On our March trip to Las Vegas, our first stop was a Tix-4-Tonight booth, where we were able to pick up some heavily discounted ticket to Cirque Du Soleil's Zumanity.
Zumanity has been running at the New York- New York Casino for ten years and although it was easy to find discounted tickets, the theatre was extremely, if not completely full. I don't think that the popularity is waning and the crowd reaction was very favorable.
Zumanity is Cirque Du Soleil's "sensual" and "sexy" show. It's eighteen plus, has a fair bit of nudity and a ton of sex related jokes. It's not for prudes, however nothing was too extreme or even gratuitous. I think that most people can handle it, if they go into the show with an open mind and good sense of humor.
The posters are almost more risqué than the actual show.
In the lobby, there was a heart shaped bed with red satin sheets. Valentine's Day sexy!
The red theme continues into the theatre. Here is a picture of us with the stage in the background taken after the show.
Truthfully, I'm not a huge fan of the Cirque Du Soleil productions. This is my fifth one ( I've also seen O, KA, Believe and Love). Of those, I thought O was dreadful and Love was outstanding, with the other two falling somewhere in the middle. Zumanity moves into my #2 spot, just because it was a lot of fun and different. The sets and costumes are less fancy and it isn't as "showy" as the other Cirque productions, but what it lacks in spectacle, it makes up for in entertainment value.
You must arrive for the preshow. A big reason that I disliked O was the clowns and the sense humor. Zumanity has a much less subtle sense of humor, relying more on dialogue and improvisation with audience members, than it does on physical comedy, like O. This appeals to me. Several characters wander in the audience, including two busty twins passing out chocolate covered strawberries and a horny couple cruising unsuspecting ticket holders. If you're in the front section, there is a fair chance you might be forced to interact. This is not limited to the preshow.
The master of ceremonies is a drag queen who calls herself the Mistress of Sensuality. She invites the audience to keep an open mind as the show proceeds with a series of acts. Some have a semi-story, like an aerial act of a woman who dreams of a man other than her husband. There is a beautifully choreographed scene with two naked women diving and swimming in an oversized fishbowl. The most memorable and impressive was a male contortionist. He was amazing. He could bend his body in the most impossible way and then just as everyone in the audience is cringing, he would give a big grin to assure us that he was okay.
Zumanity was a surprise. I was not expecting it to be so darn fun. It's creative, hilarious and filled with unexpected moments. It's a worthy addition to your next Las Vegas vacation.