Review: Cirque du Soleil's 'Crystal' creates a hot performance on ice
It was an evening of dance, contortionist moves, high-flying jumps, aerial poses and gymnastic-inspired moves, choreographed to lively music, with bright lights and special effects.
And it was all done on ice.
Cirque du Soleil’s acrobatic performance — “Crystal” — deserved the standing ovation it received from the captivated audience inside PPG Paints Arena, Uptown, on Thursday evening.
It was truly a one-of-a-kind production that kept everyone on the edge of their seats in a fast-paced, circus-inspired production.
Many of the scenes elicited shocked reactions from the crowd, including tense moments when performers dangled from a swing high above a huge sheet of ice or when performances catapulted themselves into the air from one or more ramps on the frozen surface.
Their moves on ice, done with such skill and precision, were mesmerizing.
The story follows Crystal, who learns to see things differently and become who she always was destined to be: herself.
Visual projections on the ice and a soundtrack with popular music performed by live musicians contributed well to the story.
A backdrop complemented each scene with changing hues and designs.
This is Cirque du Soleil’s first acrobatic performance on ice. It featured synchronized skating and extreme skating maneuvers, along with circus disciplines such as swinging trapeze and aerial moves.
Before the show started, there was some levity with the throwing of snowballs among the cast as well as the audience — all in fun.
One of the show’s more quirky and enjoyable characters rode a bicycle while wearing skates and flopped on the ice like a rag doll several times before jumping back up like nothing unusual happened.
Based out of Montreal, Cirque du Soleil works with artists from 90 countries. Even at two hours (with a 20-minute intermission), “Crystal,” never felt overly long at all.
The changing of props was done with grace and synchronicity. The performers moved so fluidly, even while speeding up on their skates as they would approach a ramp to go airborne.
Among the many scenes was one with characters dressed in work attire — from suits to skirts and blazers. Their skates matched their outfits, which was a regular occurrence throughout the show. Two of the work-attired performers did a split — on the ice — while wearing a suit. Another launched himself over another character lying on the ice.
Several skaters paired to perform ice dancing, which saw one of the men hoisting a woman in the air above his head and then, in one quick move, taking her hand as she circle around him, her head just inches from the ice.
Just before intermission, in a nod to performing at the Pittsburgh Penguins home arena, Crystal emerged wearing a Penguins jersey — her name on the back with the No. 24 (for 2024, of course). There also were a few hockey scenes and a playground scene.
At one point, acrobats descended from a trapeze above the ice while a performer skates below, leaps up and grabs onto the acrobat and is taken up into the air.
In the climactic scene, Crystal is perched above one of the men — standing on his shoulders in her ice skates. He spins around as other performers skate around them. He then lowers her onto the ice, only for her to skate and spell out “The End” in cursive.
As the crowd applauded, with some giving a standing ovation, Crystal and the cast all gathered on the ice where it all began. The other characters tell Crystal that she can’t do anything right.
She decides what she needs to do.
“I need to skate away, skate away from them all,” Crystal says.
And she does.
Cirque du Soleil: CRYSTAL runs through Sunday.
Details: cirquedusoleil.com
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a TribLive reporter covering the region's diverse culinary scene and unique homes. She writes features about interesting people. The Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist began her career as a sports reporter. She has been with the Trib for 26 years and is the author of "A Daughter's Promise." She can be reached at jharrop@triblive.com.
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