Cirque du Soleil: Delirium

For the last year, I've been a pretty big Cirque du Soleil enthusiast. My interest began with a Las Vegas visit in 2006, where the Mirage was promoting Love. I am a huge Beatles fan, so I wanted to see the closest thing to a Beatles concert that I would ever get to. Unfortunately, the show was sold out during its first week, so I saw Mystere instead. I was instantly hooked by the performance. It was months later when I finally saw Love for my birthday, and since then, I have been drawn into its kaleidoscopic world of music, art direction, and performance.

When I first caught wind of Delirium coming to San Diego in May of this year, I immediately purchased tickets as soon as they became available. This was to be my first non-Vegas performance, meaning I wouldn't have to make the weekend drive, as well as not seeing the show housed in a theater exclusively designed for the performance. Delirium was playing at the iPayOne Center off of Sports Arena, a venue that houses various entertainment events, including sports, and music concerts.

As with many of the other shows, Delirium presents a storyline that is open to interpretation through the various musical and acrobatic performances. The story centers on a man named Bill, who is trapped in a society where interaction is based largely on television and computers and personal contact seems infrequent. In fact, Bill is carried around most of the performance by means of a bubble that floats him to different lands, and sometimes immerses him until he begins to evolve through his experiences.

Where Delirium differs from other Cirque shows is that it is more of concert and stage show, unlike the "theater in the round" design of other touring shows. The music, being one of more standout aspects of a Cirque performance is more high energy, highlighting several musical interpretations of the other shows such as Alegria, O, and La Nouba.

What is notable about this show's particular soundtrack is the fact that it uses English lyrics. Cirque du Soleil shows usually adopt a form of gibberish for their speaking and singing parts (called "Cirquish"), which sounds like a mixture of several languages, but is unique to the individual shows. The music is a wonderful addition, resembling anything from World Music, New Age, and Rock, to even dance beats that wouldn't sound out of place in a club. Unlike other shows, the musicians and singers take center stage alongside the acrobatics, and participate along with the story.

Visuals are also an important factor in these productions, and as with the music and presentation, there are some distinct changes with this show.

Positioned on either side of the stage are huge projection screens which serve two purposes: Build onto the main action of the center stage and provide a better view for those who are not seated front and center. During the performance I attended, I was closer to one of the sides, but did not feel like I was missing the action, or that I was just watching a Cirque performance on a giant projection screen. The special effects and projection techniques used throughout the performance were impressive, and at many times, felt like one was taking part in a dream while fully awake. I found myself impressed with the level of creativity the show used to make all three "stages" a full, yet separate part of the show.

As with any Cirque show, the real "wow" factor is found in the performers themselves. Brought together from locations around the world, the best acrobats, dancers, trapeze artists, tumblers, and even clowns come together to showcase how diverse the human body really is. With any Cirque du Soleil show, the performers balance, twist, and contort their bodies in ways that don't seem physically possible, but are done with such style and elegance that it's simply jaw-dropping. Delirium does not disappoint. As I have watched these various productions both live and on DVD, I do notice that some similar acts do carry over from one production to another, but given that this is the first Cirque experience for many people in the audience, many will never notice. And for those more seasoned in watching the shows, the fact becomes irrelevant. It's still just as amazing seeing it for the first time or many times over.

Delirium is a wonderful experience for enthusiasts and newcomers alike. Cirque du Soleil attempts something new with a more concert styled performance, but still retains its unique style and attitude. Unlike most of the touring shows, which stay in a city for a few weeks, Delirium came to San Diego and was gone in a weekend's time. For those who missed out, it's worth doing a little research to find when the closest performance will be near your area again.