There’s a deeper meaning that lies under the layer of circus acts that plays out onstage in Mystère at Treasure Island, meaning that runs parallel to the acrobatics and athleticism of the Cirque du Soleil performers. While Mystère is a stunning theatrical display of dreamlike imagery, the production reveals a strength and determination within the human spirit to get through life situations that might seem impossible. Just look a little closer and find the symbolism weaving its way throughout the longest-running Cirque show in Las Vegas, which celebrates its 21st anniversary on Dec. 25 and its 10,000th performance on Dec. 27.
The Chinese poles number begins with a set of four silver poles that stand waiting for a cast of characters whose costumes create optical illusions. The characters, known as “double faces,” wear masks so that when they turn the back of their heads toward the audience, it still looks as if they’re looking out into the crowd. With incredible flexibility and agility, the characters jump between the poles, clutching them with legs instead of hands. They ascend and descend with the greatest of ease, only to twist and turn in the air, landing safely on a neighboring pole. It’s just as in life, jumping from one situation to the next, oftentimes masking many feelings in the process, putting on a brave face while the real emotion lies just on the other side.
The hand-to-hand is a mind-blowing act where two performers stand center stage on a rotating platform, using only their strength and bodies to place one another in incomprehensible positions while achieving perfectly balanced poses. The trust they put in one another to keep the other from falling is not unlike the emotional dependence we place upon each other in our own relationships. How often does one lean on another for strength? Or find grace during the most difficult situations that life poses? Knowing there’s another there to hold you up is a realization in itself.
Sometimes it’s not just one person we depend upon to catch us if we fall; it can be many people we depend on. Those experiences are echoed in an impressive trapeze number. The group performs a fast-paced act, flying through the air and completing more than a dozen rapid-fire tricks. Swinging back and forth at top speeds, they flip from one bar to the next, tumbling through the air to land safely in each other’s hands. Putting trust in another to be there just as we take leaps in life somehow makes taking those leaps a little easier.
Mystère’s trampoline and see-saw acts balance not-so-serious moments with nail-biting tension. As the music quickens and becomes more upbeat, we find the acrobatic performers tumbling, jumping and being tossed through the air, hitting their mark on mats, even landing on top of one another like a human totem pole. It’s a nonstop parade of individual and group achievements.
It’s also an example of the breadth of talents contained in the human spectrum, an opportunity to shine the spotlight on feats of athleticism. This act signifies those back-and-forth, up-and-down moments where one can fly successfully through the task at hand.
Closing the show, the taiko drum beats loudly throughout the theater, calling upon the performers to return to the stage. A metaphor for the human heart, the beat is at times slow and faint and at others passionate and furious. It’s the human spirit that continues to thrive and persevere, ultimately finding the power to overcome and enjoy the circus of life.
Treasure Island, 7 & 9:30 p.m. Sat.-Wed., additional 7 & 9:30 p.m. shows Dec. 26, $75.90-$130.90 plus tax and fee. 702.894.7722
