Last night at my Alma Matter, North Central College, Cirque Mechanics performed their newest show, Boomtown. My father-in-law is employed at NCC, and once in a while gets us free tickets to shows. So when he called earlier in the day and offered, we once again jumped at the chance to visit beautiful Pfieffer Hall in the middle of historic downtown Naperville. We had never attended a performance by this group of entertainers before, so had no real expectations. We took our seven year old niece, as well. This was her first ever real live event, and I must publicly acknowledge how perfectly well behaved she was.
As the curtains opened, the only thing visible on the stage was a single light bobbing along in a lonely lantern. Slowly, the stage illuminated to show a prospector trudging along in a stereotypical mine. He stopped before a rock in the middle of the stage, lowered his pack, and began to dig. . . only he wasn't a very good prospector. Mishaps and mayhem followed as he tried to extract ore from the rock. This opening comedic skit set the fun tone for the evening.
Though the prospector was funny, and talented (I have never seen anyone jug-surf before), I think the ladies stole the show. The sheer strength of the ballerina will remain stuck in my mind forever. And the flexibility and grace of the blond acrobat, swinging from the chandelier, was amazing. I could have watched these two perform forever.
Then there was the kleptomaniac. My husband and brother-in-law both agreed that she looked like me. Her humorous skits had the audience rolling with laughter. I wonder how often she had to practice the silhouette piece to have it so perfectly timed to every beat of the music.
The blond male, who repeatedly head-dove towards the floor from the strange swinging polls that flanked each side of the stage was obviously the most talented male. It was clear from his boisterous shouts and wide smile that he was enjoying his performance, and playing well off of the audiences responses. I didn't get that vibe from the other male performers.
The use of scenery and props was unprecedented in my mind. My only real complaint is that the entire show seemed to drag at times. My young niece, however, found absolutely no faults in the production, and wanted to stay to "See it again," after the applause ended. Though probably geared more toward the younger generation, adults will also enjoy this unique "circus." Overall, I would give the event a 8.5 out of 10. Had I paid the ticket price of $50-$45, that rating would drop to a 7.25 out of 10.
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