The legendary show that is Cirque du Soliel is returning to Chicago with their newest show, Luzia: A Waking Dream of Mexico. If you have ever had the privilege of seeing a Cirque show, whether in any of their residencies or touring performances, you know what awaits you is a reverie of magic, fantasy and some seriously super-humanly skilled performers.

Their signature big top will be displaying the richness that is Mexican culture. Cirque went through lengths to incorporate cultural and iconic themes that include mythology, regional species, and surrealism. Some notable nods include the monarch butterfly that makes their annual migrations to and from Mexico that is presented by a “running woman” that pays tribute to the Tarahumara people of Northern Mexico; known for their strong long-distance female runners.

Mark Shaub is one of the artistic directors who has long been involved with Cirque for years, shared some key details on how the show came together. He mentions the creative drive it took to explore the culture and iconic themes associated with the show.  He says, “each show presents its own challenges, for example one new thing is the use of water under the big tent. This is something we have never attempted before.” He says the inspiration comes from the rainforest themes of the Yucatan and presents a very powerful performance from Enya, a trapeze artist that brings this specific element to an eager audience.

The creator of the show currently resides in Mexico and in partnership with Mark, brought an amazing team of athletes and performers together that would perfectly reflect the vibrancy of the story and the culture.

Mark himself has worked on other Cirque shows such as Corteo, Dralion, and Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour to name a few. He essentially keeps the production alive while adhering to the original concept of the creation. He works closely with the creator and the artists to maintain the integrity of the storyline. His artistic team consists of the stage managers, artists, and acrobatic coaches. His team, he says is his favorite part of a live production because they “bring a passion to their work” that makes Cirque successful.

One of those artists is Enya, who briefly spoke to me about her trapeze act and the creative contributions that she made to her performance to enhance the use of this new water element. Luzia is actually Enya’s first professional contract right out school where she submitted a video of a performance. She called her experience “interesting” because it was her first time working with other girls (dancers) as part of her performance. Yet, she found the theatrical element incredibly fulfilling and was something she looked forward to doing upon leaving the National Circus School of Montreal. There she committed her time to learning the basics of acrobatics, juggling, acting and dancing. Falling in love with trapeze dancing, is what really changed her life.

Her act in the show takes place in the desert where she appears to be flying over the rain to which she excitingly calls one of the most powerful moments in the entire show.

A common question I ask in all my interviews brings a discussion of what they want the audience to take away from watching the show, many will often bring some cliché words of inspiration or emotion. Of all the Cirque shows I’ve experienced, it would have been rightfully warranted to use these words. When I saw my first Cirque show on TV, it was Quidam. I remember I was in high school and I was just beginning to dip my toe into performance art that would eventually bring me to a career in dance. However, after witnessing the theatrics and innovative acts that this show brought, it would eventually turn me into a “big picture” choreographer. Where I would visualize not just the choreography of a piece, but the full performance including lighting, props, costuming and tricks or elements to really bring a live show and not just a performance. My first live Cirque show was Corteo, a beautiful funeral procession for a beloved clown. It brought a melancholy tone that added to the beauty of this homage and essentially brought me to tears. Since then, I’ve experienced Michael Jackson The Immortal and Toruk, both of which bring all of my favorite elements of performance and magic. I’ve always thought of Cirque as physical representations of my very real dreams. Equating fantasy and nightmare, beauty and romance; dreams that are almost never something that could be described with any kind of logic or rationality.

With the combination of Cirques innovative and wondrous creativity and pairing it with a “waking dream of Mexico,” I’m immediately enriched with beauty and mythology. This is the glorious Mexico that many should experience; leading to the responses I was given from Mark and Enya. Mark opened with how infrequently people see a live event, and ended with “this is more than a live event, people deserve to experience the Luzia environment under our big top.” Enya took a lot of my previous experiences into few words concluding that it was important for young children and adults to experience the same “liberty, inspiration and all around magic that is Luzia. I want them to go home with the gift that is experiencing Luzia.”

Don’t miss Luzia: A Waking Dream of Mexico, this summer! Tickets are still available for their Chicago stop.

For more information on Cirque du Soliel and all of their touring shows and residencies, visit: https://www.cirquedusoleil.com/