I just returned from a pre-Christmas week and first-time visit to Las Vegas. Not being a gambler, I wanted to see a couple of shows and was especially interested in seeing any of the Cirque du Soleil shows, having enjoyed La Nouba in Orlando twice. First up -- got an off price ticket to Zumanity. This was a disappointment. I saw the first show after their return to the stage from a break. I thought the performance was rather lackluster, the music not memorable. I purchased the program and thought later --- they didn't do this, where was that.... Almost like an incomplete performance. The theatre was not full.
The next night I purchased a full price ticket to KA at the MGM Grand box office. Now this was a performance to remember! The theatre itself is stunning. The mood begins to be set from the moment you enter with smoke and flames emanating from the stage. There is a (fairly) clear dramatic story -- buy the program either before or after the show -- it helps. What can be said of the performance? It is like an opera or an adventure movie, with episodes of intense drama and action followed by interludes of tender respite. And the trademark Cirque du Soleil "clown" comedy is present as well! The storm at sea terrifies. The transformation of the yurt into a flying contraption is captivating. The battle on the vertical wall takes your breath away for minutes. The shadowplay scene and the realm of the insects are magical. And the rotating "ballet" on The Machine is classic Cirque.
The music is fantastic and the CD worth purchasing. Think Prokofiev's Alexander Nevsky -- the storm scene music brings to mind The Battle on the Ice -- and Orff's Carmina Burana. The stage effects are truly amazing. Take binoculars if you have them to get a close-up look at the stage mechanism itself, and wonder at the creativity and ingenuity of those responsible for KA.
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC