We have all had that dream before. That feeling of floating, walking on the clouds. Fueled by popcorn and cotton candy, the new Cirque du Soleil 20th big top show, “Echo”, brings that dream to reality.
Just a few short blocks from Oracle Park in San Francisco, the swirling blue and white tent stretches to the sky. You might be thinking that if you have seen one Cirque show, you’ve seen them all. Though the formula is similar, Echo has found a new way to think outside, around, through and inside the literal box.
The show revolves around a massive cube symbolizing a planet. Future, the show’s protagonist, travels through the fantasy planet, meeting people and animals. Driven by the spirit of collaboration, they join forces to rebuild their planet little by little and create a better world. Each act in the show has a piece of the cube that Future must collect to make the world whole again.
Many times, the performance felt more like an interactive experience, rather than a basic Cirque show. From billowing fog engulfing the audience to performers in white paper animal masks on wires gliding over spectators’ heads, Echo immerses the audience in a fantasy world.
Amazing feats of strength, balance and death-defying performances, which most cirque goers have become accustomed to, flow through the show, weaving Future’s story.
Performers walk out the 24-foot puppet created by Studio Artefact during a performance of Cirque du Soleil’s ‘Echo’ in San Francisco. (Chris Riley/Times-Herald)
Jaws dropped as a 24-foot, 3D printed puppet, created by StudioArtefact, burst from the cube and commanded the stage. The interaction with Future was a thing of beauty as she was lifted into the air to get a close look into the giant’s eyes.
With the cube planet, now hollow inside, after the emergence of the incredible puppet, the show returns from intermission with two slackliners inhabiting the space. Crisscrossing from corner to corner, the duelling acrobats walked the lines, twisting and flipping as the cube slowly rotated. Backed by gorgeous live music, the entire show is a cinematic treat.
“The creative intention for ECHO was to try and create something our fans haven’t experienced yet in a big top,” said the Director of ECHO, Mukhtar Omar Sharif Mukhtar.
Piece by piece, the fantasy world is recreated. From contortionists to women swinging from their hair, even Future’s trusty companion, a dog, had a very impressive juggling act, and all had a piece of the new planet to contribute.
The final monochromatic display hints at the vision of a vintage pop-up book with the majority of the animal-masked performers, all in white, taking their place inside the cube. The picturesque view brought many to their feet, who now felt like they were part of the heroic story.
Whether you are a seasoned pro in the Cirque world or a newbie looking to see something amazing, “Echo” ticks all the right boxes.
Performances run almost every day through Jan. 18.
For more information, visit www.cirquedusoleil.com.
Acrobats hang by their hair as they perform during Cirque du Soleil’s ‘Echo’ in San Francisco. (Chris Riley/Times-Herald)