There are now two girls in the bathtub with the man, and they’re pouring champagne over one another instead of milk. The two men in the fight cage now wear red Christian Louboutin heels for their exotic dance of anger that turns into love.
Those are just a few of the subtle changes, but they add to the erotic electricity of the new-look “Zumanity” by Cirque du Soleil that’s a thrill ride of its own sexiness beating the roller coaster at New York-New York.
There’s an edgy familiarity to the acts in this naughty side of Cirque. You know that you’re watching the sexual “Zumanity,” but every act has been spruced up, pushing the playful provocation farther with the new look that artistic director Ria Martens and cutting-edge Parisian choreographer Yanis Marshall have brought to the reinvigorated show.
It’s truly brilliant creativity. There are 15 new members in the cast replacing those who had come to the end of their contracts. Yanis’ dance numbers are fierce, almost ferocious in their modern approach, which is why he’s being hailed as a young genius in France.
His “Perfect Jam” routine with all-new dancers Tiffany de Alba, Anouck Margueritte, Briana McKee, Marie Ndutiye, Kaitlyn Reese Davin, Leah Sykes Hodgson, Monteece Taylor, Arnaud Boursain and original cast member Pepe Munoz Martinez is a joyful explosion of male-and-female energy as inner divas are unleashed. It’s simultaneously sultry and dynamic, gorgeous and powerful.
The recognizable acts with Makeda Crayton’s African Dance, the nature-defying contortionist Araz Hamzayev and the better than “Fifty Shades of Grey” leather straps for the self-teasing and -pleasuring bondage torturing of Jill Crook are still there but all with a twist from the past presentations.
The two sweet-and-innocent body-bending swimmers continue to strike an amazing array of sensual poses as they glide through water in an oversized glass bowl. And don’t fear: The closing orgy sequence with its smorgasbord of sexual positions on the revolving lazy Susan stage also is still intact with its bizarre embraces, stroking and moaning, as is the invitation for two members of the audience to join in the fun.
But I love the introduction of musical muse Mariko Muranaka, the electrifying cellist discovered for Cirque’s Michael Jackson Immortal World Tour. Little person Alan Jones Silva still performs his mesmerizing aerial dance soaring to new heights, but now it is as a solo star performer trying to win her affection. You have to go see the show to see if their two worlds collide.
As I wrote earlier, newcomers Anouk and Monteece are the topless duo who play with the bubbly in Mario Peoples’ bathtub at midnight. There also is the take-your-breath-away airborne acrobatics of newcomers Marina Toimanova and Michael McNamara. Their passionate and sensual performance is so daring in its desires, it could be just a dream — or it could be reality. Either way, the bed is there — not just as a safety precaution because of the aerial dangers but for what would be the home base of love after their 70-foot-high dance.
The refreshed choreography of two men in a cage (newcomers Boursain and Philip Sahagun, who rotate in the role with Martinez) is incredibly passionate with fierce choreography for love and anger, attraction and repulsion until their magnetic energy overwhelms each into an awesome deep kiss. Their red high heels send a shock wave through the audience. The daring eroticism of the performers as captured on their new videos prove their emotional freedom.
But it’s Brandon Pereyda who defies gravity. His athleticism on chains is a miracle unto itself. How he dares hang by one foot high up in the air during the performance defies logic and belief. Is he totally crazy? To say he is the most daring performer on the Strip still might be an understatement. Once upon a time, this was just a backup act, but it now deservedly is the featured permanent addition to the show.
To use the word astonishing for these 16 acts in “Zumanity” also is an understatement. The entire show is vibrant, bold and even more colorful with French fashion king Thierry Mugler’s new, sex-sparked costuming. Bravo to Li and Lu Medeiros as the hostess Botero Sisters and Christopher Kenney as resident drag queen Edie, the Mistress of Sensuality, for holding and linking the entire show together.
It’s the let loose show of the Strip, sensational and sensuous. After 11 years, it’s become more risque than ever, and with this new makeover it’s certain to hit the magic 20-year mark. If only the producers and actors of “Fifty Shades of Grey” had come to “Zumanity” for lessons first!
{ SOURCE: Vegas, Inc. | http://goo.gl/6cLDrT }
