Features

Cirque du Soleil’s ‘ECHO’ At Gulfstream Park Through April 7

March 13, 2024

The best part of Cirque du Soleil under the big tops is the excitement you feel the moment you walk in. You step onto the grounds, and you know that you are going to be a part of something amazing, and you just can’t wait for it to start. I was lucky enough to get invited to the opening night, so there was complimentary champagne, drinks, and hors d’oeuvres for 90 minutes before the show started (thanks Jose).

Cirque du Soleil has returned to South Florida with its latest show, ECHO, a story of connection, intention, and the symbiotic unions between humans and the animal kingdom.

Fueled by the power of change, the hope of the youth, and the value of empathy, ECHO follows an inquisitive young woman named Future as she wanders into a fantasy world that explores our sacred bond with animals and nature. When Future and her best friend the DOG (Ewai) encounter a mysterious CUBE, they quickly learn how their actions have the power to shape this world, and if we come together, we can rebuild our planet to create the world we all want to live in. Cirque du Soleil’s 20th Big Top show brings bold new visuals and a unique aesthetic on tour. Packed with vibrant characters, inspiring music, astounding lights and projections, and never-before-seen acrobatic feats, ECHO invites audiences on a journey through a universe of color, wonder, and infinite possibilities.

The imaginative set design of ECHO revolves around the CUBE, and this cube is EVERYTHING! It’s a simple yet profound set piece that blends a spectacular range of audio, visual, and tactile media. The CUBE sets the stage for a wide range of acrobatics and theatrics. At different points, it may be dismantled, stripped, and rebuilt, scaled by animals, swung from by artists, and used as a mesmerizing projection surface. Surrounded by a stage that resembles water in a lake, every interaction with the CUBE creates a unique effect that ripples into the future. The Cube sets the tone for the first act Symbiosis: Acro-dance of the animals. This architectural piece is phenomenal, as animals hang in a vertical position on the CUBE, performing an acro-dance routine where we see them meeting each other as animals who share this world, discovering life, and living in harmony. I had lower level seats and these animals were flying right over my head. I was like a little kid watching them soar.

With so many elements involved in a single set piece, ECHO Author-Director Mukhtar Omar Sharif Mukhtar says the CUBE is up to interpretation. “It’s not just as literal as ‘this is the world’,” he says. “It could be anything: a relationship, love, something you cherish… It could represent the world, or the planet, but it’s really a symbol. The more we take away from it, the emptier it becomes, and the more we put into it, the fuller it becomes. That’s what I would love for people to see when they see this.

This will be Cirque du Soleil’s official return to South Florida since 2019, and for the first time, fans will enjoy a spectacular new location against the backdrop of the iconic Pegasus located at 1/ST’s Gulfstream Park. The 11-story bronze Pegasus statue is a symbol of the renowned Gulfstream Park, South Florida’s premiere entertainment destination featuring world-class Thoroughbred horse racing, a casino with Vegas-style slot machines and video tables, and The Village at Gulfstream Park offering destination retailers, signature restaurants (we ate at Christine Lee’s and I highly recommend it as the food was DELISH), outdoor cafés and unique entertainment options. It is also the first ever Big Top show to come to Broward County!

Echo lives up to all the fabulousness Cirque is known for, and I recommend you get tickets to see this amazing show as I promise you will not be disappointed.