Broadway Features and Reviews
Wintuk: Winter Magic At Madison Square Garden
By Emily Moore, Broadway Magazine
Acrobats and bicyclists flip and turn effortlessly as snow envelopes the audience at Madison Square Garden's WaMu theatre, a dazzling finale to a spellbinding show. It is Cirque du Soleil's Wintuk, a stunning spectacle filled with world-class dancing and acrobatics geared toward the whole family. The kid-friendly Wintuk tells the story of a young boy wishing for snow in what the set hints to be New York City.
While perhaps the simplest of plots, the show makes up for it in its breathtaking stunts, as well as a an incredible 100-foot-wide and 20-foot high stage space which gives the impression of a wide-screen television, as opposed to the traditional look of a Broadway stage. Underscored by haunting and beautiful music, streetlamps serenade the audience and rag dolls come to life, amidst a variety of other jaw-dropping acts.
Wintuk, which runs two hours with an intermission, zips along effortlessly thanks to its spellbinding stunts. The opening act alone features eight acrobats, many of whom are on wheels. While these stunts are impressive enough, one cannot forget the extraordinary slack-rope walker who puts his trousers on a tightrope, a man who smoothly balances and performs handstands on an ever-mounting stack of cylinders, as well as the human-sized shaggy dog puppets, one of whom rocks out at guitar at the end of the show.
The finale, however, is of the unforgettable variety. Throughout the show the young boy constantly tells the audience, "I want to see snow." And boy, does he get his wish.
While not the typical edgy, sexy, artsy Cirque du Soleil extravaganza, this show is an appropriate and engaging one for the entire family. While kid-friendly enough to keep the little ones entertained, it is stunning enough to impress parents and babysitters alike.
With its simple and sweet plot which reminds us of the magic of winter, and the brilliant stunts which remind us of the magic of Cirque du Soleil-Wintuk is definitely a winner.
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