Displaying items by tag: NOW Arena

Like any good Chicago March, the city cannot make up its mind about what season it is in. This weekend a storm swept into Chicagoland that blanketed the roads and rolling fields in fluffy white snow. For many, it was an unwelcome, albeit expected weather pattern. But to me it wouldn’t be March without a snowstorm that trailed sunny, 60 degree days. If the winter blues has you feeling down, I encourage you to not despair but to celebrate the final snowy days as we look forward to Spring. What a more fitting way to wait out this winter weather than to see the spectacular Cirque de Soleil Crystal now playing through this Sunday March 24th at the NOW Arena in Hoffman Estates.

Cirque du Soleil Crystal follows the story of Crystal, a misfit with her head in the clouds, a dreamer looking for something more in her life. One day, feeling misunderstood and out of sync with the world, she ventures out on a frozen pond and falls through the ice. In this underwater world of her own imagination, she has a vision: she sees a reflection of herself – her alter ego – that guides her, showing her a distorted version of her life. Her Reflection tries to wake her up to her own genius and creativity. Through her writing, Crystal releases the potential of her hidden talent and transforms the world around her with stroke of her pen. Having summoned the strength to face reality, Crystal ultimately breaks through the ice, stronger than ever.

Cirque du Soleil Crystal is more than just an ice show. It explores the artistic limits of ice for the first time in the company’s history. This unique production pushes the boundaries of showmanship and athleticism by combining stunning skating and acrobatic feats that defy the imagination. From the opening sequence, ‘Tempête’ where acrobatics and skating collide in a high-energy number, to ‘Big City’ where Crystal tries to escape the  life-size maze in the underwater world of her imagination, the story brings in all elements of the contemporary circus. There is truly something for everyone. jugglers, clowns, acrobats, aerial performers, swinging pole stunts and tap dancers (on ice skates!),  stunters, waltzers, break dancers, and hockey players (go Hawks!). In the midst of many talented numbers, the most beautiful and captivating sequence had to be Ballroom, where Crystal imagines an dancing with her love in a beautiful ballroom. He appears to her from above and whisks her off on aerial silks, performing a spellbinding aerial-skating pas de deux that blurs the boundaries between ice and sky. The trust and chemistry the performers have is truly breathtaking. The entire show could have been just the two of them with the live musicians and it would have been the most magical and spectacular show I’ve seen all year.

Truth be told, Cirque du Soleil is not for everyone. Many in attendance voiced that they could not understand the plot, or worse, that the incredible athleticism on the ice and in the air simply didn’t impress. What makes the modern and contemporary circus spectacular are the feats themselves and how the company consistently pushes the boundaries of what the human body is capable of. Hailing from our neighbors to the North, Cirque du Soleil originates in Quebec, Montreal, Canada. Founded in 1984, the Canadian entertainment company is the largest contemporary circus producer in the world. In Cirque du Soleil Crystal, gymnasts and skaters performs acrobatics on the ice and in the air, melding both worlds together. Disciplines such as swinging trapeze, aerial straps, and hand to hand are fused together with disciplines such as synchro, freestyle, figure, and extreme skating on ramps, with a dash of all-out speed skating. Cirque du Soleil Crystal is about looking at things from fresh angles, peeking through the veneer of everyday life, reframing one’s daily reality to see what one might have missed. Sometimes the only way to appreciate things is to look at them sideways. Discovering one’s individuality and uniqueness requires venturing out on thin ice.

As the 100 days of summer looms within our purview, we will look back on cold winter weekends with envy of being able to snuggle under a good blanket and binge entire seasons of our favorite shows. If we waited for the perfect weather, I doubt many of us would venture out of our homes. While you are whiling away the winter blues, breakthrough with Cirque du Soleil Crystal. Cirque du Soleil Crystal is playing for a limited time at the NOW Arena in Hoffman Estates. Tickets are available for purchase here. Hurry to secure your seats today before this show and the snow melt away. 

Cirque du Soleil's CRYSTAL – a one-of-a-kind production that brings the circus arts to the ice for the very first time, returns to NOW Arena (5333 Prairie Stone Parkway, Hoffman Estates) from March 22-24, 2024. Tickets are available for purchase online at cirquedusoleil.com/crystal.

With seven jaw-dropping traditional circus acts all thrillingly adapted for Cirque du Soleil's first foray into a brand new creative territory – the ice – CRYSTAL takes audiences on an unforgettable journey into the vivid and whimsical world of imagination.

Since 2017, CRYSTAL has dazzled more than 1.9 million people in over 135 cities worldwide, blending the art of skating with adrenaline-inducing acrobatics and aerial feats.

Artistic Director Crystal Manich says, "CRYSTAL is a universal story about finding one's true voice through a journey of discovery. Anyone of any age will connect to the show and our protagonist's breakthrough experience. I am especially excited for CRYSTAL to contribute to the strong arts and culture found in the Chicago area."

CRYSTAL – Performance Schedule

Hoffman Estates, IL at NOW Arena

• Friday, March 22^ndat 7:30pm
• Saturday, March 23^rdat 3pm and 7pm
• Sunday, March 24^that 1pm and 5pm

About CRYSTAL
Created by Shana Carroll and Sebastien Soldevila, CRYSTAL takes audiences on an exhilarating journey of self-discovery full of whimsy and wonder. Feel your adrenaline soar as you dive into a world of playful imagination with the show's protagonist, Crystal, as she learns to see things differently and become whom she was always destined to be: herself.

Using larger than life visual projections on ice (a Cirque du Soleil first) and a soundtrack that seamlessly blends popular music with the signature sound of Cirque du Soleil, CRYSTAL transports audiences on an unforgettable visual and auditory experience full of magic and wonder.

The show is suitable for all ages.

Fun Facts

-       CRYSTAL is Cirque du Soleil's 42^nd creation and the company's very first acrobatic experience on ice.

-       Since its creation in 2017, the show has toured to over 135 cities in 15 different countries, including Canada, the US, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, France, Germany, and more

-       This one-of-a-kind performance features seven traditional circus acts, including trapeze, hand-to-hand, Banquine, aerial straps, hand-to-trapeze, juggling, and hand balancing – all thrillingly adapted to be performed on ice!

-       CRYSTAL is the first Cirque du Soleil production that uses real snow – the team makes approximately 300 snowballs each week.

Cirque du Soleil's CRYSTAL – a one-of-a-kind production that brings the circus arts to the ice for the very first time, returns to NOW Arena (5333 Prairie Stone Parkway, Hoffman Estates) from March 22-24, 2024.

With seven jaw-dropping traditional circus acts all thrillingly adapted for Cirque du Soleil's first foray into a brand-new creative territory – the ice – CRYSTAL takes audiences on an unforgettable journey into the vivid and whimsical world of imagination.

Watch the CRYSTAL trailer here.

Since 2017, CRYSTAL has dazzled more than 1.9 million people in over 135 cities worldwide, blending the art of skating with adrenaline-inducing acrobatics and aerial feats.

Artistic Director Crystal Manich says, "CRYSTAL is a universal story about finding one's true voice through a journey of discovery. Anyone of any age will connect to the show and our protagonist's breakthrough experience. I am especially excited for CRYSTAL to contribute to the strong arts and culture found in the Chicago area."

General tickets are on-sale as of today. Tickets are available for purchase online at www.cirquedusoleil.com/crystal.

CRYSTAL – Performance Schedule

Hoffman Estates, IL at NOW Arena

• Friday, March 22^ndat 7:30pm
• Saturday, March 23^rdat 3pm and 7pm
• Sunday, March 24^that 1pm and 5pm

About CRYSTAL
Created by Shana Carroll and Sebastien Soldevila, CRYSTAL takes audiences on an exhilarating journey of self-discovery full of whimsy and wonder. Feel your adrenaline soar as you dive into a world of playful imagination with the show's protagonist, Crystal, as she learns to see things differently and become who she was always destined to be herself.

Using larger than life visual projections on ice (a Cirque du Soleil first) and a soundtrack that seamlessly blends popular music with the signature sound of Cirque du Soleil, CRYSTAL transports audiences on an unforgettable visual and auditory experience full of magic and wonder.

The show is suitable for all ages.

Fun Facts

-       CRYSTAL is Cirque du Soleil's 42^nd creation and the company's very first acrobatic experience on ice.

-       Since its creation in 2017, the show has toured to over 135 cities in 15 different countries, including Canada, the US, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, France, Germany, and more

-       This one-of-a-kind performance features seven traditional circus acts, including trapeze, hand-to-hand, Banquine, aerial straps, hand-to-trapeze, juggling, and hand balancing – all thrillingly adapted to be performed on ice!

-       CRYSTAL is the first Cirque du Soleil production that uses real snow – the team makes approximately 300 snowballs each week.

Follow #CRYSTAL and #cirquedusoleil on social media:
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Snapchat | 

After a four-year hiatus, Cirque du Soleil, the ever-inventive circus troupe, has returned to Chicagoland with its latest show, “Corteo.” Founded in Montreal in 2005, Cirque transforms ordinary circus stuff— trapeze performances, acrobatics and gymnastics—through costuming, music, and a continuing storyline into pure stage magic.

This has garnered Cirque a devoted fan base that fills the tents and now arenas in which it performs to ever growing numbers, and “Corteo”—running through June 4 at the NOW Arena in Hoffman Estates—proves the company has not lost one bit of inspiration.

Like previous shows, “Corteo” weaves together a series of interrelated vignettes that form a unified whole. The costuming and motif of “Corteo” are taken from the Italian traditions of Commedia Dell’Arte rooted in medieval times but fresh and funny as heck. The voiced dialog, which is really minimal, switches fluidly from Italian to English. It’s the body language that is most important, and the hallmark of Cirque du Soleil’s excellence.

“Corteo” portrays the clown Mauro, who envisions his sickbed, and we see concerned parties visiting. But while serious, it is not a somber setting one laced with the circus acts in which he lives his life. It has a carnival atmosphere and is attended by angels hovering on trapeze rings.

Emerging from his bed, Mauro relives scenes from his life: playing in the bedroom with a brother (mattresses are trampolines), romantic interludes (a high wire act by a youthful couple), and the many astounding circus acts that surrounded him in his life. One example is a precision performance by six men rolling around the turntable stage in perfect unison within large metal rings. Another set finds precision gymnastics, performers dressed in colorfully contrasting waistcoats, breeches and spats, and with the lighting and music it is elevated from mere acrobatics to a thing of beauty. The stage set also captures the essence of Cirque’s magical appeal, with a curtains and sheer drops converting the cavernous NOW Arena into an intimate double-fronted proscenium design.

And it’s also a circus, and scenes of comic relief serve as palate cleansers, keeping the show from becoming ponderous. One of these, a golfing scene with a living golf ball dodging the duffers, is laugh until you cry funny, reminiscent of the best of Blue Man Group bits, but even better. It is also wholesome and child friendly, operating on a level of the magical that allows us adults to re-engage the wonderful world of the imagination.

More important than the story is the spectacle. “Corteo's original music, with delightful and even moving singers against live percussionist, violinist, even concert whistling and a water glass concerto, are blended artfully with studio recordings to conjure the magical atmosphere.

Cirque du Soleil’s genius really is indescribable, and this faltering attempt at doing so is intended merely to urge you to see it before the fleeting opportunity passes by. It is not something that can be streamed, it must be experienced. Remaining performances are Saturday, June 2 at 3:30 pm and 7:30 pm, and Sunday June 4 at 1 pm at the NOW Arena (the former Poplar Creek) in Hoffman Estates, IL.