Cirque Du Soleil: Totem

Grady has spent the last few months doing some consulting work through a local firm. He was given two tickets to see Cirque Du Soleil: TOTEM this past weekend and we were crazy-excited to go. We've seen a variety of similar shows, but never anything on par with Cirque Du Soleil.

I read that Cirque Du Soleil has performed for more than 100 million spectators in 300 cities on five continents! Needless to say, the show lived up to every expectation we had - and then some - and we didn't walk away disappointed.

Although the storyline depicted a world view contrary to what we believe (I'm standing my ground here: we did not come from monkeys), the artistic and acrobatic talent was mesmerizing. Breathtaking. Amazing. Beautiful. Awesome.

According to its website, "TOTEM traces the fascinating journey of the human species from its original amphibian state to its ultimate desire to fly. The characters evolve on a stage evoking a giant turtle, the symbol of origin for many ancient civilizations.

"Inspired by many founding myths, TOTEM illustrates, through a visual and acrobatic language, the evolutionary progress of species.

"Somewhere between science and legend TOTEM explores the ties that bind Man to other species, his dreams and his infinite potential."

Not only was the show amazing, our seats were amazing: fourth row from the front in the center. Perfect. We saw facial expressions and rippling muscles up close and personal. While they performed with precision and flexibility and stamina like nothing I've seen before, I indulged in greasy buttery popcorn. It was kind of like eating ice cream while watching The Biggest Loser.

One more thing. We were invited to the Tapis Rouge Suite, with access before the show, during intermission, and after the show to a private lounge with drinks, appetizers, and desserts. Ever had Sweet and Sour Chicken spun with Cotton Candy? I promise it's better than it looks. It was so good, in fact, that I sent Grady on several missions to chase down a server and snag me a few more skewers.

Here's a picture with some of the folks Grady has been working with. While I can probably only name about four people, including Grady and myself, I can say everyone was very nice and we collectively shared many "oohs!" and "aahhs!" during the evening.