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Recent Zarkana Reviews?

Discussion in 'Shows & Entertainment' started by UKFanatic, Aug 6, 2013.

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  1. Travel Fanatic

    Travel Fanatic The Arbiter of Taste Caviar Kid

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    Has anyone seen Zarkana recently and have any thoughts? Only Cirque show I have seen is O. How does it compare to that? Is there a theme or plot to it? Four friends and I are probably going to see Zarkana in a couple weeks and I just wanted to get people's thoughts before I commit to seeing it
     
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  2. BLNT

    BLNT High-Roller

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    I'm curious as well. Looking at a trip to Aria in late October. The only shows currently on my radar are Human Nature and Michael Jackson ONE. Might also check out Jeff Civillico.
     
  3. C0usineddie

    C0usineddie VIP Whale

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    I just saw it last week. I really liked it.

    Its obviously not to the scale of one ofthe major productiions but more a summer run type broadway show if that makes sense. The theater was not designed specifically for that show like with others like O was.

    That said they have to work within the constraints of the existing place so the show is basically right on front of you on the stage and not in water, on the sides, etc.

    I like the old school cirque acts which highlight acrobats and it had that for sure. The acts seems to me to be more dangerous and gutsy then the other shows I have seen. There were a couple moments where i really thought they were doing something dangerous, because they were. very cool and exciting.

    The music is that weird cirque type mix of oddball singing and circus music played live by a band. I love that and thats the main reason I dont want to see love, i value the oddball music as part of the show and worry the beatles will detract from it.

    I even liked the clowns and thought they were actually funny and not painful like most cirque shows. The clowns usually drive me crazy but these were entertaining, goofy but fun still.

    I would have to honestly compare it to a minor league baseball game. You can go to the newest stadium and see the best 2 teams in a 1-0 game and pay a lot for it or you can see some exciting baseball at the minor league place and see a great game for less money and really have fun.

    Get discount tix and you wont be let down, just go in with some perspective. I sat in the balconey, almost at the top about 5 rows down right in the center and the seats were fine. The theater is not that big.
     
  4. Mitkraft

    Mitkraft VIP Whale

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    Thanks for the review! I have two tickets for my upcoming trip and I'm deciding whether to see it or sell them and pocket the money. We are probably going to see Love, Absinthe, and a concert at Mandalay Bay Beach on that trip so I'm not sure if we want to throw Zarkana in the mix also or use the money for the tickets to pay for one of the other shows.
     
  5. mdm4sfest

    mdm4sfest VIP Whale

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    http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g45963-d3538390-Reviews-Zarkana_Cirque_du_Soleil-Las_Vegas_Nevada.html


    ^^^^^^ Easiest way to find recent reviews^^^^^^^^^^^^^^:poke:
     
  6. captainron62

    captainron62 VIP Whale

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    Great review Eddie! I have been curious as well!
     
  7. Mitkraft

    Mitkraft VIP Whale

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  8. captainron62

    captainron62 VIP Whale

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    Exactly, I know Eddie is a tough critic and he summed up some of the bits and piesces I have hear in other reviews quite nicely.
     
  9. egelston2

    egelston2 Low-Roller

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    Thanks, Eddie. We have tickets for the last show in August and I wasn't very excited about it but my wife wanted to go. This seems more interesting than I thought.
     
  10. Nittany1

    Nittany1 VIP Whale

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    Agree with your review Eddie.
    I saw it the second week out and enjoyed the show.
    Great perspective on working with the theater they have.
    I really could not understand all the panning.
     
  11. theshaah

    theshaah High-Roller

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    I'm going to see this show on the 13th on a comp from MyVegas so I'll try to remember to leave a review for you!
     
  12. mike_m235

    mike_m235 Tourist

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    My wife and I found it a bit dull compared to some of the other cirque shows, but it had some high moments. My brother and his wife, who were seeing their first cirque show, thought it was amazing. Maybe that adds some perspective.

    For some more context, I saw it on a Friday night and the upper deck was dark, plus they were moving people forward in the lower section into better seats at no cost. So I'd say if you want to see it, I'd see it soon, because I don't think it's going to last the way the others have.

    It's not a bad way to spend 90 minutes, but if you could get tickets to Mystere instead, I'd jump on that.
     
  13. ah6tyfour

    ah6tyfour High-Roller

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    I watched Zarkana back in March or April and I did not like it very much. I found it disjointed and with acrobatics acts that were nothing new.

    The music is supposed to be a "rock opera" of sorts, but was just not very good. The lyrics are in English, but difficult to understand. It sounded very shrill and jarring. Cirque music is usually very complementary to the show and the music is the backdrop that you don't realize is helping make the scene you're watching as impactful as it is. With Zarkana, the music stands out and takes away, doing the opposite of what it's intended to do. Some of that has to do with the fact that the lyrics are in English, but most of it is just the composition itself.

    There were also lots of slow moments or moments of artistic doing of something, but I was clueless as to what the point was. And the clowns...they're pretty bad in this show. They're funny initially, but their bits are way too long and the same joke is done over and over again.

    It was a Friday night a few months after the show premiered and the theater was less than half full. There was a big group of tourists from Australia seated near me (a group of 4-5 couples in their 50s and 60s) who kept dozing off. I had more fun watching them than I had watching the show. They were initially very excited for the show to start and they ended up being very silent when the show ended. I had the feeling nobody wanted to be the one to say they didn't enjoy it.

    The show was created at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, opened to mixed/poor reviews, retooled once or two, and received even worse reviews. And then they closed the show in NY and transplanted it to Vegas without many changes. Since it was a show that was originally designed to tour, it was made to fit on a large variety of stages. And so it seems very generic.

    There really isn't anything about the show that standds out. I can't remember much about it except for the opening act (which I won't spoil for you). There's another act that's also very good, but the impact of it is dulled by it being an act that isn't really intended for a large space.

    Here's how I'd rate the Vegas Cirque shows (I've seen them all). KA used to share the #1 spot with Michael Jackson ONE, but I'm dropping it down because the alternate ending is very anticlimatic and affects the overall enjoyment of it.

    01. MJ ONE
    02. O
    03. Mystere
    04. Zumanity
    05. KA
    06. Love
    07. Viva Elvis
    08. MJ Immortal World Tour
    09. Zarkana
    10. Criss Angel Believe
     
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