For decades now, Cirque du Soleil has been the king of the Las Vegas strip – producing almost a dozen residency shows for the city since 1993, with close to 10,000 people witnessing the Montreal company’s spectacle every night.
Residency shows are typically designed for is destination, usually in a room custom built for the production. Mystère, the first of these, is even still enjoying performances at Treasure Island some more than 30 years and 14,000 shows later. They even just named a street in Las Vegas after the show, “Mystère Dreams Ave’”.
Typically, the content of the shows have suited the model that Cirque takes on the road; presenting a family-friendly acrobatic spectacle, all around a certain theme, accompanied by live music. Rarely, as in The Beatles’ Love that closed after 18 years in July, the music would be pre-recorded as it featured an existing catalogue of music. But otherwise, this concept had remained largely unchanged – even if the scale of the Cirque productions – as with their 1998 water-based spectacle O – was ballooning at an impressive rate.
This all changed in 2003 with their New York, New York show, Zumanity. This was the first Cirque show dubbed “Adults Only”, being made exclusively (and appropriately) for a place oft known as “Sin City”. The show was a risqué, erotic cabaret, with a good dose of comedy through crowd interaction and the antics of the on stage performers. And for a company that rarely used words to tell their stories, there was plenty of it here – including with some live singers.
When the show curtained during the pandemic, rather than bring it back, they decided to take the concept back to the drawing board. After all, a lot had changed in Las Vegas since Zumanity had come into the city. They were no longer the only “adult cirque” entertainment on the strip.
In 2011, Absinthe premiered in a Spiegeltent at Caesar’s Palace. This production – which premiered in New York City in 2006 – was developed by Australian native Ross Mollison’s company Spiegelworld. Absinthe pushed the adult cirque element in a different direction, and was an immediate success.
While Cirque du Soleil produce massive set pieces, with productions that are polished and smooth around the edges, Spigelworld wanted something that felt intimate and rough around the edges.
The company went on to set up new shows and experiences in Las Vegas – including Atomic Saloon, a Wild West-themed raunchy variety show that you’ll find in The Venetian. They even have an immersive dining experience with Superfrico. Still one of the best meals I’ve ever had in the city – and with a show!
So, with their competition in their sights – intentionally or otherwise – in 2022, Cirque du Soleil debuted their follow up to Zumanity – Mad Apple.
With a 31-foot crown of the Statue of Liberty hanging overhead, and a stage with a functional bar that you can enjoy before the show, designers of this show wanted you to feel a part of the action from the moment you stepped foot in the venue. All while performers started to get you in the mood – not unlike cirque’s nameless and voiceless “clowns” that run through their Le Grand Chapiteau at touring productions around the world. Except these performers often have plenty to say.
It took what worked with Zumanity, but removed some of the more “erotic” elements – bringing in a jukebox musical approach instead – ultimately making something that feels more like a variety show than a Cirque production. And that was what it was designed to be – to give you all the feelings of a wild night out in New York.
Though taking distance from the erotic nature of its predecessor, this remains a show marketed for adults, with stand-up comedy taking centre stage for the first time in a Cirque show, plus cabaret, incredible acrobatics and live music that sit at the heart of any Cirque production.
Except here they’re playing music you know, with the five-piece band even becoming a part of the action, while they perform renditions of tracks like “Born This Way” by Lady Gaga, “Empire State of Mind” by Alicia Keys & Jay-Z and the Gershwin classic, “Summertime”.
You’ll see the Cirque version of the Harlem Globetrotters sinking and jumping through hoops. You’ll see some handsome bartenders float above the stage in a “Death Wheel” (see above), incredible balancing acts, someone using a giant disco apple for their acrobatic display, as well as their own hair – and so, so much more we don’t want to spoil here.
Everyone speaks in English, they perform hit songs, and all the while, the acrobatics are still out of this world. This was the smoothed-around-the-edges production that other cabaret and Cirque producers had brought to the city. It was big and bold and brash and at a higher production level – all the things that you’d expect for the price point. But that doesn’t mean that this is a cookie cutter concept; as with anything they do, they have made it feel distinctly “Cirque du Soleil”. After all, they aren’t in the market to compete – they are here to offer something uniquely their own.
But still, the show sits as a response to an ever changing Las Vegas, while it comes to represent a New York style of life in all its big, bombastic glory. What a feat!
Just try not to have a smile on your face from start to finish.
Final Verdict
There’s never been a Cirque du Soleil show quite like Mad Apple. And I love seeing Cirque take a risk and try something new, while leaning on the work of other amazing cabaret and cirque-like companies who have been delivering more intimate Cirque-style shows in Las Vegas and around the world.
The result is a bombastic, fantastic show that’s smooth around the edges, rough in the middle (after all, not all stand up comedy is made to soar) – and a whole lot of fun from start to finish.
And that’s not to say it’s not risqué – it’s just not in the same way that the Spiegelworld productions are, nor even Zumanity. But those shows aren’t for everyone – where as this is designed to be more accessible, albeit with adults-only comedy and themes.
And boy are some of their set pieces incredible, with you feeling a part of the action no matter where you’re sitting – maintaining a level of intimacy that’s impressive given the size of the room. Though like a night at the Comedy Cellar in NYC, when it comes to crowd participation – be careful what you wish for. You never know what they might say about you.
FOUR AND A HALF STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Cirque du Soleil’s Mad Apple performs ten times a week, with two shows nightly between Thursday and Monday.
Tickets start from US$49+fees. Head HERE for tickets.
The author visited as a guest of Cirque du Soleil and the LCVCA in July 2024. Photos provided by Cirque du Soleil.
While in Las Vegas we stayed at the Circa Resort & Casino on Fremont Street.
