Cirque Du Soleil

If you think all Cirque Du Soleil shows are alike, you are mistaken. I have been fortunate enough to attend several performances over the years, and although each show is rooted in spectacular theatrical performances and unbelievable acrobatic feats, each one divulges its own distinctive storyline. 

With the Montreal-founded company’s newest show, ECHO, under the Big Top at Concord Pacific Place, the audience follows the narrative of the heroine, Future, whose steadfast in solving the world’s environmental problems. 

As I followed this brave female protagonist’s dogged journey as she led her group of all-white furry friends through the challenges that evolution presented, I was instantly captivated. Told through the lenses of whimsy and wonder, where imaginations run wild and artistic innovation knows no bounds, Future attempts to rebuild the universe one building block at a time. 

Circus-like acts followed in rapid succession: from the trapeze artists on slackwire, to the two aerialists hair raising duo hair suspension act (OK, couldn’t help myself), to the breathtaking triple teeterboards acts, and the several-storey tall red humanoid puppet, ECHO is a fantastical adventure. All the while in the background, antlered musicians and singers provided beautifully haunting melodies.

At the core of ECHO is the two-storey-high magical white cube highlighting dancing three-dimensional projections that exposed Jenga-like pieces sliding in and out, as creatures of all sorts – scaley lizards, curly-horned rams, long-neck Llamas, and floppy eared elephants –  appeared and disappeared. At times, the cube fragmented into smaller squares, and as if by magic, the projections of boxes turned into real cardboard boxes that two bumbling clowns stacked to higher and higher heights. 

Throughout ECHO, the cheers and gasps of the thrill seekers in attendance were deafening. I could also hear the oohs and ahhs coming from my friend when the contortionist took center stage. Her first-ever Cirque Du Soleil performance, I could see her look – somewhere between amazed and slightly disturbed – while he twisted and bent arms and legs in impossible ways.  

Then, there were the performances of Henrik Veres, who had dual roles – that of Ewai, the principal dog, as well as a juggler.  As I watched Veres spin multiple balls on his fingers in quick succession, I felt a connection with the young juggler.  

You see, I interviewed him from his hotel room in Toronto a couple of weeks beforehand. Veres quickly explained to me that he was a 6th generation circus performer. 

“My father performed balancing acts, while my mother performed aerial acts hanging from her hair,” said the 31-year-old Veres. “At 10, I was hooked with the idea of being part of the circus. I initially tried different disciplines, but when I attempted juggling for the first time, I was excited and it sparked a real interest.”

A native of Hungary, Veres started juggling at 12 years old, and over the past 15 years, he has performed more than 5,000 Cirque Du Soleil shows. 

Cirque Du Soleil and juggling are in his veins, Veres quips.  

“Juggling is a never-ending challenge and before each performance, I train between six to eight hours daily,” said Veres, adding that as the principal dog, he portrays emotion through body language.

As the show drew to its crescendo, Future’s journey climaxed into a dramatic finale where the pieces of the cube rejoined each other. In one final symbolic gesture, she attached the last piece signifying the coexistence of man and animal.

ECHO runs under the Big Top at Concord Pacific Place, from now until January 5, 2025. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit cirquedusoleil.com/echo. 

Where to dine before seeing Cirque Du Soleil’s ECHO? The Victor

A short walk away from Big Top at Concord Pacific Place, I dined at The Victor prior to the show.  Located on the Parq Vancouver’s expansive rooftop urban park, this very chic, yet unpretentious fine dining restaurant harkens back to Old Hollywood glamour – I could almost picture L.A.’s elite strutting, dressed in their finest. 

Executive Chef Garret Blundell, who earned his stripes in Michelin starred restaurants, including Maze by Gordon Ramsay, curated a three-course set menu dubbed The Masquerade Dinner Club. It featured so many mouth-watering options, it was hard to choose. First up was the appetizer – it was a toss-up between the lobster and crab bisque, gringo salmon or the Caesar salad. Uniquely crafted, I opted for the Caesar salad. With shaved Brussel sprouts, pecorino cheese and crispy sumac-spiced chickpeas, it was tasty and crunchy. Paired with The Victor’s cheese and onion bread, I don’t know whether it was sacrilege to mop my plate clean with ripped pieces of this tasty bread! Ah well, it’s a mute point because I did.

For my main, I went for the Columbia River steelhead salmon. Perfectly aromatic and finely executed, the salmon sat on a Dungeness crab and dill salad, complete with Greek lemon potatoes and tzatziki. The final curtain call was a Manjari dark chocolate ganache sponge cake …. Worthy of an encore! 

Overlooking False Creek, The Victor is often thought of as a high-end steakhouse but its carte du Jour is also heavily influenced by the best of fresh-caught Pacific Northwest seafood. To flawlessly compliment the haute cuisine, The Victor boast premium libations, cutting edge cocktails, best in class wine cellar, and an extensive selection of champagnes and sparkling wines. (The Masquerade Dinner Club menu is $75 per person and runs from 5 pm to 6:30 pm during the duration of the Cirque Du Soleil’s production of ECHO).