PARAMOUR is a brand new show by Cirque Du Soleil Theatrical on Broadway.
Despite some cutting reviews, there was certainly no disappointment from the audience at the sold out Lyric Theatre on 42nd Street tonight.
Several scenes are genuinely spectacular, death-defying, moving, jaw dropping with beautifully crafted acrobatics and breathtaking visual brilliance.
This show is epic, original, cool, uses the latest technology but remains respectful to Broadway. It’s totally unique even by Cirque standards.
You can’t deny the brilliance CDS’s innovative & creative staging, visual stimulation, lighting, casting, creative, costume and sound….but do they offer too much too often?
Cirque innovate Live theatre around the world. However, some find it all too similar. Paramour is very different to the rest and there’s no ‘Cirque make-up’ in sight.
What I can tell you is that there was some of the loudest and most genuine applause that I’ve ever heard in any theatre in the world tonight.
PARAMOUR has a 5* cast, world class acrobats and some of the most creative and complicated staging, choreography & dance in history.
There’s no questions this show has its faults, especially in the opening 20 minutes, however, the two best scenes in PARAMOUR are worth the ticket price alone! (Description below)….
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The story begins slowly and allows ‘Cirque misdirection’ and clutter to confuse.
Sadly the ‘busy stage’ becomes relentless, annoying and overwhelming…..it’s like they’re saying “here’s proof we have a ludicrous budget, enormous cast and a bewildering set”.
Less is often more in theatre, as their hugely talented performance artists and acrobats unquestionably prove! Talent always beats spectacle in my book.
However, despite a unfortunate opening, by the time the first acrobats / speciality acts appear – the show truly begins and the atmosphere in the theatre becomes electric….
The technology in this show is incredible. It has to be one of the most complicated shows in musical theatre history with Live cameras, moving sets & truly dangerous Live acrobatics.
Nevertheless, this is Cirque! The impossible is always possible. The audience proved every single time that these visual showstoppers were the moments the loved the most.
The magic illusions are also better than any I’ve ever seen on Broadway. The ‘flying lampshades’ were just beautiful.
The ‘Movie Poster’ scene is one of the most artistically brilliant, complicated and technically staggering I’ve ever seen.
Unsurprisingly Cirque Du Soleil have cast this show to perfection and are able to pull off such complexed theatrics with ease.
Ruby Lewis has a Debra Messing-esk glamour and is stunning vocally & comedically as Indigo.
Jeremy Kushnier holds the entire show together magnificently and effortlessly as AJ.
Ryan Vona is perfect as the hugely talented & tender Joey whilst Nate Cooper is masterful as the show clown.
The true Stars though (not given Star billing in the program) are the acrobats. These are the scenes where the crowd go wild!
Some of the scenes leave you asking ‘is this safe’, ‘are they going to get hurt’ & ‘how is this possible’? Signature questions Cirque love to hear at all of their shows.
‘The Twins’ absolutely deserve to be at the top of their game and regarded as one of the classiest acts in the world. Their aerial act is moving and beautiful.
The PARAMOUR story doesn’t immediately connect and touch you. It’s almost clichéd and silly to begin. However, by the end of the 1st Act you find yourself investing in the characters, opposed to just the visuals.
This show is about a megalomaniac producer who falls in love with his Star. She falls in love with her less influential pianist. So who does she choose?
Incidentally, the classic ‘love triangle’ scene (done a million times) was a standing ovation moment. So beautiful and needs to be seen to be believed.
The killer moments come from the acrobats who have clearly dedicated their lives to their act. They’re off the scale talented and literally defy gravity in a way no other show on Broadway has achieved before.
Cirque love to push you to the limits and in the scene where AJ ‘loses it’, it is beyond thrilling.
Rarely have I been so excited and invested with a new show during these moments.
Paramour is something new and different for Broadway and thank God for that!
Do we really need another song book show cluttering the Great White Way?
Regardless of the many opinions about this show, no-one can deny Cirque Du Soleil are genius theatre producers and never fail to amaze.
I would simply de-clutter the first 20 minutes and then they’ll have a mega-hit that will run forever. Word of mouth will purely keep this show alive and rightly so.
Regardless of my criticism’s, this show can easily be regarded as a defining moment for re-inventing Live theatre on Broadway.
The energy on stage and in the room is at times electric.
5* cast, 5*+ acrobats & 4* show @ Paramour on Broadway.
Review by Alex Belfield for Celebrity Radio 3rd June 2016.
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