Variety, as they say, is the spice of Cirque. That makes Zarkana one of Las Vegas’ spiciest entertainment dishes. Conceived as a variety show reinvention (its title fuses “bizarre” and “arcana”), Cirque du Soleil’s Zarkana is set in an abandoned theater that surges back to surreal life, as spirited guides take audiences on a journey into a magical realm. Suddenly, we are immersed in a surreal Cirque-verse of mutant creatures. Prepare for a head-swiveling display courtesy of an international cast of 70 acrobats, aerialists, jugglers and trapeze artists.
Unfolding in a gravity-defying dreamscape: performers clad as extraterrestrials soar around giant wheels and twist through the air in and out of massive suspended hoops; somersaulting Russians launch themselves into orbit above the stage; a fearless “ladder duo” ascends into the rafters; high-wire adventurers dodge threatening fireballs; and supple gymnasts build themselves into a human pyramid.
All the eye-dazzling stunts play out amid a lush, art-nouveau set dominated by three towering arches. One features visions of slithering snakes, another depicts a vine-laden plant creature and the third is an industrialized tableau of gears and pulleys, the trio combining to create an otherworldly playground. It’s arcane. It’s bizarre. It’s Zarkana.
Aria, 7 & 9:30 p.m. Tues.-Sat. (dark through Sept. 14), $69-$180 plus tax and fee. 702.531.2031
