Cirque du Soleil’s Amaluna Charms and Excites, but?

When you’ve established a reputation for setting new standards in creativity and “wow” moments, it gets harder and harder to top yourself. So, it is that with “Amaluna,” the newest production by Cirque du Soleil, there is no new “wow,” just plenty of a classic Cirque du Soleil moments.

And since classic Cirque du Soleil is still better than most of what’s out there on the entertainment scene, audiences will find plenty of magic, charm, beauty and yes, even some “wows.”

The Montreal-based entertainment company’s latest production, “Amaluna,” is being performed through May 18 on the grounds of Citi Field in Queens (home of the New York Mets), under one of Cirque du Soleil’s signature blue and gold striped traveling tents. For information and tickets go to: www.cirquedusoleil.com/amaluna

One of the wonders of Cirque du Soleil is that, with a few notable exceptions like its cadre of spectacular Las Vegas shows, it continually produces great shows with a mix of new acts and those that seem to rotate around the Cirque universe in different incarnations. Add some cool background music, beautiful costumes and sets, and a patina of class and style and Voila! Welcome to Cirque du Soleil.

But just when you think you’ve seen it all, Cirque du Soleil one-up’s itself. And so it is with “Amaluna.”  And this time around, part of the difference maker is that there is a smidgen of a narrative, an unusual element in the Cirque du Soleil world.

Written and directed by noted theatrical director Diane Paulus (“Pippin,” “The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess”), “Amaluna” tells a story loosely based on Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” and “Romeo and Juliet”;  Mozart’s opera, “The Magic Flute,”; and Greek and Norse mythology. Here, we meet Miranda, daughter of Prospera, a goddess who rules over a kingdom of female warriors and goddesses and other life-sized mystical creatures. When Miranda falls in love with a (male) Pirate named Romeo who washes ashore, the couple must prove themselves before they can receive Prospera’s blessing.

The female-centric story means that almost all of the performers, including the live rock band, are women. And there is definitely a very cool Girl-Power vibe that gives an extra jolt throughout the show. You can’t help but smile, for example, at the battle cries from the fierce female gymnasts who serve as Prospera’s warriors. And the rocker chicks, who frequently appear onstage with the performers, add a cool vibe as only a rocker chick can.

Added to this are the kind of beautiful visual effects—hand painted, intricately detailed costumes and sets—that show a painstaking attention to detail. A small swimming pool mirrors the crystal ball given to Miranda (played with a sprite-like charm by Iuliia Mykhailova) and the daredevil edge of her contortions take on another dimension when she ends a series of maneuvers by diving into the pool.

All of this makes for some beautiful window dressing for a series of thrilling athletic and juggling acts. But there’s also a sense that the show is building up to a climactic moment that never quite happens.

Yes, in addition to Miranda and her Romeo, there are plenty of oohs and ahs. The Icarian jugglers are charming, spinning their lamps while they are twirled and tossed on the feet of their partners. Modern dancer Amy McClendon is mesmerizing as the Peacock Goddess, making absolute magic out of little more than a series of arm movements and purposeful strides. And the trio of aerial strap artists thrill as they soar above and into the audience (a definite benefit of being in the Cirque tent instead of an arena).

But there wasn’t that one amazing moment. True, the performance I attended was absent one act because of an injury. Was that the “wow” that was missing? Perhaps. But it’s also quite likely that this is a Cirque production built not for a climactic spectacular moment but for an overall high gloss experience.

—Karyn D. Collins