Also this issue: Mirror, Mirror The world is represented and subverted in “Staging Reality.” -Robin Rice Art Astrid Bowlby: Leaves of Grass -Susan Hagen Step One Run by students for students, Gallery One eases the transition to the real art world. -Kristina Weise Mostar/Sarajevo: Modernist Ruins -Meredith Broussard Kelly Link -Helen Thompson Jennifer Weiner -Alex Richmond Cecilia Bartoli with Le Musiche Nove -David Shengold

September 26-October 2, 2002

theater

Varekai

by Deni Kasrel

VAREKAIThrough Oct. 20, Cirque du Soleil, Broad St. and Washington Ave., 800-768-5440

Time flies when you’re having fun, and time zips by during Cirque du Soleil’s Varekai. From the mysterious mood of its beginning moments to the rousing bring-down-the-house finale, this engrossing spectacle hooks you in straightaway and holds you throughout.

The word varekai means "wherever" in the Romany language. The "wherever" in this instance is a tropical forest where the trees are tall golden poles and the inhabitants are fantastical creatures garbed in a flashy rainbow array of colors. Puffs of smoke and the occasional booming sound allude to the notion that the forest surrounds the rim of a volcano.

Varekai's theme borrows from the story of Icarus: In the first scene a young man with giant wings falls from the sky into the magical forest, where native creatures remove his wings and wrap him in a net. The net becomes a prop for the Icarus character, whose attempts to free himself result in a mesmerizing aerial performance of graceful poses and daring dives. Soon this young man encounters an exotic woman who captures his attention but keeps disappearing from sight, till finally they meet and marry to become king and queen of the forest.

That story line is mighty loose, mind you; it's just a bare bones scheme for the real focus of any Cirque show, which is the array of stunts that blend magnificent athleticism with emotional and visual artistry. Men catapult, spin and catch one another with their feet in a precise display of human juggling. Four slinky women in fishnet body suits vogue their way through a trapeze performance, projecting strength and sensuality. Hyper-buff twin brothers dressed like characters from Greek mythology grab straps and glide through the air in a striking show of gymnastic coordination. And then there's the finale, which I won't give away except to say it's a kinetic macho spectacle of daring and balance, plus a hint of whimsy. Short skits and clowning offer pause between these and other awesome acts, some of which elicit audible gasps from the audience.

This is buoyant entertainment, high on enchantment, where the cast's energy transfers to the audience. Varekai's performers soar, and so do our spirits.