Cirque du Soleil has conquered water in O and now the acrobats are tackling ice with Crystal, Cirque’s first frozen show, which will be at U.S. Bank Arena just in time for the holidays: Dec. 27-30, 2018.
Crystal blends skating, gymnastics and acrobatics — on the ice and in the air — with performances of synchronized and freestyle skating, swinging trapeze, aerial straps and other extreme, adrenaline-pushing activities that audiences have come to expect from Cirque.
“Watch world-class ice skaters and acrobats explore their new frozen playground with speed and fluidity as they challenge the laws of gravity with never-before-seen acrobatics,” says a press release about the show. “Cirque du Soleil’s Crystal fuses circus arts and the world of ice skating in a stunning new production that will take the audience on a journey into a surreal world where figure skating blends with acrobatics and aerial prowess.”
Along with it being the show's first stop in town, it will also be the first time performing in Cincinnati for native figure skater Mary Siegel, who joined the Crystal cast in 2017 in Montreal.
“I can’t even begin to find the words to describe exactly how excited I am to be performing with Cirque du Soleil in my hometown,” said Siegel in the release. “It’s one thing to share what I love with my closest friends and family, but to do so around the holidays, I couldn’t ask for a better scenario.”
Our theater critic Rick Pender — who saw the show this weekend — noted on his Facebook that Siegel plays the reflection of the show's central character, "an independent and creative young woman who seeks her true identity after unexpectedly falling through the ice to a remarkable alternate reality."
Another Ohioan also performs in Crystal; Nate Cooper, who danced with Dayton's Rhythm in Shoes dance troupe for a decade, started as a clogger, went to roller-skating and now is performing on ice.
Pender went on to write that Crystal was "most athletic, engaging Cirque production I've seen...Everyone is at the dazzling top of their games, breathtaking and beautifully engaging. They move at high speed, sometimes suspended in midair, gracefully telling a beautiful, life-affirming story. This is a seriously, joyously entertaining production."
You can still purchase tickets here. For more info visit usbankarena.com.
Show Schedule – Thursday, Dec. 27 through Sunday, Dec. 30, 2018
Thursday, Dec. 27 at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 28 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 29 at 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 30 at 1:30 p.m. and 5 p.m.
