Cirque du Soleil in the last two decades has changed the face of the circus. Gone are the animals forced to perform and in their place, people from all over the world showcasing their amazing talents. French for “Circus of the Sun,” Cirque du Soleil brings back a vaudevillian style of entertainment rich in a whimsical world of music, dance and fantasy. Their oldest touring big top show, Saltimbanco, is back retooled for arenas and is now playing for one week at Hoffman Estate’s Sears Centre.
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Cirque du Soleil - Saltimbanco
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 Entertainment
Art
Sears Centre Arena
Hoffman Estates, IL
January 21, 2009
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Cirque du Soleil was started by two inner-city street performers in Canada. Guy Laliberté and Daniel Gauthier who under the original marquee Les Échassiers, toured Quebec in 1980. In 1983, Le Grand Tour du Cirque du Soleil was created as a celebration of the discovery of Canada by Jacque Cartier. The show was only supposed to run for one year. However two decades later, Cirque du Soleil shows are not only still touring but have become a world wide phenomena.
Saltimbanco is Italian that literally means "to jump on a bench," which is quite fitting for this classic Cirque du Soleil show. Saltimbanco brings their signature vision of quirky humor, breathtaking moments of acrobatic perfection, under a powerful musical soundtrack. Anyone familiar with the Cirque du Soleil shows will be instantly drawn into the world that is Saltimbanco. This show may have been around since 1992, but it’s a classic that has all of the elements that one has fallen in love with through the years.
Saltimbanco is inspired by “the urban fabric of the metropolis and its colorful inhabitants.” Through the course of two acts, we are given a non-stop ride, with a cast of eclectic characters, performing a visual smorgasbord of exciting acrobatic feats. The show is all Cirque du Soleil from the colorful stage to equally colorful costumes.
This show may be in an arena yet it feels like the big top shows in it’s setting. If you’ve seen previous arena versions and were unhappy this one may change your mind. Much like the big top shows, the stage is set in the center of the arena and the seats are available in a u-shape configuration for maximum viewing. From the main floor to the balcony, the sight lines are equally perfect to catch all of the show.
Saltimbanco has many highlights in this two act show. The Chinese Poles that rise up as high as 25 feet in the air showcases a series of multi-colored clad characters performing beautiful acrobatic leaps in unison. The performance is wonderful in its powerful display of discipline and it’s line of uniformed lines of human patterns.
The Artistic Bicyclist focuses on a quirky clown faced performer’s imaginary ride in a almost figure eight like pattern on the stage. He proves nothing is impossible on a bike from hand stands, backwards riding, to even bouncing around on one wheel. His outrageous, tongue wagging attitudes makes his performance memorable.
Theses are just a few of the stellar performances and this is just from the first act. Saltimbanco is rich in it’s variety of characters and its wide range of acts in this mystical playground of acrobatic intensity. Saltimbanco is only here through Sunday. So do yourself a favor, get the family, your significant other and make a point to enter the world of Saltimbanco. Cirque du Soleil has created the modern day circus for young and old and for a few more days it’s here in Hoffman Estate’s Sears Centre.
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