1228. Corteo: Celebrating Life with Cirque du Soleil’s Whimsical Tales

Corteo is a spectacular display of human physicality and artistry that captures the essence and joy of the traditional circus experience reimagined through Cirque’s inimitable style. This Cirque du Soleil production celebrates the life of a clown through a whimsical tale of a circus performer watching his own funeral. The show blends Cirque du Soleil’s amazing acrobatics and visual spectacle with theatrical storytelling and an intimate character-driven narrative.

The audience is sent into a joyous and imaginative celebration of life throughout the performance. This happens through jaw-dropping, awe-inspiring acrobatic feats, comedic clowning, and poetic storytelling centered around the clown’s memorial service.

The acts and performances featured in Corteo are classic circus traditions like acrobatics, juggling, tightrope walking, and clowning – but the show also incorporates unique and breathtaking routines, such as a high-flying teeterboard act, a mesmerizing chandelier performance, and a hilarious bed clowning scene.

Corteo transports viewers into a quirky 20th-century European circus atmosphere through its intricate set designs, colorful costumes, and live musical accompaniment. The center stage rotates and transforms into different settings, like a forest or a circus tent, adding to the immersive experience.

10/10 recommendation. Our favorite routines were the chandelier, the acrobats, and the gymnastics. Here’s what the top dogs said about the show, maybe better than I could have.

• The New York Times called it “one of Cirque’s most elegant, symmetrical shows” and praised its “classical blend of choreography, music, design and pure circus thrills.”
• The Chicago Tribune said “Corteo delivers everything you’d expect from Cirque – amazing acrobatics, clowns, dazzling visuals and music that enhances rather than competes with the spectacle.”
• The Boston Globe review stated, “Corteo celebrates the spirit of the circus itself with exhilarating acrobatics, evocative set pieces, and a core of gentle clowning.”