Tonight I watched the Cirque du Soleil show based on the Beatles and I realized that with no context, I probably shouldn’t have seen it. I know maybe two Beatles songs and absolutely no history surrounding them, except that they were widely popular a long time ago.

So there I was, trying to absorb everything when none of it made any sense. Instead I found myself focusing on the raw talent and technique of the performance, which had its moments but overall seemed like a lot of dancing. When I go to a Cirque performance, I expect shows of strength, flexibility, and precision beyond spinning around on the ground.

Spinning in the air is definitely good! That’s probably why I liked the Lucy song routine, where a girl was flying around and a guy was maneuvering a weighted wheel with a ladder attached. Another great scene was the roller skating on ramps – total show of skill!

So for those who are Beatles fans, I think it’s a great show to watch. For those without that background knowledge, it’d be advisable to either skip the show or really learn about Beatles songs beforehand. It’ll make the experience so much better!