KA vs. Zarkana

Going to Las Vegas in March, and the wife's given me the responsibility of picking which show (from MyVegas rewards) we go to. Of course if I pick a snoozer I'll never hear the end of it

So, I'm asking for your opinion on which of these is better. From what I saw of the trailers, Ka appears to be more exciting.

Also, has anyone gone to both? What are the plusses and minuses of each one?

Thanks

 

I have the same question. There was a poll a few weeks back https://www.vegasmessageboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=100461 and opinions are mixed.

Would love to hear more.

 

They were both typical Cirque shows - which is a good thing. What set Ka apart for me was the moving stage. No stage I've ever seen does what the Ka stage does. It really is a huge part of the show and must be seen to be believed.

Bill

 

Me personally...they are both towards the bottom of my Vegas Cirque list. Have now seen Ka about 4 times...dozed off every time. The idea of Ka always draws me in, but the reality of the show always puts me to sleep...storyline is slow and drawn out. The ending fight scene is the highlight of the show, but now that they do not perform that live, it is a major disappointment. With all that said, the actual theater for Ka is amazing! Zarkana, i just could not get myself to enjoy it. Since I dislike both shows from an entertainment standpoint, i would recommend Ka solely based on the stage and theater design.


As far as Vegas is concerned, for traditional Cirque, I like Mystere. My favorite Vegas Cirque is Love. O is good, but Le Reve is better (not a Cirque show, but whenever soneone wants to watch O, I suggest Le Reve). Haven't scene Michael Jackson One yet, but hear it is very good.

 

I did see Le Reve last visit and was blown away. Absolutely loved it. I plan to see Love this trip and maybe another Cirque show. So far I am leaning heavily toward Ka as we plan to stay at MGM.

Some reviewers haven't liked Mystere because of the guy crying like a whiny baby throughout. Is he still there?

 

Of the two I have only seen KA, and even though it was free I still regret the wasted time. Went to see LOVE a few days before (also courtesy of myVegas) and enjoyed every minute of it.

 

I have not seen Mystere in years...like 10 years...lol. i want to say i heard the baby dude passed away...not sure though.

 

Some people rave about KA, I thought it was dull, and I fell asleep. I'm a big cirque goer too, just didn't capture me I guess.
The stage is pretty cool though.

 

So far it sounds like of these 2 KA is the one to go to.

Couple of quick questions, since I have to base the decision on MyVegas bonus awards I think LeReve is out, because I don't believe they offer that. But I know LOVE is. Neither my wife or I are big fans of The Beatles, would that hinder our enjoyment of this show?

 

Not being a fan of Beatles music is what kept me from watching Love for a couple years. When I finally took the plunge, i couldn't believe I didn't watch it sooner. It is not a traditional acrobatic Cirque show, but rather, lots of dancing, some parkour, some hybrid modern dancing/breakdancing. The remixed music is awesome! The light and sound effects are awesome! The choreography is awesome! Love is one show I make a point to watch every trip!

 

Ka over Zarkana, but ...

We've seen all the Cirque shows several times, except for Criss Angel (once and never again) and MJ One (which we'll see a second time in a few days).

My thoughts:

Ka is definitely better than Zarkana, which has its moments but doesn't have the overall theatricality of many Cirque shows. Because I'd seen so many other Cirque shows before it, when we saw Zarkana it just seemed like a hodgepodge of "best of Cirque" acts rather than an original production.

Ka is the only Cirque show with a "plot," and I think that's actually one of the weaknesses. It tends to slow down during overwrought dramatic sequences that are intended to advance the storyline. But the staging -- including the stage itself -- is very impressive, and there are some acrobatic feats that are truly amazing.

Mystere was my first Cirque show and I will always have a soft spot for it. We saw it again in December, probably for the fourth or fifth time, and were reminded of why we liked it originally: Some of the acrobatic stunts are truly awesome. More than most, Mystere bridges the gaps between acrobatic acts with "clowns" that include the 300-pound "baby." (Yes, he was still there in December.) I think they are fairly amusing, but I can see how they might wear on the patience of some patrons. I don't think any of the clown segments have changed over the years at all. Since it's at TI, it's not going to be available on My Vegas.

In terms of jaw-dropping stunts, I think O is the most impressive overall. But the pacing can be a bit slow, in part because it takes time to get everyone in position and to cover and uncover the water tank for the various water-themed segments. Le Reve has some of the same types of stunts but it's in a smaller theater, and that's one reason that I think many people who have seen both prefer Le Reve. It moves faster and has more energy as a whole. O is also pricey and can be a tough ticket to get at the last minute. (Le Reve is at Wynn, so it's also not on My Vegas, of course.)

Zumanity is a show that I like but my GF dislikes intensely. I think it's funny and campy, with some nice acrobatics here and there. The nearly nude performers are a plus for me, but the "celebration of sex" in all its permutations may not be for everyone.

MJ One is relatively similar to LOVE in my view, as both feature some cool acrobatic elements, inventive staging, excellent sound quality and an overall reverence for the music that inspired the shows. I think a person's enjoyment of One may be somewhat dependent on liking Michael Jackson's music -- I found the songs to be somewhat repetitive by the end. It also seemed relentlessly loud when I saw it, with fewer breaks in the pacing than you get in LOVE, which mixes some quiet moments among the bombast. The pyrotechnics and dancing are impressive throughout One, though.

LOVE is generally fast-paced and, if you have any affection at all for the Beatles, you'll be pleased with how well a wide range of their songs are incorporated into the show. I've attended various Cirque shows with friends and family members at various times over the years, and I would say that LOVE is the show that EVERYONE seems to like. It's also the show at which I've overheard the most people seemingly having the "time of their life" -- Beatles fans are giddy for hours afterward, in my experience.

The reaction of my friends to O and Ka is a little more mixed, though both shows include at least one sequence in which everyone I know was genuinely fearful for the safety of a performer. So, both have a thrill factor (as does LOVE, though to a less-extreme extent). Unfortunately, that fear turned to reality last year at Ka, so its ending isn't as spectacular now as before.

So, back to the OP's original question: Ka is easily better than Zarkana. But, if you any affection for the popular music upon which either is based, I would recommend LOVE or MJ One instead, with O or Le Reve being a toss-up with Ka. I personally think Zumanity and Mystere are also better than Zarkana, and both are probably less expensive for good seats too.

 

That's some great info, thanks.

 

Imundon is spot on to the tenth degree!

 

Thank you to everyone for their input and I have to say especially thank you to Imondun for breaking them all down.

Looks like now it's become a toss up between KA & LOVE. The only thing stopping me from LOVE is that when I think of Cirque shows I think of extreme acrobatics, and it sounds like that's not a major part of this show. But at the same time, I've yet to hear from one person in this thread who didn't like LOVE including people who aren't big fans of the Beatles.

 

....on second thought, after watching the trailer for LOVE, I'm thinking that show might be the winner.

One last question, I am, what you might call "rather large individual" (wide not tall), so there are some theatres that I have difficulty in because of the size of their seats. I had a particularly embarrassing situation when we went to see Lettermen at the Sullivan theatre in NYC a couple of years ago, and while I have slimmed down a bit since then I'm still concerned about theatre seats. In this thread there has been a lot of talk about the theatres themselves. Are there any ones that stand out in your memories as particularly fat-guy-friendly?

 

KA

I have seen 7 of the 8 Cirque shows - Ka was much better than Zarkana!