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You are here: Home / Blog / TORUK, a performance by Cirque Du Soleil

TORUK, a performance by Cirque Du Soleil

September 23, 2016 By Shann 24 Comments

*I was given free tickets to the performance in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

TORUK

Last night, we were lucky enough to attend opening night of TORUK – The First Flight by Cirque Du Soleil. TORUK is a performance based on the movie Avatar by James Cameron.

I’m going to be super honest with you. I remember seeing Avatar, and I remember the blue people, but that’s about it. It was a long time ago, and I’ve had three kids, so you must understand. I’ve also never seen Cirque Du Soleil live before. I’ve seen a little on TV, but again, remember “mommy brain.” So, basically, I wasn’t too sure what to expect from the show.

I have to say I was definitely impressed.

A review of TORUK based on James Cameron's Avatar

The Show

Even though it was a school night, I decided to take Mr. B to see the show. We went with our friends/neighbors, who also have a boy Mr. B’s age. So, it was a little “mommy and me” double date.

 

Date night! #TORUK #cirquedusoleil

A photo posted by Shann (@shannevasblog) on Sep 22, 2016 at 8:39pm PDT

When we entered the theater, it was already dark to create the feel of being on Pandora, the magical World. They also announced that there was an app that you could download on your phone to enhance your experience. I’m not so good with apps on my phone, so I sat that one out.

To begin, there was a narrator who guides you through the story, as the Na’Vi (blue people) speak their own language. In the words of Mr. B, “It’s about 2 brothers who are searching to destroy the creature of darkness to save the tree.”

I thought he had a pretty good grasp of what was going on. There are a few more details, but I was happy he understood.

Here’s my very brief summary:

  • 2 brothers (not by blood, but by love) must take a test to become warriors
  • 1 passes, the other does not and runs away
  • The Shaman has a vision of their “Tree of Souls” being destroyed
  • Only an “innocent” can stop this
  • They need a talisman from each of the 5 tribes, which will help them to tame and ride the TORUK (creature of darkness, according to Mr. B,) who they are all scared of
  • The 2 brothers join forces and go on a quest to save their tree and people

Did that make sense?

Well, for those of you that remember the movie, this is all supposed to have taken place many years before.

The Action

The acrobatics and the work with props was pretty amazing. Half of the time you didn’t even realize what amazing stunts they were performing because you got wrapped up in the story. But, then they would stop in an unbelievable position, like a split in mid-air between two scarves, and the crowd would go wild.

The performers were on stunts, they flew through the air, and they climbed around on everything. As a dancer, watching their flexibility and balance was beautiful. At one point, they were on a seesaw-type device (made of a giant bones, of course) contorting their bodies into just incredible positions.

The performers also made music with many of the props, and the Shaman had a beautiful voice.

The Set

Visually, TORUK was pretty amazing. While there weren’t very many “actual” things on the stage all the time, the effects that the lights created were really cool. It went from looking like there was fire everywhere, to water rushing through.

When they did use props, they really used them. I mentioned the scarves, but there were also poles that they climbed and swung from, a giant rope bridge, along with many different kite-like devices. They were manipulated by performers beautifully.

I wish I could have got some better pictures, but here are a few that I did take.

A review of TORUK - The First Flight based on James Cameron's Avatar

Family Friendly?

For the most part, it’s a performance that you can take your older children to. Mr. B is almost 7, and he was fine. Here are the Pros and Cons you may want to consider.

Pros

  • No bad language – they speak their own, so the only English is from the narrator
  • Visually beautiful
  • Lots of action to hold attention
  • A 20 minute intermission for potty/snack breaks
  • They have a matinée performance on the weekends

Cons

  • On a school night, a 7:30 start was a little late. We got home a little after 10 pm.
  • Younger children might find the dark and some of the creatures scary
  • The music was pretty loud at some points, and probably would have frightened the twins
  • Younger children probably wouldn’t understand the story completely, but that might be a pro too

Overall, I would recommend it for families with children over 6-years-old. Any younger, and they might get scared. Or they might not be able to sit thru the entire thing because it is a little over 2 hours with intermission.

I actually think it would be a great date night. Even though I’m not big into science fiction, I loved the physical performances in it. I think my husband would have really liked the story, and everyone would love all the visuals and effects.

TORUK – The First Flight will be in Milwaukee through Sunday, so if you have the chance, I’d recommend you check it out. It’s a traveling show, so check your area to see when they will be performing near you.

I still have discounted ticket codes, if you don’t have your tickets yet.

For $25 Child tickets, click HERE and use the code: CHILD25

For Family Four Packs just click HERE

Does this sound like a performance you’d like to see? Do you remember Avatar? At least better than me?

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Filed Under: Blog, Reviews Tagged With: acrobatics, Avatar, BMO Harris Bradley Center, Bradley Center, Cirque Du Soleil, family-friendly, James Cameron's Avatar, kites, Na'vi, Pandora, performance, puppets, ribbons, scarves, stilts, TORUK, TORUK - The first flight

Comments

  1. J. Ivy Boyter says

    September 23, 2016 at 8:09 am

    Looks like a good time! Every now and then we try to take my daughter to theatrical performaces … her last experience was a local one that did a medley of Dr. Seuss stuff. It was great 🙂

    Reply
  2. Trish at Birdhouse Books says

    September 23, 2016 at 9:01 am

    This sounds amazing! I have only been to one Cirque du Soleil performance, but I really enjoyed it. I really like your photos of the sets — the bright colors and use of light is really appealing. It sounds like y’all had a good time!

    Reply
  3. Jenny says

    September 23, 2016 at 9:03 am

    How fun! I remember seeing the movie but barely remember what it was about myself. I’ve seen Cirque Beatles before and it was absolutely amazing.
    xoxo, Jenny

    Reply
  4. Stef@CraftyChristian says

    September 23, 2016 at 10:26 am

    Sounds like a good time! My boys would probably like it when they’re older 🙂

    Reply
  5. Kusum @sveetesKapes says

    September 23, 2016 at 10:52 am

    Looks like both Mr. B and you had a great time! That show looks really good and its nice that you were able to bring your kid with to watch the show. Very helpful review about things to keep in mind and other logistics. And as you said, the set looks insanely beautiful 🙂
    xx, Kusum | http://www.sveeteskapes.com

    Reply
  6. Georgiana says

    September 23, 2016 at 11:04 am

    Sounds like a fun experience! Cirque really knows how to put on a great performance. We’ve only seen one, but it was well worth it.

    Reply
  7. Georgiana says

    September 23, 2016 at 11:04 am

    PS. I don’t remember much about the movie either! Mommy brain? LOL!

    Reply
  8. Charlotte says

    September 23, 2016 at 11:29 am

    This looks stunning! I have seen a few Cirque shows (some I would HIGHLY recommend, like my favorite show of all time–Love which is only in Vegas) and some that were only meh (like Wintuk at MSG in NYC). This looks beautiful and I love that you enjoyed some mommy and me time with your little one 🙂 He looks like the perfect date and I’m glad that he enjoyed this as much as you did! XOXO

    Reply
    • Shann Eva says

      September 26, 2016 at 11:03 am

      Thank you Charlotte! Next time I’m in Vegas, I’m going to have to check out Love 🙂

      Reply
  9. Danielle says

    September 23, 2016 at 11:55 am

    I LOVE cirque du soleil!! This one looks really great. I have been to three other ones so far. I can’t wait to see even more.

    Keep Sparkling!
    Danielle
    Sparkling Southerner

    Reply
  10. Falon Loves Life says

    September 23, 2016 at 1:22 pm

    I love Cirque and I have seen several of their shows. I can see how they would be a good match with Avatar. I’ll definitely keep an eye out for this one coming to my area!

    Reply
  11. Fullest Mom says

    September 23, 2016 at 2:19 pm

    We were fortunate enough to see it when they were touring our state. We were able to have an adult date night out of it. I agree that 6 and up is best. The show is long, even with intermission, and I’m not confident a younger child would sit for the duration. Nice summary of the show.

    Reply
    • Shann Eva says

      September 26, 2016 at 11:02 am

      Agreed. Thank you so much!

      Reply
  12. Susan Croox says

    September 23, 2016 at 6:57 pm

    Aw, I love Cirque du Soleil! My oldest is stil too young, but I can’t wait to go to the shows with her.

    Reply
  13. Shani Ogden says

    September 23, 2016 at 8:13 pm

    How fun! I’ve always wanted to see a Cirque du Solei performance! I’ve been to Las Vegas (they have many different Cirque shows) several times to visit family but never had the chance to squeeze in a show. Just your pictures got me excited to see if I can swing it next time we go.

    Reply
    • Shann Eva says

      September 26, 2016 at 11:01 am

      Awesome! It’s definitely worth it!

      Reply
  14. Ananda says

    September 23, 2016 at 11:09 pm

    Cirque Du Soleil is amazing!! everything from performance t o set design is top notch! i haven’t seen this one, will be checking out their schedule!

    Reply
  15. Lindsay @ Kiddo Korner says

    September 24, 2016 at 2:18 am

    It looks like an amazing show! Beautiful! I can’t wait to see it!

    Reply
  16. Mandy says

    September 24, 2016 at 6:36 am

    This sounds like a fantastic show! I’ve never seen a Cirque du Solei performance but I’ve heard how amazing they are. Your pictures turned out great! I think my oldest would really enjoy this show.

    Reply
  17. Jackie says

    September 25, 2016 at 5:29 pm

    Looks like so much fun! I love Circque shows!

    Reply
  18. Mistle says

    September 25, 2016 at 5:48 pm

    This looks like such a great show to attend! I have not see Cirque before but I would love to! I will have to check this show out soon!!

    Reply
  19. CourtneyLynne Storms says

    September 25, 2016 at 6:56 pm

    Omg how fun!!! We love going to all the different cirque shows!!!

    Reply
  20. Mostly Simple Life says

    September 26, 2016 at 10:28 am

    Looks pretty amazing! And what a great memory for you and your little guy!

    Reply
  21. Emily Bendler says

    September 26, 2016 at 12:18 pm

    So fun! I’ve always wanted to see a Cirque show but have never gotten around to it.

    Reply

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Meet Shann

Shann Hi! I'm a mom, writer, and dancer. I love sharing my parenting experiences, my healthy living tips, my money saving ideas, and our travel plans. My passion to help other women inspired this blog. I hope you'll stay a while and come back often.

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