The latest spectacular from Cirque du Soleil reaches into the upper limits of its majestic tent, which is no less than what we expect in a Cirque du Soleil spectacular. But the production is often unexpectedly content to keep its feet on the ground. This is a Cirque show with a yo-yo act (known simply as Black), which is not about rising and falling aerialists on wires but a guy with feet planted firmly on stage working yo-yos. Expertly working them, yes, but they're still yo-yos.
Kurios �" Cabinet of Curiosities definitely has a different vibe from previous Cirque shows that have set up in the Grand Chapiteau near AT&T Park. There is less of a mystical haze engulfing the new production, which takes its look from the mechanical revolutions of the early 20th century. One character has the belly of a bathysphere (in which a little person resides), another is dressed like a Slinky, and there is a figure whose torso and limbs are akin to an accordion. Mainly they just hang around, watching the succession of circus acts and helping provide a recurring sense of context.
If you hadn't gleaned the information before heading into the tent, you'd probably be hard-pressed to realize that there is a story at hand, one about a "seeker" whose explorations unleash an alternate universe of wonders. The basic purpose of all Cirque plots is to creatively string together a series of acrobatic acts, but Kurios writer-director Michel Laprise doesn't seem too interested in forcing the issue. The acts do flow smoothly together without much making believe they mean something beyond the individual crafts on display.
Certainly these crafts can be awe-inspiring. You won't soon forget the dinner party that is mirrored high above in an upside-down version, as chair balancer Andrii Bondarenko tries to connect the two worlds. An act entitled Acro Net uses a variation on a trampoline, with added bounce powered by acrobats at the edges that sends its stars to dizzying heights. There are other impressive if familiar stunts, such as the Rola Bola act, jugglers, a troupe of contortionists, and a pair of twin bare-chested hunks (Roman and Vitali Tomanovwho) who swing together and apart on aerial straps. Back on the ground, Kurios dares to go small with a hand act (Nicolas Baixas) that requires large-screen projection to display how a few fingers can turn into anything from a break dancer to a couple in love.
Also on the ground, in an act that could easily be jettisoned, David-Alexandre Despres plays the ringmaster of an "invisible circus" that is cute but wouldn't even make the first cut on auditions for The Ed Sullivan Show. But Despres redeems himself as the house clown in a sketch with a woman plucked from the audience as he portrays both her awkward suitor and a wonderfully accurate impression of a pesky housecat bothering the guest.
Kurios is a quick-moving show, with no time given over to ethereal meanderings, but it is a Cirque show more likely to leave you impressed by individual talents than swept up into a dream world that can only be contained under several acres of blue-and-yellow canvas.
Kurios �" Cabinet of Curiosities will run through Jan. 18 in the Grand Chapiteau adjacent to AT&T Park. Tickets are $53-$135. Call (800) 450-1480 or go to cirquedusoleil.com/kurios.