Cirque du Soleil’s KURIOS: Cabinet of Curiosities

Website: https://www.cirquedusoleil.com/kurios

Location: The Big Top in the parking lot of the United Center, 1901 West Madison Street, Chicago

Phone: Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster at 800-653-8000. The United Center phone number is 312-455-4500.

Hours:
The remaining Chicago shows are:

• Tuesday, September 15, 2015 at 8:00 pm
• Wednesday, September 16, 2015 at 8:00 pm
• Thursday, September 17, 2015 at 4:30 pm & 8:00 pm
• Friday, September 18, 2015 at 4:30 pm & 8:00 pm
• Saturday, September 19, 2015 at 4:30 pm & 8:00 pm
• Sunday, September 20, 2015 at 1:30 pm & 5:00 pm

The show will then be in Costa Mesa, CA beginning on October 15, 2015, Los Angeles, CA beginning on December 10, 2015, and then Atlanta, GA.

Admission: Tickets start at $31. Ticket prices go as high as $250 for the Premium VIP Experience, or nearly $500 for the Premium Backstage Tour Package.

Parking: Parking is available in the United Center lot for $24.

Bathrooms: There are several port-a-pottys outside the tent, as well as a large sink, and handicapped port-a-potty.

Nursing: There are no designated nursing areas, but there is some seating under the tent in the lobby area.

Handicapped/stroller accessibility: Strollers are not allowed. Reduced mobility seating is available, but must be reserved by calling 877-924-7783.

Other amenities: Souvenirs, beverages, and snacks are available in the lobby area of the tent.
Booster seats are available upon request (ask your usher); these have a cloth pocket that slides over the back of the seat to keep it secured.
The show is 2 hours and 10 minutes. There is an intermission of about 25 minutes during the show.

Food: Beverages and snacks are available for purchase in the lobby area of the tent before and during the show.

We paid: We received complimentary media tickets. We paid $24 for parking.

Our experience:

This is the third Cirque du Soliel show we’ve seen and they never disappoint.

Before attending the show I read the press release, which explains that in Kurios time comes to a complete stop and transports the audience to the nineteenth century where an invisible world of marvelous characters come to life. This is where I have to admit that I’m more of a children’s theatre kind of person; I don’t always follow the plot in more abstract performances, like many of the Cirque du Soliel shows. I would guess that after seeing the show, my kids don’t know the plot either. Fortunately, the show is still incredibly enjoyable.

Cirque du Soliel is known for it’s amazing costumes, sets, and props, as well as unbelievable physical stunts. Kurios feels like a steampunk carnival, with Victorian-style clothing, clocks, gears, and other retro-mechanical elements. As just an example of some of the imaginative costumes, one character, Mr. Microcosmos, wears a large overcoat; when it opens, we see that Mini Lili, lives inside.

 

Throughout the show are stunning costumes and feats of strength, coordination, and skill. Although I have seen contortionists balancing on top of each other in several shows, I am still astounded by the beauty, strength, flexibility, and concentration they display.

 

Kurios has many flying machines – bicycles and airplanes, and flying performers as well.

Kurios weaves in a lot of comedy, especially during the Invisible Circus act. Although there are no performers (that you can see at least), you’ll still be blown away by the tightrope unicycle, high dive, and a trained lion. Theatre of the Hands is another seemingly simple performance told by the shadows of a performers hands that is beautiful and unique.

My personal favorite act was the Upside Down World, which begins with a dinner party and escalates to a balancing act with chairs stacked on the table; as impressive as this already is, it’s at this point that the dinner party guests, and the audience, realize that a second identical dinner party is taking place above them, upside down.

The show was fantastic. We had a wonderful night and although the show didn’t start until after bedtime, all three kids were so enthralled that it was a beautiful night. Cooper loved the comedic parts of the show (he reported that the Invisible Circus was his favorite), while Dexter love all of the daring acrobats. Campbell is only two and I was afraid he would become bored during the show, but he loved it too and sat through the entire thing without a problem. He seemed to be most delighted by the enormous shadows created all over the tent throughout the show.

Once again, Cirque du Soliel produced a winner; I look forward to taking my kids to more Cirque du Soliel shows in the future.