Somewhere between Alice in Wonderland and Clara in the Kingdom of Delights, without forgetting a few nods to Elsa’s adventures in the kingdom of Arendelle, the 42e creation of Cirque du Soleil is yet another variation on the theme of the inner journey. Since its creation in 2017, Crystal has been presented more than 1000 times in more than 135 cities in 21 different countries. Bringing together 44 artists, the ice show created by Shana Carroll and Sébastien Soldevila, two of the co-founders of 7 Fingers, is back at the Bell Center for the holiday season.
The ice is a mirror, a portal that just needs to be crossed, a surface on which to contemplate one’s reflection, an interface allowing one to enter into a relationship with oneself. This is how Crystal, a child considered fanciful, misunderstood by those close to her and her teachers, sinks one day under the ice to discover an extraordinary world which is of course the fruit of her overflowing imagination. At the end of this initiatory quest populated by shadows and alter egos, a sometimes convoluted journey, but beautifully narrated in French from the words of American playwright Eisa Davis, Crystal will have learned to celebrate her singularity, to deploy her creativity.
Figure skating enthusiasts be warned, Crystal is first and foremost a circus show. The skate is mainly used to link the numbers. Or to make people laugh, a function that the clown, with his funny vehicle and his real snowballs, performs perfectly. That said, some disciplines, like trapeze and aerial belts, pair superbly with ice. At the end of the first act, we are amazed in a scene which begins by evoking the playground and the hockey match to transform into a vast boule machine where “extreme” skaters perform breathtaking acrobatics on ramps, feats that put the crowd into jubilation.
The musical dimension does not disappoint. Between the great orchestral flights and the klezmer tunes, there emerge a few covers by irresistible voices, well-known pieces which skilfully punctuate the performance: Candlestick (Sia) by Ariane Moffatt, Sinnerman (Nina Simone) by Betty Bonifassi, Halo (Beyoncé) by Gabrielle Shonk and beautiful day (U2) by Cyrille Aimée. From the scenography (Stéphane Roy) to the lighting (Éric Champoux), from the costumes (Marie Chantale Vaillancourt) to the video projections (Johnny Ranger), the rich designs amaze and captivate. That said, while endowed with undeniable artistic and acrobatic qualities, the show lacks the cohesion which would have raised it to a higher level.