Ka or Zarkana?

I'm looking for a comparison between the two.

I've seen Mystere twice-loved it. O - loved it, Love - not so much. Absinthe (I know it's not CDS)-loved it.

Any recommendations?

 

Ka by like a billion miles. Ka is one of the best Cirque shows and Zarkana flat out sucked in my opinion. I saw it at Radio City not in Vegas but hear the production there is just as sucky.

 

Ka for sure. Zarkana is a retread and tired.

 

I'll echo the sentiments already expressed and say KA. Zarkana is a bit of a disappointment.

 

I knew it was going to be a disappointment when the lengthy opening act featured............bouncing tennis balls? Freaking tennis balls!

 

So I'm feeling great about my already purchased tickets to Zarkana next month.

 

I doubt you'll regret it. But in a city with 7 Cirque shows and another coming, there's absolutely nothing significant to set Zarkana apart and justify it as a permanent resident show in the great grand City Center/Aria complex. They were just grasping at straws to fill the flop of VIVA ELVIS and settled on this. It's more on the level of their traveling shows, not anything grand.

It probably won't be around for more than another year or so, but at least you'll be able to say that you saw it and had your curiosity satisfied. And you very well may enjoy it.

 

mike don't worry, you can still enjoy it just don't go in expecting it to be O, or Ka, or Mystere. It still has all the traditional acrobatics and physical feats like the other shows it just doesn't have the same production value - e.g. no cool stage or special effects. Like the other Cirque shows there technically is a story in there somewhere but I think you need to be a genius to figure out what it is.

I'm sure my gripe with Zarkana is compounded by having to pay for it since I saw it here while I saw the other better shows for free. It's still a night out with the gf/wife catching a big show so you'll have a good time.

 

Yeah, I've seen all the other ones, so for me when my brother, who has seen none, said he wanted to go on this trip I picked the one I hadn't seen. Funny part is that he got his tickets for free through a package deal and I had to pay for mine. Because I wanted to sit near him, I didn't even book through my host so I can't get them comped off at the end of the trip.

I'm already pissed with myself for how I handled this whole thing. I'm in Vegas for two nights and I've spent $600+ on show tickets with no chance of getting any of it comped (seeing Elton John the next night.)

 

I saw both the traveling cirque shows that came to upstate New York, and I enjoyed them very much.

Given then general consensus that Zarkana is okay but not great, are there any good ways to snag cheap tickets for it? Anything around $50 with fees I have no issues with, otherwise I would rather take in a cheaper show like V and do dinner!

 

No, I don't think so. Mine were $130 and they aren't even the best seats.

 

We saw Zarkana and Ka on the same trip at the end of November. Ka was far superior.

Zarkana was just "okay". I personally liked it more than some of the other posters and reviewers (even the "tennis balls"). It is definitely a standard "circus" show. I thought Ka was fantastic. I sat a little too far back... I will plan to see it again in seats at least in the middle of the house. The production is impressive.

 

Thanks all for your opinions. I will take your advice and try to snag the KA tickets from MY Vegas.

 

Hey, the tennis balls were the BEST PART of the show! (No sarcasm). Not once during the entire show did I get that 'wow' experience. The trapeze routine looked like the Cirque junior training class. This was totally dull and I was amazed they would put this in this top flight venue at the Aria.

I predict a new show within a year.

 

It's worth noting that when the show originally opened in New York City, the songs had English language lyrics that told a story. Now the characters are passionately singing about.......who the hell knows? The Cirque minds decided that audiences couldn't listen to words and watch acrobatics at the same time (they must never have seen LE REVE), so they dropped the original lyrics and plugged in their signature meaningless gibberish. :Þ

http://www.backstage.com/review/ny-theater/off-broadway/ny-review-zarkana/