Cirque du Soleil's Totem: Magical, Mysterious

What do businessmen, astronauts, apes carrying giant bones, frogs, and Native Americans on roller skates have in common? Not much, it seems, but that's the weird blend of spectacle and pizazz that help make Cirque du Soleil continually popular. Last Friday, we headed over to the big tent currently stationed near AT&T Park here in San Francisco, to see the latest of their traveling creations: Cirque's Totem.

We've seen a number of shows before- some we've liked, and some we haven't- and this one suffered only by comparison to previous Cirque shows. KA was fantastic, O a wonder, but a few of the more recent spectacles like Quidam and Varekai have stretched their themes and even tested your patience a bit. Lavish production quality and gorgeous scenery amaze, but without a narrative, the acts end up feeling disconnected and thus rise or fall on their own. When it works, it's jawdropping- but without an overall creative drive, the shows can easily get confusing.

Totem, as a whole, had us scratching our heads a bit. Parts of it very clearly alluded to 2001: A Space Odyssey, and there were plenty of connections to the stated intent: to be "a fascinating journey into the evolution of mankind". But some of the best parts- the lovebirds, a sweet, playful, highlight of the show featuring a pair of trapeze artists and little pomp- seemed to have little to do with anything else. And not everything works- some of it feels a bit cheesy or ham-fisted, like the comedy at times or the pair (!) of hoop dances.

Still, we definitely recommend seeing the show, if only for the stunts and technological wizardry. There's a magical platform that serves as scenery, a ramp, a boat, and a menacing backdrop at various points. There are glowing balls tossed about the inside of an oversized upside-down Erlenmeyer flask by an alchemist (?), in a very interesting take on a juggling act. And we loved the five women on unicycles who balance bowls on their heads, tossing them to one another without using their hands. All of this sounds a bit silly in writing, we admit, but we dare you not to enjoy yourself. And it's certainly a good value- you're getting a two hour show with admission, plus a thirty minute intermission.

Playing in the city until December 18th, the show then moves on to London, then San Jose and Atlanta, and finally Washington, DC. Ticket for performances here in San Francisco as well as their next couple of locations are available now, and range from $64 to $360, with discounts for kids, students, seniors, and active military members.