The lovely Monica over at Fragments recently acquired two tickets (by bringing a banana to the box office?) for the final dress rehearsal of Cirque du Soleil’s new show, Banana Shpeel. I was delighted to be asked to join her last night.
Shpeel describes itself as a new fusion of vaudeville, slapstick, hip hop, tap, and, well, Cirque. The brainchild of writer/director David Shiner, the show I saw last night is still very much a work in progress — or at least I hope it is. As currently presented, Shpeel only really takes off during the more classic Cirque moments — with trained performers doing amazing feats, mostly involving juggling of some sort.
However, there’s a lot of filler, which involves slap-sticky adult-oriented clown humor. The two main clowns who serve as emcees of sorts (we weren’t given programs, so I’ll just go on description) play off each other like characters in a Seth Rogen film — i.e. irritable, foul-mouthed yelling (though – they refrained from any real swear words, much to the relief of the parents around me). They open the show with a “talent competition.” Some misfitty types come onstage and do their (at times funny, but mostly head-scratching) shtick, and they are all eventually cast in the show. This segment lasts about 10 minutes too long. And, finally — a production number. Some whimsically costumed tap dancers groove to a hip hop beat.
And then back to the misfit clown posse.
And then a hat juggler?
And — oh, have you forgotten about us? The trash talking clowns? We’re here, too.
I’m not quite sure what David Shiner and company did during those months in Montreal developing this show. The Cirque acts have no relationship with the underdeveloped crackpot clown scenes (at times, the ringleader clown guy would come out after a stunning Cirque performance and say “Wasn’t that AMAZING!” — and then introduce some lame, unrelated shtick). The entire affair felt slapped together. There was some attempt at a through-line with the clowns fruitlessly attempting to cast a Shakespeare routine, but no one around me seemed to know or care what was going on during these scenes.
40% of the show was slightly entertaining, the remaining 60% ranged from mildly amusing to head-scratching.
Wonder if they’ll change things by opening night, or at least before the show transfers to NYC’s Beacon Theater in February 2010.
..so what you’re saying is that it’s a hot mess?
(With the priciness of Cirque tickets, I’ll be saving my Cirque dollars to see “Zumanity” when I go to Vegas in February.)
By: jme82 on November 19|09
at 10:06 am
Well, not a hot mess. It’s just more frantic and unfocused rather than “a roller coaster” as press materials say. I think it’s a fine line to walk between creating something new and wildly eclectic vs. messy and unfocused.
Right now it’s more messy than amazing.
By: Bob [CTA] on November 19|09
at 10:45 am
I agree with you – I heard that it is a totally different show from what they started out with originally and since the 2 leads got cut. Everyone I saw the show with on Monday was underwhelmed.
By: kristen on November 19|09
at 1:34 pm
40% was quite entertaining? You are too kind.
From what I understand, kristen is right. There was more of a linear storyline with the original 2 main characters.
We almost left during intermission, which I normally think is a cardinal sin in the theatre, being that I studied it myself.
It also didn’t help that we had the world’s worst crowd sitting around us: a couple making out in front of us, a guy sucking his teeth to my right, & behind us, a woman who insisted on basically narrating the entire show to her daughter.
I *love* Cirque. I didn’t even *like* Banana Shpeel.
By: Me on November 20|09
at 12:21 am
Thanks for commenting, “Me”!
That last line of your comment…is pretty owch. Though, I’ve heard this from several people now. Seems the linear storyline with the two actors they cut at the 11th hour may have helped things…
By: Bob [CTA] on November 20|09
at 6:55 am
I think the 40% entertaining is a fair assessment… I was entertained. I was not dazzled, as I have been with the only other Cirque show I saw, in Vegas, which I am not sure is a fair comparison.
By: kristen on November 20|09
at 9:26 am
I would say 20% was entertaining – at most.
We went opening night, the show was a mess! The hat juggling act was ridiculously dumb, the only thing good in the show was the woman juggling placemats with her feet and the man on the pole.
Any parents considering to take their children, should opt not too. The show was certainly not kid friendly!
By: JS on November 20|09
at 11:25 am
40% is way too generous. I was at the show and would give it 5% at best. People should save their money on this one. (and yes I’ve loved other Cirque shows)
Like some of the other posters above I had serious thoughts of leaving early because it was so bad.
By: Joe S on November 20|09
at 3:51 pm
5%; 20%; 40% — how about we say 21.67%?
By: Bob [CTA] on November 20|09
at 3:53 pm
I wish I had read your review before buying my tickets! I completely agree. I’ve seen half a dozen Cirque shows, and Banana Shpeel just doesn’t measure up in any way. Cirque fans should beware- this production shouldn’t have the ‘Cirque’ name on it, it’s just misleading.
By: Jenny V on November 21|09
at 11:42 pm
Ditto all of the negative reviews above. If I want to see poop, spit and penis jokes I can watch cartoons and Comedy Central. Kids in my local high school could and have done similar shows better. It’s a typical format, one we used in children’s theater. Put a bunch of skits together, make some ugly costumes, and put on a show for your parents. The parents laugh because they gave birth to you and they have to. I didn’t give birth to any of these guys, thank God, so I don’t have to laugh. And I didn’t. I am amazed and inspired by every Cirque performance I see. I go to every one in a several hundred mile radius of where I live. This inspired me to want to go have a drink afterward.
By: RebeccaW on November 22|09
at 11:02 am
My wife and I left early….I have never even walked out of a bad movie before but we could not take any more. I would have rather been home with a bad case of diarhea.
By: jklee on November 22|09
at 4:42 pm
HA!
By: Bob [CTA] on November 22|09
at 10:08 pm
In fact, a third actor was cut earlier in the process because he was asking too many questions about what the hell it was trying to be… Cirque should just stick to the acts it does well and leave the actual storytelling to those who can do it.
By: ak on November 22|09
at 8:02 pm
Wow – are you serious? Well…seems like they did him a favor by cutting him from the show.
By: Bob [CTA] on November 22|09
at 10:08 pm
I loved Wicked. I was promised Annaleigh Ashford (Glinda).. they took the leads out of the story?? How lame is that??
By: Wickedfan on November 23|09
at 2:34 am
My wife and I saw this show for the price of a banana as well. We have seen many Cirque shows in the past and we could not believe that Cirque put their name on this. I feel sorry for people who choose this to be their first Cirque show because they will probably choose not go to another if had to opportunity. We left the show early because it was so bad Honestly, I wanted a refund but I didn’t think I would get my banana back. I’m sorry but that show is just BAD!
By: Steve on November 25|09
at 10:06 am
I purchased Tapis Rouge tickets for this show,
hoping for a unforgettable experience. Boy, did
I ever get that !! 20 min. of the 2 hour show was
entertaining – the rest was trash. This was the
most money I’ve ever spent on 2 tickets to
anything. Please save yours !! This borders
on robbery. I will fight for and fully expect to be
refunded for this nightmare.
By: danny on November 29|09
at 8:42 am
AWFUL!
I agree with Steve. Anyone who saw this as their first Cirque didn’t see the magnificent productions they’re so talented at creating.
Guy, if your reading this, how do I get my money back for four expensive tickets?
By: Jim on November 30|09
at 11:35 am
This was my first Cirque. Made me never want to go see another Cirque show.
By: Bob [CTA] on November 30|09
at 4:14 pm
Oh do go to another. I saw “O” in Vegas & it blew me away. Also saw one in Chicago back in 2006 that was good & another, oh hell, I forget where. But if you never seen another Cirque show after, go see “O.” Done with water as an added element, it is/was nothing short of amazing.
By: Me on December 2|09
at 3:59 pm
We (6 of us – all adults, 25-65, on an annual family outing) are also trying to get our money back for this oh so terrible show we saw on Sunday 11/29/09 . We talked about leaving at intermission but figured with past CdS shows that we have seen that were great, we’d give them a chance to redeem themselves. No such luck! In staying with the “theme”, I kept hoping the audience would start chanting “Get the hook, get the hook!”. Cirque du Soleil, close the show early and try to salvage your reputation.
By: Mike on December 3|09
at 10:37 am
Saw the show Sat. 12/5 – my mom bought tix for us and her grandkids. Couldn’t agree more with these posts – this was a HORRIBLE show. I felt so bad for my mom having spent so much money for this drivel.
By: Peter C on December 5|09
at 11:35 pm
I thought Banana Shpeel was good and funny and I was a dress rehearsal but I didn’t pay with a banana, so, I don’t know about that. But i thought it was way good and laughed alot.
By: Lauren on December 14|09
at 6:29 pm
[...] saw the final dress rehearsal (read my thoughts here — and also note the comments).The show was clearly a work in progress then, and that work is [...]
By: Revisiting “Banana Shpeel” « Confessions of a Chicago Theatre Addict on December 18|09
at 12:44 am
Went with my sister and my two teens. Thought the comedy was a cross between Monty Python and the Marx Brothers. The dancing was a cross between fantastic hip hop dancing and Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire. All performers great, costumes spectacular. I do not understand the negativity. It was very funny. I was crying with laughter, as were my teens. Very memorable and entertaining. If you couldn’t even enjoy the dancing, then there is something wrong with you all. You need to get with it and get over yourselves. Don’t sit there and critique, but sit there and experience the show, have some fun why don’t you!
By: Jayne on December 20|09
at 10:56 am
Worst show I have ever seen (by a mile!). The alleged comedy is abysmal and the dancing is amateurish. Only redeeming portions are the acrobatic acts, which are about 5% if the show. If you are 5 years old or tipsy, the jokes might be entertaining. We found the show to be an endurance test as this was the most excruciating thing we ever saw on stage. At least 100 people left at intermission (could have been much more) and we wished we joined them as the second act is much worse than the first. The second act is dominated by a scene in a restaurant which was merely unfunny for the first five minutes and outright painful for the next 25. SAVE YOUR MONEY AND TWO HOURS OF YOUR LIFE AND AVOID THIS GARBAGE.
By: Stay Chisel on December 27|09
at 1:39 pm
Has anyone been successful in getting their money back for this horrid show? I’m afraid we’re loosing our battle but for $600+, I’m willing to try other avenues. Thanks!
By: Mike on December 28|09
at 7:19 am