The Big Top is back in San Francisco, just in time for holiday entertainment.
Cirque’s du Soleil’s “ECHO” opened Nov. 20 in San Francisco, bringing its trademark modern-circus mix of artistry and athleticism to a sprawling, striped tent complex near Oracle Park. It plays through Jan. 18, after having had a shorter run last spring in San Jose.
“ECHO” is the 20th Big Top show for the Montreal-based circus troupe and one of its most technologically advanced, centering around an ever-changing, rotating two-story cube that the cast performs on, in and around, deconstructing and constructing it while video is projected on its surface in a stunning spectacle.
The Natural World
The story follows a young woman named Future and her dog, exploring the links between humans and the natural world, and how our actions have a ripple effect on animals and nature.
That natural world is depicted by a menagerie of white-suited animals who leap and soar around the giant cube, a pair of “Fireflies” suspended by their hair while drone-like fireflies flicker and flitter above the audience, a live band with vocalists dressed as black-clad animals and more.
The plot loosely links a series of jaw-dropping acrobatic acts from gravity-defying bungee straps to high-flying triple teeterboards to a duo in which one acrobat spins and flips his partner using only his feet.
Comedy and Thrills
Providing equal parts plot movement and comedic relief are the clown pair “Double Trouble.” Representing industrialization, they are constantly moving, building and stacking boxes to an astonishing height, all to the delight of the audience, especially the kids in attendance.
One of the show’s most impressive acts is a 24-foot-tall puppet who emerges from the cube to dance with a soaring Future. But even more standard fare, from juggling to slack line to an unbelievably flexible contortionist, is marked by Cirque’s inventive and artistic spin on circus arts, showcasing the unique abilities of a cast of 52 artists from 19 countries.
From newcomers to Cirque du Soleil devotees and from kids to grandparents, ECHO provides a captivating afternoon or evening of entertainment.
How to Get Tickets
The show is 125 minutes long including a 25-minute intermission, and takes place in Oracle Park’s Parking Lot A, 74 Mission Rock St. Regular tickets start at $60; four-pack deals are available and tickets for children 16 and under can be bought for $15 with the purchase of a full-price adult ticket. For more information and tickets, visit cirquedusoleil.com/usa/san-francisco/echo/buy-tickets.
Janine DeFao is an associate editor at Bay Area Parent.
