Review: Cirque du Soleil brings aerial feats to the Twin Cities in 'Corteo'

How would you envision your own funeral?

For lifelong clown Mauro, it would be a corteo — a joyous procession and festive parade.

That's the theme of the latest Cirque du Soleil offering, which opened Thursday at Xcel Energy in St. Paul. The troupe is returning to the Twin Cities for the first time since 2018.

"Corteo" offers breathtaking acrobatics and aerial acts, pure demonstrations of the almost infinite possibility of movement that the human body can create. Director Daniele Finzi Pasco incorporates circus arts, clowning and European traditions into his first collaboration with Cirque, teasing the boundary between fantasy and reality.

The show follows Mauro (played by Mauro Mozzani), as he assembles the fondest memories of his life into a theatrical world, more like a flashback than a funeral. There's a childhood innocence as he watches young children bounce on beds and playfully throw pillows. There are scenes of sweet kinship between Mauro and his father riding a bicycle. And a zany version of "Romeo and Juliet," as well.

Mauro's imaginative world is free from boundaries or prejudice: Men can be princesses, a talking golf ball can move to avoid being hit, bicycles and beds can fly in the sky.

"Corteo" is studded with stunning acrobatics, including an act called "Paradis and Tournik," which brings together a ground-to-air acrobatic move called the Korean cradle and a combination trampoline and safety net called a tramponet. In it, four pairs of flyers and catchers move in synchronicity. In the Tournik finale, a group of acrobats swing across each other precisely and delicately, defying gravity in complex patterns that keep the audience at the edge of its seat.

"Corteo" also draws the audience into Mauro's world with innovative stage design. Set Designer Jean Rabasse divided the rotating stage in two, with half of the audience mirroring the other half. At the end of a juggling act, the lighting crew shines splashes of blue lights on the audience, making it a kaleidoscopic backdrop.

One of the highlights is an act by clowness Valentyna (Valentyna Paylevanyan), who is tethered to large helium balloons and floats magically over the venue. The audience pushes her little by little and eventually helps her return to Mauro. At the show's heart-warming conclusion, Mauro, now donning angel wings, flies his bike away from his dear companions.

By juxtaposing moments of tragedy and joy in the context of a funeral, "Corteo" offers a lighthearted — even joyful — window on death.

If you go
What: Cirque du Soleil: "Corteo"
When: 7:30 p.m. Fri.,3:30 and 7:30 p.m. Sat., 1 p.m. Sun.
Where: Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul
Tickets: Starting at $49 at cirquedusoleil.com/corteo