Rating: 
Summary: Awesome
Review: We caught Dralion when the show was in Minneapolis and it was just breathtaking. I got the DVD yesterday and it reminded me just how good this show is. The picture and sound quality are very, very good. I enjoyed the extra's on the dvd as well. The makingof Dralion really gives you an incite to how the show was produced and all the effort that went into it.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic performance, fantastic extras!
Review: If you're a Cirque fan, you'll expect a great performance, and you won't be disappointed. I saw this performance on pay-per-view, and pre-ordered the DVD. I received it yesterday! The acts are terriffic- the Juggler is amazing, hand balancing, trapeze, I don't want to leave them all out, but it's simply one great act after another. I will be catching this performance live when they come to New York in the spring! Can't wait!!!If you're a DVD extras fan, you'll be even more pleased! They put a making-of featurette on the disc, along with several acts in multi-angle! There are some trailers for Quidam (still my favorite, but only by a small margin), Dralion, and some other stuff. This one is a must for any Cirque fan!
Rating:
Summary: Move Over Ringling Brothers,B. & B.
Review: If Ringling Brothers is the "greatest show on earth" than Cirque Du Soleil is the ultimate show on earth. Always pushing and reinventing the circus, Cirque always finds a way to top themselves. The ballet of lights is first in circus history. Handbalancing and contortions on lighted lightbulbs. The show blends traditional Chinese circus with the ambitions and advant garde that Cirque Du Soleil is known and famous for. The clowns are terrific! This is definately a must for any Cirque Du Soleil fan.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely mesmerizing!
Review: You know the old saying, "It's all because his parents never took him to the circus?" The younger of my two sons had not been to a circus, until we had the chance to enter the magic of the blue and yellow tent on the banks of the Mississippi River in Minneapolis. I think it was worth waiting almost 11 years for him to see the version of circus otherwise known as Cirque du Soleil. All the elements of a traditional circus are here--the jugglers, the clowns, the acrobats and high wire artists, even the animal acts. You will have to think outside the box to recognize some of them, however, and that is the joy of Cirque's unique show. This particular show focuses on the four elements and many versions of world beat music and dance are displayed. The acrobats and high wire artists are amazing, especially the very young girl who is a hand balancer. The clowns are completely hilarious, and though hard-pressed to choose a favorite of all the amazing acts, my kids liked their brand of slapstick. Viktor, the juggler, is so unique that it took me a while to equate his performance with standard juggling acts, he was so hypnotic to see. Everything in this show is incomparable and totally enjoyable, from the staging to the music, which was live at the tent, to the performers themselves. My husband, who would never be caught dead in a place like Vegas, discovered they have two permanent acts there, and is ready to book a flight! If you are not able to see one of their shows live, be sure to catch them on screen. I know we'll enjoy re-living the immediacy of their show on the small screen at our house, even if we never get to Vegas!
Rating:
Summary: In a word - - WOW!
Review: I've never seen a Cirque du Soleil show before and was apprehensive on dropping $100+ on something I wouldn't enjoy so I caught this on pay-per-view. Wow - what an amazing show! Some of the most incredible acts I have ever seen with a wonderful asian and middle-eastern influenced soundtrack. A combination of both circus and theater with elaborate lighting, sets and costumes. Now I'm just sorry I saw it on the small screen before seeing it live. I immediately called up my dad and told him it's a must-see as they will be travelling to his area in the next month or two. I, unfortunately, missed the show when it was in my area and will have to settle for the DVD. Hmmm... it has been a while since I've seen my dad...
Rating:
Summary: Dralion is Magical!
Review: My family and I saw Dralion on pay per view and were totally mesmerized. It's an amazing show. The clown act is hilarious and all the other acts are definitely spectacular, to say the least. I wanted to get the dvd immediately, but unfortunately at that time it was not yet available. I will definitely preorder it now. It's a must have for any family dvd collection.
Rating:
Summary: RIDICULOUSLY THE BEST!!
Review: I just went to see Dralion Live a couple of days ago. We pruchased the VIP package to get the royal treatment and best seats. THIS SHOW IS PURELY HYPNOTIC, SURREAL, ARTISTIC, AND VISUALLY STUNNING. The music is phenomenal. The acts were very neat and the dancers all had distinct personalities that were really cool (hats off to the Indian dancer -- she was so graceful that she seemed to float) I dont care much for clowns and they even had me laughing. I am definitely pre-ordering this DVD just to relive what I can of this event. Its impossible to capture everything from one camera angle (camera angle shifting within a live event hasnt been invented yet -- why did i go through that time machine) but it will still be worth seeing. If it comes to your city -- this is one of life's little experiences worth living. It is definitely one of the top 10 things ive seen in person in terms of entertainment value. If you can't afford it or it's not touring anywhere near you then buy this on DVD or VHS.
Rating:
Summary: Mesmerizing
Review: The acrobats are stunning. It is amazing to watch what human beings are capable of doing with their bodies.
The theme of this particular performance is Chinese and while the music was versatile, perhaps strangely, there was even no inkling of Chinese music.
You'll get to see some out-of-this world juggling, contortionists, one-hand balancing acrobat, incredible rope skipping, breath-taking high-flying teeterboard act, and much more. A feast for the senses.
Rating:
Summary: HOW DO THEY DO IT?
Review: Dralion is the third video I've watched of the Cirque du Soleil series. For those of you not familiar with Cirque, it is seems to be a mergence of extremely well done circus acts, sans the animals, in a floor show format. Indeed, two versions of Cirque shows are currently holding forth in showrooms in prominent Las Vegas Hotels. I say versions because that's what they are. Unlike a play which can be replicated by different actors, Cirque is limited by what each particular performer does. This is both a weakness and a strength of Cirque and they have taken advantage of the strength to create multiple renditions, each with a different theme, music etc.
Cirque du Soleil originated in France in 1982 with a group of street entertainers performing for pedestrians. They proved to be so popular that new troupes were formed and finally went indoors in a circus/show format. Eventually the shows evolved into larger and larger productions, some of which could be considered extravaganzas (you don't perform Vegas with an organ grinder and a monkey).
Cirque du Soleil is now internationalized with performers from all over the globe, performing all over the world and for those who cannot see a show in person there are now numerous videos, which though probably not as exciting as being there in person, actually give one a better feel for the performances, with the closeups and varying shots. And how would I describe the shows? Well I can only speak for the three videos I have seen, Dralion, Alegria and Journey of ?Man.
Dralion like all Cirque du Soleil performances is a visual and audio treat. Unlike conventional circus's which utilize as many as three rings, Cirque uses only a single techno oriented ring with multi colored lighting. The sets are gorgeous and the costumes are as colorful as flowers in spring. In Dralion the singers along with the music, a form of world New Age, were so mesmerizing, that I wouldn't mind getting the sound track. The clown skits were both unusual and funny. The circus acts ranged from intricate jump roping to jaw dropping trapeze acts with much in between. It seems each act has a little different slant on what you have seen in the past. For me the most amazing acts were a juggler, named Viktor, of such unique style and expertise that it was mind boggling and a lady on her back flipping around a parasol on edge with her feet, amazing but believe me all the circus acts were imaginative and entertaining. There was one thing I didn't understand though. A couple times a giant hollow wheel was ushered out, for what I know not. It had nothing to do with any performance and was only out a minute or two and rolled back. It just seemed odd to this observer. Also the Chinese style simulated Dragons and Lions didn't play a very prominent part considering the show was named after them.
CONCLUSION
Being forced to create varied and divergent shows seems to have been a blessing. This means that audiences that have seen one version of Cirque and like it, would be likely to visit others, or as an alternative buy or rent the many videos. These videos would even be entertaining for children.
This particular show/video, Dralion, obviously a melding of Dragon with Lion, was filmed in Asia and a majority of performers were Asian. This leads me to believe that, even though some members were from Canada, each troupe performs mostly in their geographical area. Hence the videos allow audiences world wide to view these wonderful shows in the intimacy of their own homes. In summary I would strongly recommend this or any Cirque video for family viewing.
Rating: 
Summary: Not Cirque
Review: This show is way too culture-specific to be a Cirque show. The singers tend to interrupt everything by singing so much. The music was more like noise to me and that is because the singers wouldn't stop singing. If there had been a few instrumental songs like other Cirque shows, I'd have enjoyed this show a bit more. Cirque shows were about dreams and fantasy. They didn't directly point out cultures, though they made indirect references to them. There is no "up and down" to the emotion in the show. There's just lots of noise and energy from begining to end which gets annoying. So its way too much "up." Other cirque shows are "softer" and allow time for relaxing and soothing, low-energy moments.
|
