Some Cool Stuff, Mostly Cringey and Awkward
by NickyName on 12/21/22Mark C. Smith Concert Hall at the Von Braun Center - HuntsvilleRating: 2 out of 5To start off, I expected the show to be small because I was familiar with the venue. Unlike others, I was never under the impression that this show was affiliated with Cirque du Soleil, so at least my expectations were not that far off. However, they do tout themselves as being "inspired by the grandiosity and lavishness of Vegas shows," so I did expect a bit more entertainment than what I ultimately got. There were no high-wire acts for example, and the show did not have a story to it. In the promotional videos, the overall energy of the show was completely different. There were never more than a few people on the stage at a time, often only one, while the promo videos imply big energy and group numbers. The aerialist hanging by his teeth was probably their best act, but the performance to Little Drummer Boy felt like a weird song choice. I think staying away from songs with religious references to Christmas would be in the best interest of this show or at least use an instrumental version. The most uncomfortable part of this show was the (lack of) audience reaction. The music seems to all be in the front of the theatre so from the balcony it was not very loud or surrounding so you could really feel the awkward silences. The acts just weren't impressive or high enough energy to get a reaction, and the performers often had to prompt the audience to applaud. I think if the sounds were better distributed the silences wouldn't have been as uncomfortable or noticeable. I hated the transition acts from the elf/clown. We spent 5 minutes clapping as an audience and feeling very confused. I would be interested to know if small children were entertained by this show - because the promos didn't seem to be particularly geared only toward kids but I can only imagine they might be the only ones truly entertained by this show. I am definitely sorry to give this small group of performers who is really trying to make it a less than stellar review, but overall, I left this show feeling confused and empty.