I always wanted to see a Cirque du Soleil show, so when I was presented with an opportunity to review KÀ in Las Vegas, I agreed eagerly. You see, I had heard for years about how great the Cirque shows were, but never found myself attending. Michelle and went to see about attending a show last year, but everything was sold out. I knew I was missing a good show, but never knew just how good the show is until this weekend.

Seating and tickets
When purchasing tickets for any show, I always want to know where the best seats are and how much they cost. As soon as I found out that we were near the rear center of section 102, I looked it up to see how good those seats were.

Adult tickets run from $69 to about $150 for adults and about half that for children. The pricing depends on the seating category. Being where we were, I figured our view would be pretty much in the middle of the scale from worst seats to best seats. When we got there, I realized that these were pretty great seats. Although they were definitely not front row or the best seats in the house, the view was great. In fact, it looked like all the seats had a pretty good view, with the possible exception of the far edges on the left and right. Every seat has speakers in the head rest, which sounds more like you’re just in the sweet spot for the sound rather than that you have speakers right behind your head and some cast members wander around through and interact with the audience. Wherever you’re seated, it seems you’ll be pretty immersed in the experience.

Photos and video
If you want photos or video, you’ll want to look at the KÀ web site because you can’t use your camera in the show. I asked about this before attending, as you should with any show you plan to bring a camera to and I was told that there’s a pretty strict policy against the use of cameras in Cirque shows. When we got our tickets, “No cameras” on the ticket, itself, reminded us about this rule and we saw signs when we arrived that served to make sure people know about the camera rules. Still, amazingly, a lot of people were taking photos before the show began and the show staff were quick to politely remind these people of the rules. Just to bring the point home, they had a small theatrical example before the full show of why not to use your camera. So how do you get a lasting memory of that special occasion with a friend or loved one? The offer some professional photography before the show.

While we waited for everyone to arrive and be seated, photographers from Cashman wandered around to take photos of those who wanted it. We had ours taken by Jeremy and after the show we decided to purchase the album shown above out of the two he presented us. It came bound nicely and the photos are professional quality (though I think they were just a bit bright). At $44 each, the album has two photos in it and is great to have, but not something I would get every visit to Cirque. My wife and I were out celebrating our wedding anniversary and made KÀ a part of it, so we purchased one.

The show
I had my choice of a few of the Cirque shows and I opted for KÀ because it looked best suited to my tastes. There’s plenty to choose from, so if KÀ isn’t your cup of tea, there may be another show that is, like Mystere, O, Zumanity, The Beatles Love, and Chris Angel Believe. Right now, they’re celebrating their 25th anniversary with some cool promotions and breaks on ticket pricing. We made sure to grab a drink in a souvenir cup while there. Before we were even seated, the experience had begun. The atmosphere was incredible, from the ushers in full costume to the scenery that enveloped the whole theater, the mood was set right away for a majestic evening. I was already a little impressed and my wife was excited for the show to begin.

The detail in the set design was incredible, and that’s an understatement. There wasn’t a traditional stage, but rather a stage area where a stage could rise up, rotate, elevate, etc. Surrounding the stage was a several stories of almost scaffolding-like but very decorative platforms on which many of the actors played out their roles. From a technical standpoint, the stage was a marvel. It spun in many directions and any side or corner could be elevated to as much as 90 degrees to help create the array of amazing effects that Cirque shows are famous for. The stage also included lower platforms, trap doors, and posts that rise out from the surface, all to add to the effect and provide function for the actors. As a geek with a love for unique engineering, I was pretty excited about the stage, but it still couldn’t detract from my amazement at the show itself. The video below should give an idea of what to expect, but really doesn’t do it justice.

Around every corner, I was in awe of the flawless execution of every stunt or acrobatic feat performed and I was moved by the beauty of the show as a whole. From impressive baton twirling to airborne acrobatics, the actors in this show are truly a collection of talent that I’ve not seen anywhere before. That of course, is not to discount the talent of those behind the scenes, as well. The creative affects with video, lighting, smoke and fire as well as the larger-than-life puppets continued to keep me immersed in the show.

Words like spectacular, amazing and incredible really fall short of conveying how I felt when it was over. I remember not wanting it to end and wondering when I could get to the next Cirque show. I think this show could be enjoyed from any seat in the house, but I would definitely shoot for somewhere in the middle of section 102 as that’s a pretty good area to get the whole experience without having to be too close to too far. Is it worth the cost? Definitely. I would have liked the option for a $10 or $15 photo in a cardboard sleeve that I could frame myself, but the show itself is a masterpiece and well worth the price of admission. Cirque is now in my travel budget for my next trip to Las Vegas and should be in yours, too.