KMK: Allegria in Seoul

A couple of weekends ago I finally saw a performance of Cirque du Soleil! The company here Seoul performed Allegria and have been doing so since October. I am so glad I didn’t miss out this time around since last year I never made it to the show when they were in town.
Allegria was held in the Cirque tents set up near Jamsil Olympic Stadium. As curtain time neared the crowds swelled toward the ticket booth and I became swept up in the current of foot traffic.
The ticket prices ranged from fifty to two hundred thousand won. We opted for the 70,000won tickets and to tell the truth, every seat had a great view in the bigtop. The space is smaller than what you would imagine while still managing to create a spectacular show.
The performance kicked off with a ring master of sorts, a young happy faced clown, who sang her heart out for most of the performances. Accompanying her singing were a trio of parisian clowns who scampered and froliced among the audience as well as with each other.
Cirque offers no animal performances, but trust me when I say you will not miss them at all. The tumblers barrell out on to stage with high flying leaps and spins and twirls that will leave you imagining an escaped monkey family. The fire dancers in their skimpy loin cloths and bulging muscles stalk across the stage more meanacing than any lion or tiger. And the twisting contortions of the sister acrobats with their intertwining limbs and backwards bending antics will push any notion of seeing exotic animals right out of your mind.
The higlight proved to be the high flying troupe of acrobats who dived and soared through the sky in an ever increasing pace of speed and dexterity. They rocked!
Cirque also was pleased to provide a tent of souvenirs and keepsakes, but they were so overpriced that I had to pass. The memories will have to do.

I believe Allegria wil last until the new year so you still have time, albeit a short amount of it. Trust me, it’s worth it though!