Don’t Miss: Cirque du Soleil’s Kurios – Cabinet of Curiosities

Not many people know about the existence of Randall’s Island in NYC. Even fewer know anything about it; it’s one of New York City’s best kept secrets and I think its visitors prefer to keep it that way: their own little world within a world, a subculture of people in the know. I recently saw Cirque du Soleil’s newest show, Kurios: Cabinet of Curiosities and couldn’t help wonder if it’s merely a coincidence to have the show take place there. Kurios is a show about a different realm: a topsy-turvy world of oddities; a freak show with steampunk ambience with songs in a language no one can decipher. Of course, Randall’s Island has been host to many events such as Lollapalooza but still I’ve got this nagging feeling that the producers may have either subconsciously or deliberately picked the perfect location to help evoke the mood for the show.

And what a show it is! Forget what you’ve seen in a circus before – Kurios is on a level of its own. Imagination knows no boundaries here; this is an Alice-in-Wonderland-type of world where nothing makes sense and you find yourself sitting in your seat asking yourself over and over “can they do that???” Indeed, if I had to describe the show in one word it would be: unpredictable. To help you understand better, here are my favorite acts: a man who thinks he is a cat (I was almost convinced he was), a puppet-less puppet show that displays nothing but hands and a dinner table hanging upside-down from the ceiling. Does any of that make sense? it’s not supposed to.

Interwoven between these bizarre acts are even more bizarre acts that are very much circus-like in their appearance but that take circus performance to a whole other level, such as a giant trampoline-like net in which acrobats bounce so high you think they might make a hole in the tent’s ceiling. Aside from the obvious impressive feats, Cirque du Soleil spared no expense in this lavish production with elaborate set design, stunning detailed costumes and distinctive music featuring a live vocalist that perfectly matches the atmosphere.

The circus tent is relatively small – there’s no bad seat in the house. We sat ten rows from the back and saw very well. Written and directed by Michel Laprise, the performance is 2 hours and 1o minutes long (including a 25 minute intermission) and is family-friendly. There’s no age recommendation on the website but I think it would be appropriate for school-aged kids 5 and up (assuming they’d be able to sit still for the duration of the show).

Here’s a video from the show:

Where: Randall’s Island, NYC. Here’s a link for transportation tips. I took the M35 bus from 125th and Lexington. I don’t recommend walking.

When: Until November 27th, 2016

Price: $54 – $175

To purchase tickets click here or call 1-877-924-7783

I was not compensated for this post. I received tickets to the show.

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Senior Reviewer Maytal Wichman has also written for The Huffington Post. She has been living in New York City for fourteen years and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature as well as a Law Degree, but blogging is her true passion. Maytal is a stay-at-home mom to three kids (ages 9, 7 and 4) and loves finding great products that make her family’s life easier.