This week started off by cleaning popcorn and confetti out of my camera bag and uploading photos because last week we had the privilege of attending the opening night of Kooza by Cirque du Soleil. Having never had the chance to see Cirque du Soleil in person but only hearing good things, I had no idea what the shows were all about but jumped at the chance to go find out.
Kooza is described online as, “An adrenaline rush of acrobatics in a zany kingdom” and definitely lived up to the hype. Exiting typical Beltway traffic, arriving at Sam Houston Race Park, parking in the giant lot, then walking in to the tent is really like entering another world.
From the minute you take your seat the fun is already beginning with a cast of characters working the crowd until the show gets rolling. From there it is act after act of not only exciting but funny performances. And not just funny… pretty hilarious. At one point my wife turned to me and said, “my face actually hurts from laughing so much“. What a great problem to have.
Among all of the balancing chairs, contortion, high wire, and trapeze acts what really stood out to me were the Wheel of Death and the routine by The King and the Clowns. I won’t spoil their acts but just leave it at saying they are probably worth the price of admission alone.
Then it was intermission, a champagne toast (not sure if this happens every night or if we were just spoiled), a trip to the port o potties (which there seemed to be plenty… and they were nice), and back in for the rest of the show.
A few photos from the night:
Want even more photos? View the full album of Cirque du Soleil Kooza photos.
Two “know before you go” tips:
- Parking is $10 and cash only (there is an ATM on site but also hits you with a $3.50 fee).
- If you would like to enjoy the show with a couple beverages, plan to bring plenty of cash (around $10/drink if I remember correctly).
Short version of the story: we had an absolute blast and could not have enjoyed the performance more. Now I’m looking forward to catching a show next time Cirque du Soleil is in Houston.
Or maybe a Vegas trip is in order…
Special thanks to Elmore PR for making us feel special with official media passes.
Tickets for upcoming Houston shows are available from the Cirque du Soleil website.
Photos by Courtney Pemberton and Derek Key. All photos are Creative Commons Attribution. You are free to use for promotional purposes with “photo by Schipul” next to the image.