Mystère Cirque du Soleil

Run away with the circus of life

By Aleza Freeman

Hold on to your popcorn!

That's the first rule of Mystère. If you don't, it will likely end up everywhere, except in your mouth.

Second rule: Don't trust the clown. Otherwise you might end up like the popcorn, everywhere except in your seat.

Third and final rule (once you find your assigned seat -- with or without the clown's assistance): Sit back, relax and enjoy the performance of a lifetime. From acrobatics to zaniness, Cirque du Soleil's Mystère provides a complete spectrum of awe-inducing entertainment. Colorful sets, imaginative costumes and makeup and the unbelievable skill of the performers will have you yearning to quit your day job and run away with the circus.

Mystère premiered at Treasure Island on the Las Vegas Strip in 1993 and continues to captivate audiences with breathtaking acts like The Aerial Cube, in which a large metal cube is juggled by Paul Bowler as he soars through the air and performs a ballet, and the Korean Plank, a traditional circus act performed with a non-traditional twist by the Mystère house troupe.

Beginning with the first beat of the enormous Japanese taiko drum, it's difficult not to be swept away into the world created on stage. Chiseled performers in pristine athletic condition make skillfully honed abilities look effortless as they use arm and leg power to spring up and down between poles (Chinese Poles) or their bodies' strength to balance against one another (Hand to Hand).

Performers slither and slide across the stage or through the theater with such methodical precision that you sometimes forget they are actually people, and truly believe them to be the mythical creatures they portray. Acrobats swing from the ceilings with such ease you almost expect them to fly.

The voyage of strength, skill and flexibility is intertwined with light-hearted interplay. A gigantic baby played by Francois Dupuis haphazardly chases a large, bouncing orange ball with childlike curiosity, while the master of ceremonies, Marek Haczkiewicz, tries to bring order and structure to the chaos, with no help from the intermittently reappearing popcorn-tossing clown, portrayed by Brian Dewhurst.

Accompanying the action is a haunting soundtrack mixing rock, Celtic, African, funk and other soulful sounds performed live by musicians and singers.

Much of Mystère, described by director Franco Dragone as "a celebration of the cycle of life," takes on a circular theme, from the custom-built, semi-round theater to the globe-like ceiling adorned with art. Hand to Hand is performed atop a rotating dome. The same Taiko drum that begins the show also brings it to an abrupt end, taking the show full circle.