Cirque du soleil: varekai full show

A Review

Soaring To New Heights

By R. J. Donovan

With vibrant music and a sensual fusion of drama and acrobatics, Cirque du Soleil has returned to Boston -- this time with “Varekai,” meaning “wherever” in the language of the universal wanderers.

More than 50 artists from 30 countries are represented in this year’s innovative production.

Set in a lush forest, “Varekai” is inspired by the mythical tale of Icarus who flew too close to the sun.

Here, the young man falls from the sky into a kaleidoscopic world filled with fantastic birds, bugs and assorted creatures. While his flight through the air may have been aborted, his journey on the ground is both surreal and amazing.

As Icarus, Anton Chelnokov is stripped of his wings but rises in the air in a fishnet that he uses to display an almost effortless strength.

He sails to the peak of the yellow and blue tent and soars above the forest floor only to spiral down to earth once again.

Icarus’ betrothed is played by Irina Naumenko (left), a lithe and limber conto