Rating: Summary: one of cirque du soleil's best Review: Alegria is finally coming out on dvd!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!You can tell I am really excited because Alegria (along with Quidam and Dralion) is the best cirque du soleil performance currently available on dvd. Alegria features excellent acrobatics, an interesting storyline, and fantastic performance.
Rating: Summary: Fabulous! Review: Alegria(Live in Sydney) is my favorite CdS DVD behind Quidam, which is slightly superior in my opinion because of the incredible acts performed. But it should be noted that Francesca Gagnon steals the show with her mesmerizing voice. The acts in Alegria of course are superb(this is CdS we are talking about after all!), but the music and the singing elevate the entire show to something almost magical. The music is intertwined with the acts for utterly amazing choreography, even moreso than the other shows. As far as DVD content is concerned, there is much here for any Cirque fan. There are two featurettes: "A Look Behind-the-Scenes" and "A Different Perspective." Also included are short interviews of the artists themselves. The show itself is well worth the price of the DVD, but these add-ons are a very nice bonus. It is surprising how much feeling comes through on DVD....the filming was about as well done as could have ever been expected! Any CdS fan will not tire of watching the acts of Alegria or of hearing the beautiful voice of Francesca Gagnon. If Angels sing, surely they sound like Ms. Gagnon.
Rating: Summary: One of my favorite Cirque du Soleil shows...... Review: Alegria(Live in Sydney) is my favorite CdS DVD behind Quidam, which is slightly superior in my opinion because of the incredible acts performed. But it should be noted that Francesca Gagnon steals the show with her mesmerizing voice. The acts in Alegria of course are superb(this is CdS we are talking about after all!), but the music and the singing elevate the entire show to something almost magical. The music is intertwined with the acts for utterly amazing choreography, even moreso than the other shows. As far as DVD content is concerned, there is much here for any Cirque fan. There are two featurettes: "A Look Behind-the-Scenes" and "A Different Perspective." Also included are short interviews of the artists themselves. The show itself is well worth the price of the DVD, but these add-ons are a very nice bonus. It is surprising how much feeling comes through on DVD....the filming was about as well done as could have ever been expected! Any CdS fan will not tire of watching the acts of Alegria or of hearing the beautiful voice of Francesca Gagnon. If Angels sing, surely they sound like Ms. Gagnon.
Rating: Summary: I Loved it to Tears Review: All of the acts are in the DVD, except for "Handbalancing" which was not in the show very often back in 2001. This show is the best Cirque du Soleil touring show. Francesca Gagnon, the singer on the AlegriA CD, is in the DVD too. This makes it even better. The show is filled with beautiful emotion, from laughter, to moments that bring you an inch away from tears. After seeing the show, you feel a beautiful sense of loving life and you feel very inspired.
Rating: Summary: When Perfection Becomes Reality Review: An experience. An unforgettable one. Cirque du Soleil invites all senses to a lavish ball of beauty wed to intensity. It's a full-fledged dance theatre; the word 'cirque' does not always entail its traditional sense. This Canadian circus troupe has revolutionized the genre, accommodating la-creme-de-la-creme of dancers, singers, theatrical actors, and awe-inspiring acrobats from all around the world that have been literally hand-picked for their unprecedented calibre and 'moods.' By dazing technique fused with an Everest of artistic power, they celebrate life, make a parody of it, transgress human limits with a Beckettian mocking grin, and say 'Hey, viva la vita, baby!' A beautiful universe of sets, masks, costumes and make-up, live music and vocals, and artistic genres ranging from Performance Arts and the Theatre of the Absurd, to Burlesque, Comedy of Situation and Fate, to Farce and Silent Film - Oh, my God! Kings' fools and minstrels, beggars and old aristocrats, angels and devils, artists and elements of Nature - all flirt with essentially-endured themes of life; love's essence; desire's wildness; loneliness' secret; obsession's allure; transcendence's passage; the unconscious; the real, imaginary, and symbolic; childhood, adulthood, and old age; man and woman; the meaning of waiting, pain, and joy; the inner self vs. the world; mythology, folklore, and culture; existence, and what it means to be a human being, or a throbbing life of emotions, expectations, and contradictions. They salvage your belief in life as a repository of flickers, butterflies, and strawberries. Your astonishment escalates and your smile grows broader and broader until you can smile and wonder no more. They jubilantly gift you a new art definition, overturning all the hackneyed, insipid performance phenomena (both concrete and abstract) that relies on pastiche in this Postmodern world of ours. There's nothing common, primary, or unproblematic about Cirque du Soleil. Tout ensemble, they are trouble! A catastrophe of creativity; an arsenal of emotion-eliciting, ability-teasing stimulations. Their beauty is atrocious; their passion blazing. They storm your soul and kidnap it to a climax of grandeur before which you rest your case and say, 'I confess: I'm smitten and I love it!' Alegria, - or 'jubilation' in Spanish - like Quidam, Varekai, Saltimbanco, Dralion, Nouvelle Experience, Journey of Man, La Magie Continue, Baroque Odyssey, and Cirque Reinvente - all their performances to-date - is a sensational and lasting flight of imagination, feeling, and consciousness. I'm not missing the chance of watching their next performance live. Wherever and whenever, I'll be there. Now do I recommend Cirque du Soleil?! Pinteresquely!
Rating: Summary: Bad Editing Spoils Show Review: Given the many glowing reviews of this disk, I am obviously in a minority. The show looks great, but I found the video unwatchable due to the frequent, rapid changes in camera angle. It was impossible to follow the flow of the performance, especially with acts such as the tumblers near the beginning. And the audience reaction shots are distracting and unnecessary. Most people will probably love this, though.
Rating: Summary: Worth Every Penny! Review: I watch this last winter on Bravo and I was in absolute aww. I have always been a Cirque Du Soleil fan and have watched several of their shows live. This one is up there with along with Quidam. I highly recommend it if you are a Cirque Du Soleil fan.
Rating: Summary: The must-own for Cirque fans!! Review: My expertise, limited, but here it is. I've seen "Mystere" and "O" in person. I own "Saltimbanco" and I own "Alegria", soon to own "Quidam". Ratings I give "O" an 10, "Mystere" a 9.5, "Saltimbanco" a negative three ( -3)it really sucked, and "Alegria" a 9. Alegria was fantastic. The music was superb and singers get the highest of marks. Their voices and presentation were as dramatic as the athletic performers. The costumes were astounding, at times taking the viewer to another world/dimension. As always, the performers were at the top of their game. I find it nearly impossible to say what the best acts were as they all brought a significant contribution to the show. No bad ones. The clowns were extremley amusing showing both great mime like ablities and deep humor. The camera work was five stars. I hope that if and when "O" or "mystere" are put on tape/dvd, that it is handled by the same group. If you are ready to go to another world and be put in a perpetual state of awe, then this is the dvd for you. Five stars.
Rating: Summary: The must-own for Cirque fans!! Review: My expertise, limited, but here it is. I've seen "Mystere" and "O" in person. I own "Saltimbanco" and I own "Alegria", soon to own "Quidam". Ratings I give "O" an 10, "Mystere" a 9.5, "Saltimbanco" a negative three ( -3)it really sucked, and "Alegria" a 9. Alegria was fantastic. The music was superb and singers get the highest of marks. Their voices and presentation were as dramatic as the athletic performers. The costumes were astounding, at times taking the viewer to another world/dimension. As always, the performers were at the top of their game. I find it nearly impossible to say what the best acts were as they all brought a significant contribution to the show. No bad ones. The clowns were extremley amusing showing both great mime like ablities and deep humor. The camera work was five stars. I hope that if and when "O" or "mystere" are put on tape/dvd, that it is handled by the same group. If you are ready to go to another world and be put in a perpetual state of awe, then this is the dvd for you. Five stars.
Rating: Summary: Wished I'd seen it live Review: My obsession with cirque just after Allegria left Sydney. Live performances are obviously best but this is as close as you can get. Thrilling performances, great music plus all the behind the scenes stuff make this a must have DVD!!!!!
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