Delirium

Friday night we went to the Cirque du Soleil's touring road show, "Delirium." I expected to be transported, awestruck, gob-smacked. I was entertained. There were nice costumes and cool special effects, but it was a let-down. The occasional gymnastics and acrobatics were wonderful, and the use of some simple stage set-pieces was cool, but the emphasis on singing and music got - boring. I could tell that the singers were emoting intensely, but either the acoustics were poor or the vocal styling was odd or the singers had heavy accents. I couldn't understand any of the lyrics. They could have been singing, "I am one with the creative comsic consciousness." or they could have been singing, "Johnny really loves me. He really, really loves me." Or they could have been singing, "Lalalalaeeeeeayiiiieeeeayiiiooooooooowah." I didn't have a clue. So a lot of the time was spent watching singers standing, clutching a microphone, and belting out impassioned noises with large grimaces and occasional bouts of strutting and hip thrusts.

They had some lovely bits with set-pieces and costumes. A calypso singer had a skirt that grew to cover the whole stage. Then she was lifted up on wires, the other performers slithered under the edge of the skirt as she rose and rose and became the top of a big white tent. Lights went on inside the tent, and dancers next to the lights threw their shadows in capering delight onto the sides of the tent, while the singer continued to belt out some wild Carribbean rhythmic noises. It was magic and fun.

And they had two big wedges as set-pieces. These things were about 20 feet from tip to base, curved like sections of orange peel, about 12 feet wide at the base. They first showed up as arches or bridges that people danced across. Then they were turned on their sides and used as walls, then turned again and the dancers and acrobats made them rock by throwing themselves from end to end. finall, the two smallest girls stepped into loops on the very tips of the wedges, and teh rest of the cast all moved down to the base of the wedge, so the tips were lifted wayyy up in the air. Pretty cool. I have no idea what it had to do with anything, but it was pretty cool.

So, unless you really love new-agey music, I'd say you should save your money and skip the road show.

We had just a perfect October weekend. Lots of sun, lots of color in the trees, lots of free time to enjoy it. My camera has died, so DH is letting me use his very fancy, very expensive camera till we get to the duty-free shops of St. Thomas and find a nice digital (with minimal bells and whistles. I want something easy to carry that I can whip out on a moment's notice and get shots of the kitties or the scenery or whatever.) One of the neighbors has a monsterous Halloween display in their yard, and we cruised over to burn off the end of a roll of film. Some people just loooove Halloween! The whole yard and house are dressed, and they have set up a 2-storey false-front on their garage to make it look like a haunted castle. They are writing a book on how to do the special effects. You can go to www.davisgraveyard.com for more info.

And on the knitting front, I finished the hot-sunshine set for our favorite waiter(I really need that digital camera), and have started the hat and scarf for Miz G. It's kind of plain. Maybe I will take some of my Joanne's coupons and find some embellishments. I must control my inner magpie or I will wind up with four pounds of holographic sequins, and Miz G is not a sequins-on-the-hat sort of girl. I am. I LIKE flashy. I was showing off a new purse (gold and silver lame with barbaric brass and copper fittings) to a friend and he said, "Ah, yes, it's gaudy, yet tasteless. What are you thinking?" The magpie in my brain does not think. It just picks up the shiney things.

Time to clean up after the crapweasles. May that be the worst thing I have to deal with today.

If I get in at least a thousand words on the novel, I get to spin. wish me luck.