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Don't miss the brand new show from Cirque du Soleil, Banana Shpeel, with performance styles inspired by vaudeville, that blends comedy with tap, hip hop, eccentric dance and slapstick, all linked by a hilarious narrative that ignites a succession of wacky adventures.
Propelled by crazy humor and intense choreography, Banana Shpeel plunges us into the world of Schmelky, a brash, ambitious producer who is trying to put together a spectacular variety show. His world is populated with sidekicks, dancers, singers and novelty acts - and a bunch of badly behaved clowns who crash the auditions spreading chaos in all directions.
Banana Shpeel is a limited engagement, and runs through August 29, 2010.
Very disappointed by this performance. Totally lacked the creative energy that I associate with Cirque shows. Choreography, costumes, humor were all stale and without any " New Twist". The second act was a remash of the first- same style of dancing, same jokes, same costumes. Not up to Cirque standards.
This is a totally fun show. Cirque de Soleil has re-imagined the Vaudeville format with a series of performances that captivate and delight. The cirtics liked the dance numbers but not the humor, reportedly too mean spirited. I believe that the humor was no differnt than classic Marx brothers or other comic acts from the 1930s. Fast paced zingers coming from all directions. The show is a lot of fun and I wish the company well when the show opens in NYC.
We have seen a lot of Cirque Du Soleil proformances and I found that this one was the worst. They repeated the first scene after the intermission. Just was not very entainering for the price of the ticket.
Wish I'd seen it sooner so I could warn others...save your money! We are huge Cirque fans...but were grossly disappointed! Stay home! Not worth the trip from anywhere!
Banana Shpeel had comedy, dance and acrobatics, riotous non-stop fun. It really gave a feel for the old time vaudeville without being snide and ironic about that era, as so many modern "look-back" productions do. My only criticism is that I expected a little more acrobatic acts, being that is what Cirque du Soleil is famous for. And I wearied a bit of the two guys, Daniel and whatever his partner's name was and their arguments. The other comic charactetrs were all priceless, especially the little weird stringy-haired psycho in his red underwear. He studied Harpo Marx very well. Not quite 5-star, but really an entertaining evening.
A mix of dance, comedy and acrobatics, this show was a joy to attend. I loved all the tap dancing!
I haven't laughed that hard in a long time! I would totally go see it again
Extremely funny; the individual acts were sensational; the music was fantastic; reminded you very much of the slapstick comedy of years past. Wish there was a CD just for the Banana Shpeel show.
What a disappointment! Very amatuerish! We have been to a couple other performances by Cirque Du Soleil and could not believe this was put on by them as well. We believe it was misrepresented by attaching the Cirque name to it. Not only was it a total waste of money but also a waste of our time. Don't spend your hard earned money on this one!
I did not know what to expect when I bought tickets. I'm so glad I did. The show was very bright and colorful as well as funny. I really don't like driving to Chicago but seeing shows like this, I'll drive it again.
The acrobatics were amazing. The dance numbers were flawless. The comedic sketches were funny BUT they all lasted about five minutes too long. They should cut down on the skits and bring in at least two more acrobats... or some breakdancers or something to add another element to the show. I had a great time but found myself willing to break from the action for a trip to the restroom every time the skits neared 10 minutes. Also, this is not really a show for younger kids, fyi. There's some pretty serious verbage.
The first act of Banana Shpeel is fair - some interesting talent, mediocre dance moves executed by passable dancers. The second act is really painful. There is so much time wasted on the restaurant skit which is dreadful, only to have it reprised, as it were, later in the act. Good grief. The pacing was slow, and the whole energy of act two did not compare to the marginal energy of act one. If it were my show I would really cut the scenes with the pitch men and clowns - enough is enough. (I'm not altogether sure Americans really understand Eurpean clowns anyway.) I understand this show is on a small stage - well then don't go there if it sacrifices the show. I don't think people today are as familiar with Burlesque or Vaudeville or minstrel shows to understand all of what BS was trying to accomplish. And for goodness sake, if you're going to call it Banana Shpeel, couldn't you at least have one wonderful and exaggerated prat-fall involving a Banana? Duh. I have great regard for the Cirque people (know some in the operation) for their imaginative minds and their talents, but this first venture into a proscenium, straight show is flat in the Chicago Theatre. Also, if you're going to charge a lot of money, it really needs to be worth my effort to get there when the temperature outside is minus something with a wind chill.
To start off. Make sure you read the description before buying tix for this show. It's produced by and stars Cirque people but its NOTHING like other acrobatic Cirque shows. I thought it was true to its description, a twist on Vaudeville. Lots of cheesy slap stick but still fun and enjoyable. The schtick is mixed with some great dancing and amazing acrobatics and juggling more typical of a Cirque show. I read lots of negative reviews on this show and I have to assume the disappointment was due to poor expectations. Google Vaudeville before you buy tickets. If you like silly entertainment, this show wont disappoint.
The whole show plus intermission lasted just 2 hours. During that time there were 4 brief but excellent acts. The rest of the show was tap dancing and clowns (they were not that funny). It was okay but we were all adults and with the majority of the show being devoted to clowns - it seemed geared towards children. Unfortunately the clowns were trying to reach a more mature audience with lewd suggestions and some mild swearing. It did not work for either children or adults. Cirque should go back to their core and forget this vaudeville type act.
Banana Shpeel is really a musical and slapstick comedy, it isn't anything like the other versions of Cirque I have seen. While there are a couple impressive physical performances, the vast majority of the show is broadway style dancing. Impressive dancing, but not what I think of when I think Cirque Du Soleil.
I and my sister had a great time! The show was very interesting and the preformers showed great talents!
Very Disappointing, nothing like they have done before.
The show was entertaining, but the ticket prices were way to expensive for this type of show. The show was only half sold. I was in the very last row in the upper balcony, but could see many seats not occupied. You would have thought The Chicago Theatre, would have had everyone move down to fill the empty seats before the show began. I can only imagine the main floor (Most expensive tickets), was probably just as empty. If Banana Shpeel is moving to another city, I would not recommend paying more than $30 a ticket.
not the usual cirque du soleil quality the band was great
This is not your typical Cirque Du Soleil show. Cirque Du Soleil has branched out into a different genre. The show is lively and entertaining and truly is reflective of Vaudeville. The dancing and singing were spectacular. The costumes and effects definitely were Cirque Du Soleil. I would recommend this show to anyone who enjoys live entertainment and who is not expecting the usual Cirque Du Soleil entertainment.
