where acrobats dance suspended in the air, and where men juggling hats and umbrellas and dance effortlessly.
This is the story that drives Cirque du Soleil’s show “Quidam,” and audience members were allowed entry in to Zoe’s dreamlike world Thursday night at the Matthew Knight Arena. With an equal balance of dark and light, “Quidam” emitted an array of emotions. There were clowns that made us laugh, acrobats whose extreme movements made our mouths drop and human juggling that made our palms sweat.
The music, composed of a live band in the background, drove the moods of the night. Hard rock increased drama, while soft, melodic voices allowed the audience to contemplate the beauty of the dancers and acrobats. Fun, silly music colored the inviting chaos of jump roping, flips and hula-hoop tricks. The show was well crafted and played around with silly and serious elements, allowing an audience of all ages to enjoy it.
At the end of the show, Zoe reaches an epiphany: her life isn’t as boring as she once thought. After experiencing a world so spectacular, Zoe is happy. And after traveling along with her, so are we.