Entertainment

Angels and the 'sunny' big top

July 4, 2011 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines - The Cirque du Soleil’s Varekai may have premiered in 2002, but it’s a show still worth its weight in gold and fallen angel feathers(!), and it’s wonderful that the Cirque has finally made it to our shores. Often copied and mimicked, there still is nothing like a genuine Cirque production — how they seamlessly integrate circus acts and street performance with wild costumes, innovative lighting and set designs and original “circus” music. It may have started as a novel idea in the mind of one Guy Laliberte as he performed on the streets of Quebec; but in some 27 years, Cirque has grown into a global phenomenon that even had high-rolling Dubai investors taking a 20 percent stake in the company, and hoping to give the Cirque a permanent, year-round home in Dubai.

You take out the circus animals, give the shows an overriding theme replete with original music, have the performers don outrageous costumes and what you have left is an astounding spectacle of eye-boggling human feats and trickery. For us, the audience, it’s a procession of circus acts transformed, with cinematic flair, into an exercise of suspending disbelief. An Icarus, a fallen angel, is the main focus of Varekai, and we watch, rapt, as he descends into a lush jungle world of otherworldly, fantastical figures. To go through the succession of acts would only pay lip service to what is obvious — Varekai has to be experienced to fully appreciate the magic that transpires, and now that we have it here in Manila, take advantage of the run that has been extended until July 23.

In line with its shared Canadian origins, it was only fitting that Sun Life Financial of Canada threw its full support behind the Cirque as it makes its global trek. Here in Manila, Sun Life pulled out all the stops one Saturday night performance, with endorser Piolo Pascual and his son among the special guests. I saw GMA 7’s Jimmy Duavit, who was with his brother Rep. Jack Duavit and wife Margie, Katrina Ponce-Enrile (whose security guard was pulled up on stage during the hilarious magic act), Isabel Roces, Bam Aquino with Timmy Gomez, and Armand del Rosario with wife Georgia, who had just given birth. Sun Life’s top management, CEO Riza Mantaring and CFO Benedict Sison were there to welcome us at their special tent that connects to the big top, and special thanks to marketing head Don Peji for making that magical night possible for Raul Manzano and myself.

Sun Life CEO Riza Mantaring flanked by Timmy Gomez and Bam Aquino

With the success of the Varekai run, I can only hope that other Cirque productions make it to Manila, and once again, get the support of the likes of Sun Life, Manila Hotel and BDO. The Cirque’s Love is its tribute to the Beatles; and if you want naughty, there’s Zumanity, the Cirque show that was created for adults. Varekai means Wherever in the Romany language of gypsies, whose wandering Romanian roots have led them throughout Europe and on to Canada, and we can thank the Sun gods for that!