Cirque Du Soleil Alegria

Most people are familiar with Cirque du Soleil's (CDS) travelling big top circus shows, as well as their permanent theatre shows in Las Vegas and Orlando.

After the tremendous success those shows have achieved, the Montreal-based company recently launched a tour which will bring one of its oldest shows to sports arenas around the U.S. and Canada.

The 1994 show, Alegria, which toured the world for 14 years in a giant harlequin-style tent, is now touring the Northeast as an arena show.

They performed in Providence last week and are in Manchester, NH this week. They'll return to Boston's Agannis Arena in August and to Worcester's DCI Centrum in December.

The show features a variety of acrobatic and artistic performers, as well as CDS' usual assortment of oddly costumed characters and clowns.

Despite a number of familiar elements, this was the first of more than a dozen CDS show that failed to impress this critic.

It also failed to impress my eight-year-old companion, who understandably seemed bored for much of the performance. Normally both children and adults watch CDS shows alternately laughing and gaping in amazement.

The best act in Alegria was probably the team of trampolinists who performed on a giant cross-shaped springboard concealed within the stage. Their well-choreographed flips, twirls and bounces gave the show a much-needed burst of energy and fun.

Also good was "Flying Man," an aerialist who performed on a giant bungle cord and leapt and flew around the stage with agility and grace, soaring ever-higher.

In the "Russian Bars" several gymnasts did aerial somersaults on a flexible balance beam that rested on the shoulders of two burly castmates. Landing on the rubbery bar looked like something out of a Hanna-Barbera cartoon.

Two "Fire-Knife Dancers" twirled, spun and threw burning batons around the stage -- which looked particularly harrowing for audience members in the front row.

While these circus acts were good, none of them amazed. Normally at a CDS show, there are three or four acts which absolutely mesmerize the audience - and then crank the action up even higher. These jaw-dropping acts were sorely missing from Alegria.

A rhythmic gymnast gracefully swirled a 20-foot gold riboon on a stick and effortlessly gyrated a number of stainless steel hoops around her body and on every appendage. It was beautiful to watch but by now pretty old hat for most Cirque fans.

Less impressive were the synchronized trapeze duo, who didn't seem all that well synchronized, and the low ceiling height of the Verizon Wireless Center seemed to have also restricted their movement.

"Hand Balancer" featured an uber-fit young man balancing on one hand on some vertical stainless steel sticks. His strength was a marvel, but after a short time you got the gist of his act.

Similarly, a pair of Asian contortionists twisted themselves into a variety of impossible positions but never seemed take it to that next level.

The press materials and website mention an Aerial High Bar act with acrobats performing on three bars more than 40 feet above the stage but for some reason this act was sadly not included in the Manchester performance.

Even the interludes with the clowns and some Oompa-Loompa type characters with white beaks and purple leggings got tedious after a while, as few in the audience understood what their squawking and shuffling around was all about.

CDS's shows have always had elaborate premises which provide the inspiration and plot for each production. Unfortunately, without a program or a flyer explaining this information, it's entirely lost on 98% of the audience.

According to CDS literature, Alegria is a Spanish word that means happiness, joy and jubilation. One wishes they had kept that word more front-of-mind when creating this rendition of the show.