'Zarkana': Cirque du Soleil debuts new gamble in NY

Mariano Andrade AFP 06/29/2011 17:55

Like a cocktail with a dash of "Alice in Wonderland" and a splash of "Rocky Horror," Cirque du Soleil's highly acrobatic, dream-like spectacular "Zarkana" opens this week with its world premiere in New York.

The show is a flashy rock opera that mixes bold acrobatic showmanship, powerful live music, and a balanced use of video effects -- a heady mix filling Radio City Music Hall's towering stage that matches Canadian director Francois Girard's surrealist vision.

In a show some have compared at times to a dream or a nightmare, a magician named Zark (played by Paul Besson) appears in a shining red suit on an abandoned-theater set. With music setting the tone, gravity seems to disappear as performers rise and fly, soar and fall.

"Zarkana" may have a bit of something for everyone: the show boasts poetry by Erika Chen; there is speed on the "Wheel of Death" segment with brothers Ray and Rudy Navas Velez; art with its "Flags" installation; harmony in its "Rope Duet," featuring Di Wu and Jun Guo; and sky-high jaw-droppers "High Wire" and "Trapeze."

These are just some of the things Zark experiences as he sets out on a quest to find his lost love through a changing world inhabited by a bevy of bizarre creatures and dangerous ladies.

The high-flying tricks are nicely interwoven with Zark's journey, as he crosses lands ruled by "Mandragora" the flower woman, "Kundalini" the snake woman, and "Tarantula" the spider woman. A third character, "Pickle Lady," is only heard and not seen.