Cirque du Soleil’s CRYSTAL tells the story of a young misfit who feels out of sync with the world around her. One day, while skating on a frozen pond, she plunges through the ice and into a fantastical realm born of her imagination.
The rink at the Pacific Coliseum is beautifully illuminated and changes with each scene as Éric Champoux’s dramatic lighting adds to Mark Vreeken’s remarkable sound design. Both work magnificently in tandem to elevate Crystal’s vivid imagination. The show begins with a guitarist and violinist whose performance gets the crowd clapping as a clown entertains.
A large ice cave at the back of the stage becomes the focal point for entrances, exits, and captivating imagery to complement the production.
[Photo by Matt Baker]
The show’s unique soundtrack blends popular tunes (including U2’s Beautiful Day) with atmospheric music to enhance key moments in the show, ranging from melodic folk to Eastern European klezmer music. In fact, this is the first Cirque production to incorporate cover versions of well-known pop songs.
As the story advances from Crystal’s youth to entering the workplace and finally to finding love, we also see her family appear on stage — they stand out in brightly-coloured retro costumes designed by Marie Chantale Vaillancourt, who’s created an amazing wardrobe from corporate wear to hockey attire. At one point, Crystal even appears on stage wearing a personalized Canucks jersey for a local touch!
Anyone who has ever been to a Cirque show knows how the performers can make the acrobatics look effortless, and CRYSTAL is no exception.
Barring only a couple of missteps, the show was flawless, contains a variety of scenes and surprises to delight audiences of all ages, and wraps up with a nod to classic ice shows by bringing out the entire cast to create a giant pinwheel.
Following years of touring in 24 countries – with over 1,380 performances – this is CRYSTAL’s final bow, as cast and crew can rest their laurels on a highly entertaining, beautiful show with jaw-dropping gymnastic feats and stunning acts.
Catch it for just a few more nights at Vancouver’s Pacific Coliseum through June 8, before it’s gone for good!
Where not expressly mentioned, all photos by Oliver Brajon.
