However, when I went to Las Vegas back in January of this year I first saw posters and promos for KA. What immediately caught my eye was that it seemed to have more of a martial arts tone and Chinese opera influence. At first I didn’t think too much of it, as I said not a huge fan of Cirque. But during my stay I saw more ads for it, and what really piqued my curiosity were the video promos playing throughout the MGM casino. This production really looked like it was pretty cool and worth checking out. Alas, I didn’t get my chance in January, just didn’t have enough time (there’s a ton to do in Las Vegas, you’d practically have to live there in order to see it all). When I got home I began to read up on KA and the more I did, the more I really, really wanted to see it. It just looked interesting, and more than that, it seemed to be right up my alley. I had some vacation time from work to use up and a little extra cash from my tax refund, so I figured I’d spend a few days in Las Vegas again. Honestly, the big draw for me this go-round was KA, although the shopping and the gambling was of major interest to me as well. I went for KA, but if it hadn’t been playing I would have been excited to go to Las Vegas nonetheless.
It is the first Cirque show (as is my understanding) to have an actual plot and story. The others (again, as is my understanding) are basically circus shows where a bunch of wacky, zany crap happens. KA deviates from this in that it is more of an actual show, like an opera, specifically a Chinese opera although there seems to be a lot of other influences as well, including African and Spanish. It is also the first Cirque to lack a traditional stage, in that the KA stage moves around, rotates 360 degrees, lifts completely vertical, disappears into a massive pit, floats up into the sky, and basically just goes nuts. It really is a masterpiece of engineering, unlike anything I’ve certainly ever seen.
Oh, the production cost $220 million to develop, and the ticket prices do reflect that. Because I was so excited, I splurged and dropped $170 for a 3rd row front and center seat. After doing so I began to worry that perhaps I was setting myself up for one of the biggest letdowns of my life. If you’ve read my 5 Movies That Piss Me Off post, you no doubt know that I’ve done such things in the past. This wouldn’t be the first time (nor the last) that I built something up and up until my expectations were so astronomical that whatever I was excited about simply could not deliver no matter how awesome it was. Even more than that, though, I was afraid that after all the build I was giving it, it would royally suck. Did any of that happen this time? Was my rather lavish purchase even remotely worth it? I should mention that I am by no means rich or even well off, and dropping $170 on something frivolous as theatre tickets when that cash would probably be better put to paying on my credit cards or putting gas in my car is noteworthy in and of itself. So, was KA it worth it?
with one word that best describes the performance:
Actually, there is no word in the English language powerful and passionate enough to describe KA, it is simply that amazing. It is hands down one of the best…well, anything I have ever witnessed in my life. Everything about it was just flawlessly gorgeous. The set, the stage, the actors, the chorography, the music, everything was no less than phenomenal. There are many instances of martial arts and weapon displays. Now, usually when you see martial arts displays live it tends to be a little clumsy and slow paced, certainly not like in movies where fancy editing is utilized to make it a whirlwind of action. However, in KA the martial arts displays were extremely fast and flawlessly performed; it looks as good if not better than something seen in any Jet Li or Zhang Ziyi flick. Obviously when they hit each other punches and kicks were pulled, but every actor managed to make every single blow look completely realistic. The costume designs and makeup are masterpieces of art (as you can see from the pictures dotting this post), as beautiful and mysterious as a Rafal Olbinski painting. There’s a lot of humor it, mostly the slapstick antics of the Court Valets and Mountain Tribesmen, but the Sister and Brother are especially cute, as are the puppets which include a sea-turtle, starfish, worm-thing, mantis, scorpion, and a few others; there’s even this HUGE snake that coils around a tree and slithers down. Very, very cool stuff. And it is dramatic; there is no real dialogue, just snippets of words here and there that may be French or some made up language, I’m not really sure, but still the characters are able to convey a full range of emotions simply with their expressions, screams, laughter, and of course beautiful choreography.
Prior to going to Las Vegas and seeing the show, I read a few reviews that said that the story itself was rather weak and that the real star of the show was the stage. I could not possibly disagree more; while the stage was truly a spectacular and ingenious contraption, I felt that the story was very gripping and moving, as strong and as powerful as any silverscreen mega-blockbuster that stays with you long after you leave the theater. I saw it Tuesday night, and at press time it is Thursday evening and I am still in awe of it.
I can’t even give KA a rating because it simply goes beyond any possible rating I could give. It is amazing and well worth the price. As I said earlier I splurged and bought the best seats and it was very well worth it. The theater is designed so that there really is no bad seat, but being so close really made it that much more special. I was close enough that at time I could have touched an actor and at times they flew right over my head.
Needless to say it is highly recommended. If you are going to Las Vegas, plan to see this show plain and simple. I spent 3 days in Las Vegas and I had a great time, but what really made it was KA. I definitely plan on going to see it again; in fact, I could easily plan another trip to Las Vegas based entirely on going to see this production again. No shopping, no gambling, nothing but KA and it will be as memorable as any other trip.
They say that you can see it, you can experience it, but you won’t believe it. Truer words have never been uttered.
Click here to go to KA's offical website
Click here to go to MGM Grand's website
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