SeaWorld, Orlando. The appeal of thinly plotted, repetitious acrobatics is beyond me, yet for some reason these pretentiously French-titled shows span the country from Cirque de la Mer at SeaWorld, San Diego to DisneyWorld's La Nouba. Las Vegas has not surprisingly become the Mecca of Cirque shows and smaller amusement venues such as zoos have their own versions. When will there be a stop to the Cirques? Although my own contempt for these shows can be traced to a personal issue, the Cirque-style acrobat performances are over-saturating the already struggling theme park show market.The first issue I want to address is the appeal of these shows. Why are they so popular? I surmise that theme park managers love them because they are safe in the sense that they have multi-cultural and multi-generational appeal. Anyone can be amazed by the feats of the human body because that is something every human shares. Prolific columnist Linda Sharp conjectures that in a more health-conscious, exercise-obsessed world, people are drawn to and inspired by the physically fit performers of Cirque du Soleil. "If you are ever in the market for a truly humbling experience in terms of what the human body is actually capable of, take in any performance of the Cirque du Soleil — Be it live or televised," Sharp advises, "those one hundred sit-ups and two miles on the treadmill won't seem like such an accomplishment anymore." The traditional theme park style musical show can alienate certain people with its musical style (showtune, rock 'n' roll, funk, etc.) or storyline (if there is one), but anyone can appreciate acrobatics without any previous pop culture knowledge. Cirque-style entertainment is just the latest trend of bland mass-appeal theme park fads such as stunt and extreme sports shows from the 1980's and 1990's. Yet there is an interesting paradox regarding Cirque du Soleil that should be noted: even though the white, middle-class has been a traditionally homophobic group as we have just seen in the current election, it is precisely the white, middle-class who have popularized Cirque-style acrobatics despite the blatant homosexual undertones (see pictures, above and below). The cheapest "obstructed view" ticket at Las Vegas's notoriously homoerotic, Zumanity, costs $69, yet the show's success, in addition to the success of all the other Cirque productions, suggests that America has wholly embraced evenings of perfectly toned bodies, tight spandex, garish face paint, flamboyant costumage, and man grappling. When did same-sex ballet become more popular than "76 Trombones?"
Although the mass adoration of Cirque du Soleil may be a paradox, my own feelings toward it most certainly are not. I will have to diverge from the theme park world for a moment to explain my distaste. The Cirque-style show has usurped the position of real circuses such as Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey and commandeered the term "circus."
Reviewers and publications talk about Cirque du Soleil as if it is a circus, it is not! Circuses take place under a big top and have a variety of acts taking place within one to three rings with American-style clowns, a ringmaster, popcorn, peanuts, cotton candy, some acrobatics, and most importantly animals. Cirque du Soleil is a major contributor to the disappearance of the traditional circus, something that is dear to my heart. Almost every year growing up my mom would take my sister and me to the San Diego Sports Arena to see Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus, "The Greatest Show On Earth." I have many fond memories of this incredibly fun and entertaining event, but I could not say when the last time I went to the circus was. Of course, the other major contributor to the decline of the traditional circus is PETA and the animal rights activists who think the only place for an animal to be is in the wild. It is true that Ringling Bros. has a history of animal abuse, and that definitely needs to stop, but overall they treat their animals with care and respect and even run a conservation center for elephants. The point I want to make here is that I cannot stand Cirque du Soleil because to me it represents the loss of the traditional circus.Theme park show fads like Cirque-style acrobatics can be entertaining at first, but they have been around for a good ten years now and I have seen the same boring formula repeated over and over again. It is time to find something new. Cirque du Soleil can have its own theatrical venues where I never have to see them, but they need to get out of my beloved theme parks. They are preventing the development of fresh ideas and filling the venue space of better traditional performances. Hopefully, the scathing reviews for the latest Cirque du Soleil abomination, Criss Angel: BiLIEve, which opened on Halloween, are a sign of the demise of the New Age acrobatics tyranny. On the other hand, the struggling economy has severely decreased Broadway ticket sales, which cannot be a good sign for theater in general. An even worse thought than Cirque show saturated theme parks, is a world with no shows at all, and that is a very sad thought indeed. Theatrical entertainment is just as important to the theme park experience as rides, so come on parks! Get out of this boring slump and entertain me with a show!
