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KURIOS - Cabinet of Curiosities - One of the Greatest Showmen on Earth today!

By Abel Teo / 15 Jul 2019 (Monday)

What is the Cabinet of Curiosities you say? It was a room and subsequently came to mean a piece of furniture during the peak of the Industrial Revolution that showcased a collection of fascinating objects that the collector had amassed.

With that understanding, KURIOS - Cabinet of Curiosities is a touring production by the renowned Cirque du Soleil that sets the narrative in an alternate reality in the latter half of the nineteenth century. The story introduces us to a strange scientist known as “The Seeker” who is convinced that there is a hidden world among us. From his version of the cabinet of curiosities, a suite of whimsical performances from a cast of more than 40 artists from world-class gymnasts, acrobats, contortionists, hand-puppeteers, yo-yo wizards, clowns, actors and musicians are transformed into otherworldly characters.

KURIOS is indeed a visual spectacle that almost never ceases to amaze and brings you in with a child-like wonder. One can call it a celebration of the human spirit and imagination without over-stating that claim, where steampunk inspired settings meet the magic of New Orleans style jazz music composed by Raphaël Beau and Bob & Bill (Guy Dubuc and Marc Lessard).

Michel Laprise, the show's director, had worked with Madonna on the Super Bowl XLVI halftime show and later her, MDNA tour. In KURIOS, the audience are enthralled by a voodoo-like spell — full of tension, curiosity, quirkiness, unease and fascination under a brand-new white-and-grey Big Top.

The opening had the clock striking on the eleventh minute on the eleventh hour. A host of characters somewhat familiar and yet strange begin to trudge out.

Every performance is fascinating. Some of the highlights include contortionists that we have no problems imagining them as eels, an optical illusion that is breathtakingly more optical than illusion, trapeze artists who like dilophosaurus (the dinosaur that opened up its crest before attacking Dennis Nedry in Jurassic Park) and putting Miss Trunchbull from the musical version of Matilda to shame. Saying more would be giving the game away.

The show is not simply an artistic achievement, but also a logistics juggernaut to be reckoned with. For those into numbers, more than 100 costumes and 426 props were created for the show. It is the biggest number in Cirque du Soleil’s history of performances. Additionally, performers do their own make-up, which can take them between 40 minutes to two hours.

Truth be told, they are probably one of the greatest showmen on earth now. Respect that by buying tickets to the show, and not wait till the eleventh hour. Their Singapore season started on 5 July and was slated to end on 24 July. It was further extended to 4 August and then again a final extension on 18 August!

Tickets start from $95 (excluding SISTIC handling fee of $4 per ticket). There is also an ultimate Cirque du Soleil experience at $320 with the best seats and access to the intimate VIP suite one hour before the show and at intermission, including delectable wines and hors d’oeuvres and take-home souvenirs. For more information, visit www.cirquedusoleil.com/kurios

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KURIOS - Cabinet of Curiosities - One of the Greatest Showmen on Earth today!