Rating: 
Summary: Cirque du Soleil presents Quidam
Review: This is definitely the best Cirque DVD there is.
Let's start with the video quality:
It is so good for a minute, I thought I was in Amsterdam, (Which is where it was filmed.)The sound is so exellent I think it was better than the Big Top. I have seen Varekai (Live and not live.), Mystere, (Live), Dralion (Not Live), Quidam (Not Live), Saltimbanco (Not live), Nouvelle Experence (Not Live and Cirque Reinvente (Not live.) So out of all of the ones I haven't seen live, I think Quidam is the best.
Rating:
Summary: Never get borded watching it...
Review: I have several Cirque du Soleil performances on video (DVD and tape), and this one is my favorite. Unfortunately, I've never seen a Cirque performance live, but I will the next chance I get. Quidam is phenomenal in so many ways. The performances are amazing. Audrey's singing is amazing, forget that she's only 12. The embedded storyline is intriguing. And the music is the best I've heard from Benoit Jutras (Audrey's father for those keeping score at home). The only disappointment is that the disc cover and tech specs on the disc (...) say that the subtitles are in English and French. What they don't tell you is the subtitles are limited to the 30 seconds of words that appear in the beginning, and nothing more. I would like to have seen a translation of what she's singing, but subtitles get to be distracting anyway. Bottom line- it's spectacular!
Rating:
Summary: Cirque du Soleil's Best
Review: I was fortunate enough to see Quidam in its first American run, with the original performers and routines. I can say without hesitation that this DVD captures the beauty, and compelling aura, of the live performance - no easy feat. And in regards to the show itself, I feel strongly that it is the best Cirque du Soleil has ever offered. With a message of innocence rediscovered in a world of jaded ennui, this show opens the viewers' eyes to seeing life in a new light. Personally, I felt completely renewed after watching, and still feel the magic, thanks to the DVD. Each time I view it, I walk away renewed, and encouraged. There is not a weak act in the bunch, and several are utterly astounding - the hand-balancing stands out for its technical strength, and the contortion in silk is hauntingly beautiful. Sadly, the easy flow of the German wheel is somewhat lost in the DVD - in live performance, it was one of the best acts in the show. The clowns are as appealingly bizarre as ever. However, the real credit must go to John Gilkey, whose gangly-graceful character captures the heart. He leads the entire show with ease, guiding the production from one act to another...and his solo performances are works of art. His contribution alone makes the DVD worth owning. A last mention that makes the DVD worthwhile is that it includes music from the show that isn't included on the CD - why these pieces were left out I'll never understand.
Rating:
Summary: The best of what mankind has to offer!
Review: I think I now have every CdS DVD and have reviewed several of them, but not yet Quidam, as I have always found the words lacking for a proper review....and I still do(but will try it anyway) Let me first say that John Gilkey is brilliant as the emcee/clown. He is doing something for almost the entire show, and much of the time what he is doing is utterly amazing. One of my favorite Cirque segments is when John runs out screaming with a hula hoop. He then proceeds to do things with the hula hoop which I cannot fathom even after watching the DVD many times over. Let's just say that I do not understand how anyone can possess such control, and furthermore do it every night! John's juggling scene in which he dances with the hat rack also shows that the level of his dexterity is far beyond that of any other mortal man, as is his sense of artistry. This show is darker than the other Cirque shows, with a grimace instead of a smile on many of the performers faces. Not that it matters; just an observation. As for the acts- again, they are some of the best of any Cirque show. My personal favorite is the Statue, a music-less act where a man and a woman contort themselves with each other in a most imaginative and athletic manner. It has to be seen to be believed. The girls with the diabolos are charming. The acrobats who end the show are unbelievable, using only their arms to launch others high into the air and to catch each other. Again, this is where words fast become inadequate. I strongly recommend anyone who has read this far to purchase this DVD and see why, after 66 reviews, it still garners a 5-star review. In an era when it is en vogue to be negative, this show is a reminder that anything is possible and to never stop dreaming....so pick up the next hat of the headless wanderer you encounter:-) I must end this review by repeating what another reviewer has already said: "Towards the end of this video I was struck with the thought "if ever the human race were put on trial by extraterrestrials for their atrocities, this should be exhibit A in their defense." What else can be said?
Rating: 
Summary: Don't base your opinion of Cirque on this video
Review: It shouldn't be a surprise that Cirque du Soleil is impossible to capture on film (or tape). It can barely be contained in a tent! As a video, Quidam itself is fun -- as well done as one could hope -- but it will mean considerably less to one who never saw the show live. For those of us who have, the tape is an agreeable souvenir, but the sheer visceral impact of a Cirque show is missing. Case in point: the main-a-main, or handbalancing act. Live -- in a darkened arena, with eerie, intense sound and strange, allegorical images of death hovering overhead -- this spectacular performance becomes a metaphor for age and the human struggle against it. On the tape, it's simply two amazingly strong athletes performing a remarkable act. Impressive, but it loses all of its emotional impact. Go see Cirque live whenever, wherever you can. You'll never be disappointed (besides, every show is a little different). But I don't recommend buying a tape of a Cirque show until after you see it live -- when it can remind you of this amazing troupe's conception and performance, rather than introduce it.
Rating:
Summary: Soleil Shines!
Review: Having watched two previous productions on video(Nouvelle experience, Saltimbanco), I can honestly say that Quidam has to be the most visually and artistically stunning of the three. Unlike the first two, annoying camera angles and effects are kept to a bare minimum, except for the German Wheel act. Also, the quality of the tape itself (image and sound) is superior and comes in nice clamshell packaging. I will not bother decribing the acts when much will be lost in the translation anyway and the wonder and magic can only really be appreiciated visually in a show or on video. However, I will say this. These current group of performers touring Europe having got to be the finest I have seen. There is really no substitute for perfection and this is the one of the more impressive aspects of this show. While other shows have employed the use of safety devices ( don't get me wrong, I'm all for safety), this troup has the confidence and competence to execute their amazing stunts mostly without the use of any saftey apparatus. Maybe the degree of difficulty might be a factor, but being propelled upwards in the air and ending up in a handstand position on top of a 3 man human pyramid is just incredible. More impressive is the way all the acts are choreographed to the haunting and mesmerizing music composed by Benoit Jutras. From the majestic opening, to the cheeky skipping rope act and the acrobates in Banquine, the acts are performed to the music beat for beat. I very often wonder whether the acts are choreographed to the music, or the music is composed to fit in with the acts. Or maybe a combination of the two perhaps? Anyway, no matter how it was done, it's just pure magic. I really haven't got a bone to pick about Quidam even after having watched it about twenty times. I guess this is one advantage of owning the video, you can watch it over and over and over again...
Rating:
Summary: Reality moves out
Review: Reality moves out of your home when Quidam moves in. A world of fantasy, a fantastic world. A little girl, Zoe, who is bored and is treated almost indifferently by her own parents, is taken a world of magic and beauty when the headless, faceless Quidam arrives literally at her door. This show is about the beauty of man and woman, our strengths and our sorrows, our dreams, passions, and even our fears. This show is spectacular. This is the first I have seen of the Cirque du Soleil, and it won't be the last. The impression it made on me pulls me to see the show live in Europe. If you haven't seen the Cirque du Soleil or even heard of them before. You can't go wrong with Quidam. It is an artistic collage of acrobatics, dance, and drama set to excellent music in a fresh way like I, and perhaps the world has ever known.
Rating:
Summary: dodi
Review: Of all the Cirque du Soleil shows I think this one is the best!!
Saw my first live performance in Las Vegas, but if you can not see one live this is the next best thing. Also have two other tapes and have enjoyed them as well. A great purchase and wonderful entertainment.
Rating:
Summary: Sexy & Astounding
Review: Fantastic show. Two thumbs up all around. Every act and performer is phenomenal. No weak links here. The music is as bizarre and errie as it is brillant. You feel like you are in a world created by Salvadore Dali when put together with the costumes and makeup. This show takes you into a dream like trance with some of the most athletic and visual pleasing acts that you have ever seen. There is definitely some spectactular shows and this one has to be the sexiest of ones which I have viewed. Mystere, O, Allegria and Saltimbatico (Saltimbaticao is weak). Wow. A must own.
Rating:
Summary: Quidam
Review: I just discovered these Cirque du Soleil DVD's to purchase. I've always wantd to see one of the shows live and never have. This will be my first purchase. Would some of the fans suggest the best one for my first purchase? THANKS!!!
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