Body & Soul

It's a rare something that will meld both - literally.

I'm talking about the Cirque du Soleil. Suffice to say, it's not another circus. Just like Everest isn't just another bump on the face of the Earth.

I'd tried, unsuccessfully, to see a Cirque performance for many years. The pleasure, when I got my chance, was only made sweeter when K surprised me with great seats to Wintuk, the only show running in the New York area.

Wintuk tells a story. It is the celebration of winter; in a town, with a season incomplete without snow. About a boy and his buddies who set out north to bring it home. But first, they must overcome their inner fears. In its own funny and gravity defying way, this is a tale of personal quests, of magic and marvel. Where the acrobats fly, (human) canines flop with perfect doggy grace, with acts of contortion that often seem unreal. Hoops that hula, jugglers who mesmerize and flirty light poles that come to life at the oddest moments. The stage throbs to the beats of live music and seamless acts of sheer artistry.

There's laughter, there's wonder and every so often gasps of disbelief from the mere mortals. With our eyes darting rapidly from one end of the stage to another - there was so much going on - all we could ask was - did that really just happen?

(Spoiler alert here:)
Yes, the story has a happy ending. With the light, come the tears of the sun - snow to Jamie's town. But it's not just the characters who get their heart's desire.  In the finale, as the drama soars to a crescendo, the entire auditorium is showered with snowflakes. Winter, it seems, is here after all. And with it is self discovery, freedom, and that tiny thing called joy.

We left the show smiling, enthralled with the effortless mastery, clutching our own wisps of snow. The promise of an afternoon's worth of thrills had turned out to be so, so much more.

What more can I say? You had to be there.