The first time I saw a Cirque du Soleil show was in the early 1990s in a tent in the suburbs of Washington, DC. I remember thinking this was a weird amalgam of acrobats, clowns, and live musicians — the first circus I’d seen where the only animal performers were humans.
Since then, I’ve seen several of the troupe’s shows in Las Vegas, ranging in quality from its less-than-mediocre most recent production, “Mad Apple” (which I reviewed here), to its greatest achievement, “O,” which I’ve seen twice at Bellagio. The fact that I went back to see it a second time should tell you how much I liked it.
Last night, my wife and I watched “Without A Net,” a new documentary about Cirque du Soleil dealing with the closure of all of its shows globally in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, which meant laying off 95% of its employees because there was no money coming in. But 400 days later, as Las Vegas was reopening, Cirque went back into business, bringing back many of its performers and technicians to get “O” up and running again.
Documentarian Dawn Porter (who also made the terrific “Gideon’s Army” in 2013) was given access to eight weeks of rehearsals as the acrobats, swimmers, and dancers got themselves back in shape. The technicians and costume shop had to do the same. We see the drama of one aerialist being forced to work with a new partner on short notice, while others try to bring their acts up to their previous form. I was fascinated hearing the show’s stage managers and directors calling out cues which the crew has to execute precisely.
The most impressive shots are those Porter got underwater, capturing divers and technicians moving people and sets around in the gigantic tank that is the stage for “O,” views which the theater audience never sees. At the end of the doc, viewers are rewarded with about ten minutes of footage from the night the show reopened.
Whether you’ve never seen “O” or have enjoyed it in person as I have, “Cirque du Soleil: Without a Net” is a fascinating look inside the process of producing a unique piece of entertainment.
I rate it an 8.5 out of 10. Now streaming on Prime Video.