Got to see Cirque du Soleil's ECHO right before the end of its run in Seattle.
I've been a fan of Cirque for a while, and this is my 10th show from them. Previously, I've seen Dralion, Alegria, Mystere, La Nouba, Varekai, Corteo, Kooza, Quidam (Arena show) and Alegria: In a New Light.
I've had my eye on this show for a while, back when it was Under the Same Sky and was supposed to debut in Spring of 2020. Understandably, it took a while for this show to finally debut in 2023!
Now that I've finally seen it, I'm happy to say it was worth the wait for me! This show takes a lot of creative swings, from portraying a bunch of anthropomorphic animals in full masks for a good chunk of the show, to a very minimalist presentation. It all makes for a striking show which makes the most of what little it has, and really lets the artists shine.
The focal point in the show is a 23-foot-high Cube, representing the Earth. It's an impressive set piece which moves, spins and transforms as it's stripped down and eventually repaired. Obviously, the loose story rolls with an Environmental theme between animals and humans, and I feel they do a nice job without it being preachy. (Essentially, a girl named Future and her Dog companion Ewai come across the Cube and go on quite the adventure with just one touch.)
They make really good use of the Cube, from various projections, to using it as a backdrop to cast a contortionist shadow onto it, to even using it for a couple killer reveals to close out the First Act and the Finale.
As usual, the various acts from Cirque were quite nice. Got to see some acts I haven't seen in a while from them like Flying Man and Icarian Games (Both with sweet new moves which I've never seen before.), plus unique new acts like two lady aerialists who were suspended by their hair the whole time. Also unique to this show is an opener with 6 animals flying up, down and around the spinning cube in an aerial dance that would fit right at home in Fuerza Bruta (LAUDATORY!). The artists are always a treat to watch, and I really appreciated when it came to them portraying the animals, everyone moved uniquely as whatever animal they were, and then you had Ewai who was an infectious bundle of energy.
Add in two very good clowns who were able to captivate the crowd with nothing but boxes, some nice music and wonderful costumes from the animal masks to everyone's outfits and suits which looked like paper, and you've got an entertaining time!
As for where this one personally stands compared to the other shows I've seen, it's up there with Varekai and Quidam as one of my personal favorites. There might be a little bias here being a Furry and this show is hands down the Furriest with the animals, but even without the bias I truly appreciate the creative swings this show takes along with the various acts this one presents.