Search - Cirque du Soleil - Varekai on DVD

Out of this world

Laura De Giorgio | Canada | 12/05/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The acrobats are amazing, costumes and music make you feel as if you were dreaming. As stunning as this DVD is - it makes you want to see the whole thing live, and as awesome as the entire production of the show, so is the supplementary DVD containing interviews with the artists as well as all the challenges and hard work that went into producing this masterpiece.

The drama of this performance takes place deep within a forest, in an extraordinary world where just about anything is possible. The story begins with the fall of Icarus (from Greek mythology), where a romantic interest develops between him and one of the inhabitants of this world - a caterpillar who by the end of the show turns into a butterfly. While they are attempting to be together, numerous inhabitants of this world attempt to stand in their way, though in the end they manage to get married and there is a big celebration.

The entire production, including all the creative elements is a fruit of teamwork, where each artist contributed not only acrobatic skills, but also creativity.

Beside the extraordinary acrobats, dancers and musicians, from all over the world, there are several humorous and very creative clowns - the one that introduces the show is in a way an overseer of the inhabitants, an inventor, and quite a character."

Simply Sublime

CodeMaster Talon | Orlando, FL United States | 08/16/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"My sister surprised me with tickets to see "Varekai!" in San Francisco a couple of months ago, and even though I love Cirque du Soleil and have seen many of their shows I was still totally blown away.

"Varekai!" has many of the familiar trademarks of the Cirque; the juggler, the comedy relief, the girl doing insane balancing tricks on some sort of pole/stand/etc. But this time around things are distinctly more colorful. The sets are designed to mimic a tropical rainforest, and the costumes are a cross between the brightest insects and animals of nature and Venice at Carnival time. There is also a heavier emphasis on dancers, particularly Gypsy and Romanian dancing. The results are spectacular.

While the full impact of the show cannot be felt by watching the DVD (there was one stunning sequence involving waltzing fireflies that simply does not come across on video), it is still well worth buying. The comedy is hilarious (we can thank the Cirque for actually making clowns funny instead of vaguely disturbing) and the music several notches above past Cirque endeavors. "Varekai!" is my favorite Cirque show (I've seen all of them except "O") and I highly highly recommend buying the DVD if you can't go see the actual show. Three cheers for a job well done and for a circus that continues to provide innovative and enchanting entertainment."

Extraordinary!

Manny Hernandez | Bay Area, CA | 12/26/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have seen two Cirque Du Soleil videos and one of their live shows in my life. Only they can top themselves, and with "Varekai", they did it once more. The show is based on the Greek myth of Icarus, imagining what may his life have been like after he fell during his flight, upon getting too close to the sun. The magical combination of clowns, dance, acrobatics, gymnastics and music in a fantastic stage filled with surprises, inevitably draws you in and captivates you throughout the entire show, which lasts short of two hours.

If the show is not enough for you, the second DVD is loaded with interviews with the artists (lots of whom are Russian, in case you want to know), the making of the show (a 45+ minute long documentary) and many more features that make this DVD set well worth your time and money."

I give it a 5 because of the DVD features

Manny Hernandez | 10/19/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have seen all of the Cirque shows- some in person, all on video. Without a doubt, Quidam is my favorite. Varekai comes in a close second, tied with Dralion. Interestingly enough, a LOT of what's in Varekai are acts from Dralion and Quidam. It's obvious they would put Olga's hand balancing into the show, since that's her forte', but the hand Acrobatic pas de duex- I recognize a lot of those moves right out of Quidam. Just about all Cirque shows have some sort of arial strap act (which honestly bores me), some sort of trapeze act (which I can never get tired of), some sort of hand balancing act, and a juggling number (also love them). They really did a great job at the music, and the costumes (especially in the body skating) are fantastic. Regarding the clowns, the guy is really funny, the girl (can't think of her name) brings nothing to the act. Hopefully she'll mold into a more interesting character role later.Don't get me wrong- the things I pointed out here don't make this less than an excellent show, I'm just pointing them out because this is a review. The acts are flawless and incredible, and the music and costumes are fantastic. Anyway, I gave this one a 5 because they FINALLY figured out what the DVD format is good for- extras. There's an entire second disc of extras! They packed a lot of great stuff in there- personal interviews with some of the talent (I find it amusing when John Gikley says he doesn't consider himself a clown), and making-of featurettes, multi-angle performances, etc. Bravo on the DVD features!"