Cirque du Soleil Crystal at the Moda Center Review #CirqueduSoleil #Crystal

I received two tickets free to facilitate this review.

If you haven't seen Cirque du Soleil you should definitely see at least one of their shows when it comes close to your town. Cirque du Soleil, French for Circus of the Sun, is a Canadian entertainment company that features an acrobatic all human circus. It was founded in 1984 by two former street performers, Guy Laliberté and Gilles Ste-Croix. It now has 20 productions worldwide in over in over 400 cities, in 60 countries, on 6 continents. These shows are comprised of live musicians, theatrical performers, acrobats, clowns, gymnasts, jugglers, etc.

Cirque du Soleil Crystal is a brand new show that is touring around the globe. Right now Crystal is showing at the Moda Center in Portland Oregon from April 4-8. This is Cirque du Soleil's first ever show on ice which pushes the limits of the performances even further! World class ice skaters along with acrobats do never before seen stunts on their new frozen environment. You will see figure skaters, pair skaters, freelance skaters, and solo skaters all doing what they love and sometimes even more on the ice. Both acrobats and ice skaters had to learn some of each others skills to perform this show.

Crystal is a show about a girl, also named Crystal (played by Nobahar Dadui), that after being ridiculed by her family and friends tries to escape to an icy pond to skate only to fall through the thin ice. As she descends further into the frozen depths she goes into a cold induced dream state and this pushes her into her own self-discovery. In her dream state we see her discovering a newfound ability - writing - and blossoming with her use of it. She explores the new talent and seems to find her voice with both pen and typewriter through the power of her own words.

My husband and I got some pictures taken in front of Cirque backdrops.

My Thoughts:
This was mine and my husband's very first Cirque du Soleil show. We went together to the Moda Center on opening day. We arrived and got our tickets from the box office. There was pretty much no line and it we easily got into the vendor area before finding our seats. We were a little early so we took a bit of time getting some pictures taken in front of the fun backdrops that were provided. Then we found our seats and waited for the show to start.

The pre-show before the first scene was lighthearted and fun. One of Cirque's clowns has a snowball fight with some of the audience. His antics are quite amusing and make us laugh. Also some of the skaters warmed up on the ice doing a few tricks and interacting as if they were on a outdoor ice rink. A live band made up of a violin, guitar, accordion, wind instruments, and tambourine/bells was also playing music nearby the ice. We were glad that we showed up early just to catch this.

The set and ice arena before the program started.

The set was amazing all by itself. It had a kind of ice castle looking structure in the background. I noticed a small train on top that choo-choos by subtly in the beginning of the pre-show. This building structure serves as Crystal's "home" in the show as well as entry and exit points for performers. It also has ramps that looked like skateboard ramps down it on both sides. The ice rink arena came out from this in a half-oval in front. At first they had large metal trees, a park bench that they could sit and put on their skates, and a metal trash can with designs carved out of it that glowed from the inside. The "stage" changed from scene to scene, not only with different props being brought on and off by choreographed performers, but also through intricate lighting that projected onto both the ice surface and facade of the building.

Camilo Motta and Stepan Grytsay play with the music.

The music was fantastic too. Maxim Lepage’s klezmer-infused score is wonderful! The live band playing some along with some parts of the music was a very nice addition. I particularly savored Stepan Grytsay and his violin! He was fabulous! There were different types of music throughout depending upon the mood and theme. They also incorporate some covers of some familiar pop songs that appropriately help set the mood. I especially loved the second act Aerial Strap Pas de Deux routine that was done to Beyoncé's "Halo".

Act One, Tempest Scene: Falling through the ice.

Each scene was told by Crystal's perspective. Act one starts out with Crystal getting chastised by her family, feeling very alone, isolated, and misunderstood she runs off to the ice. The ice fractures and engulfs her. I love the way they show this scene. The cracks and gaping hole are projected onto the ice and when Crystal falls in she is whisked away and lifted into water and bubbles projected onto the building facade. Even though she is actually being brought into the air with tethers, Crystal looks as though she is being drawn into the depths of the water.

Act One, A Day in the Life Scene: flashbacks.

Then we see her watching her life: at home, at school, at play, and in the city flash before her in a distorted, disconnected way. She finally takes control of her self and catches up to her reflection (Madeline Stammen) which helps her navigate through her dream world. I like this scene because of the spinning and twirling of the two together on skates, in instances mirroring one another. Next Crystal finds her talent and celebrates with the juggler, Jorge Petit, in a scene that is high spirited and a lot of fun.

Act One, Reflection Scene.

Act One, Home Swing Scene: Swinging Trapeze.

After this there was a scene with swinging trapeze that I couldn't get over because Crystal was still wearing her ice skates while swinging, flinging her body out up so high, and hanging upside down from it. She was attached with a tether, but no net was below. It was awe inspiring!

Act One, School Playground Scene: Hockey Ramps

I also loved the speed skating hockey players doing crazy jumps, flips, twists, and twirls off of ramps. Then act one was over and it was intermission and we took a break from sitting and bought some mint chocolate Dippin' Dots out in the foyer.

Intermission: We bought some Dippin' Dots ice cream.

Act Two, Poles Scene

In act two we saw the big city in Crystal's imagination. There are a maze of transparent panels that are brought out onto the ice that Crystal skates through to catch up with her alter-ego reflection. Some of the Cirque performers do a pole act that is brand new to Cirque. They swing their bodies around them, jumping from pole to pole, and dismounting with flair. In this act there is also a tap dance on ice skates that I think is pretty impressive. The tap dancers have mics in their skates which amplify the sound while dancing. The fast paced typewriter scene is very well choreographed. I love how they incorporate the sound of the typing with the music.

Act Two, At the Office Scene: Chair balancing act.

There was a dramatic scene with acrobat, Lkhagva-Ochir, that stacks one chair after the other high on a platform and then he does hand stands, balancing on them from the very top.

Act Two, Courtship/Ballroom Scene: Glowing Grand Piano

They also brought out a glowing grand piano that Crystal skated upon while it was played and rolled across the ice. A gorgeous, romantic ballroom scene is after this that features Jérôme Sordillon doing Aerial Strap Pas de Deux with Crystal.

Act Two, Ballroom: Aerial Strap Pas de Deux.

Then the reflection returns and Crystal finally comes to reality. The contortionist, Emily McCarthy, performs the breathtaking hand-to-trapeze number with Jack Atherton making us gasp as he takes her and balances her on just his feet or flips her up into the air from his grasp to catch the trapeze once again. She is seemingly pulled to the surface by his hand. Crystal finally breaks through the ice and finds her breath. She is met with her family and people in the community. At the conclusion of the show Crystal skates the words "The End", the projected lines that form the letters follow her skates while she skates across the rink.

The End written in the ice.

This show was exquisite! I enjoyed it immensely and highly recommend you seeing it. I am so glad to have been able to share this experience with my husband. It was a much needed date away from everything. I hope to be able to see other Cirque du Soleil shows when they come to town.

Crystal Video:

 

• What: Cirque du Soleil’s “Crystal”
• When: Opens 7:30 pm Wednesday, April 4, and continues 7:30 pm April 5-8, at 4 pm April 7, and at 1:30 and 5 pm April 8. 
• Where: Portland Oregon, Rose Quarter, Moda Center, 1 Center Court.
• Tickets and information: $40-$130, www.cirquedusoleil.com/crystal

BE SOCIAL

• Official Website: https://www.cirquedusoleil.com/ AND https://www.cirquedusoleil.com/crystal
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CirqueduSoleil AND https://www.facebook.com/CrystalbyCirqueduSoleil/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/cirque @cirque
• Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/cirquedusoleil/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cirquedusoleil/
• Google+: https://plus.google.com/+CirqueduSoleil 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/cirquedusoleil
• Snapchat - https://www.snapchat.com/add/CirqueSnap 

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received two tickets for free to facilitate this review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review. Affiliate links can be found in this post. Thank you for your support of this blog!

Keep Healthy Snack Bars Review

I homeschool, but still love to have snacks on hand at home and traveling when my family members get a little peckish. I try to find snacks that are healthy and wholesome, but sometimes I cave into my cravings and the kids want for sugary sweets and unhealthy confections. I am only human! Fortunately I was given the opportunity to try something in the snack food world that is good for my family.

Keep Healthy Inc. is a company that produces healthy snack bars. Their bars have no artificial ingredients or preservatives. The ingredient list on each bar is short and sweet. Every ingredient is pronounceable and fairly simple! All of their bars are gluten free, Non-GMO, kosher, and made in the USA. They also do not use refined sugar or high fructose syrup - just fruit and nuts. I love that these are easily packed in a lunch or on-the-go snack when we have field trips and outings. There are 6 different types of bars including: Original Date Bars, Chocolate Covered Date Bars, Original Fruitkies Bars, Chocolate Fruitkies Bars, Organic Protein Bars, and Organic Low Glycemic Bars. Keep Healthy is also a proud sponsor of the Diabetes Research Institute Foundation. 2% of sales are donated with a minimum donation of $10,000 in 2016/2017.

Some of the Keep Healthy variety of snack bars.

Keep Healthy Inc. sent me a variety pack of 16 individually wrapped bars to try. In it each bar was a different flavor...so as you can imagine I didn't have time to try them all. Every bar I did sample (which was actually quite a few) was really yummy though.

The Original Date Bars have a base of dates, the fruit superfood that is high in fiber and antioxidants. Dates are also great for anti-inflamatory benefits.These are all gluten, dairy, and GMO free. Includes 4 delicious varieties to try including: Apple Walnut, Apricot Coconut, Cashew Date, and Pecan Date. I loved the Apple Walnut one the most from this section.

The Keep Healthy Chocolate Covered Apricot Coconut Date Bar is my absolute favorite!!

The Chocolate Covered Date Bars are their original date bars covered in dairy free chocolate. Includes four delicious varieties to try: Chocolate Covered Apple Walnut, Chocolate Covered Apricot Coconut, Chocolate Covered Cashew Date, and Chocolate Covered Pecan Date. I love chocolate, so these were my favorites out of the date bars and my absolute favorite was the Chocolate Covered Apricot Coconut.

The Original Fruitkies Bars have only three kinds of ingredients: fruit, nuts, and brown crisps. These are in their health bar section because the sugar is lower than the snack bars. Still they are sweet enough to gratify the hankering for other things. These come in 9 delicious flavors which include: Blueberry Pecan, Cherry Fig, Cherry Walnut, Cranberry Pumpkinseed, Macadamia Date, Mango Almond, Papaya Cashew, Pineapple Coconut, and Strawberry Apple. I love the Pineapple Coconut and Mango Almond one. So delicious!

The Chocolate Fruitkies Bars are better for you than any regular candy bar or cookie. They are so luscious and guilt free! They come in 8 flavors including: Chocolate Covered Apricot, Chocolate Covered Blueberry, Chocolate Covered Cherry, Chocolate Covered Cranberry, Chocolate Covered Mango, Chocolate Covered Papaya, Chocolate Covered Pineapple, and Chocolate Covered Strawberry. I got to try the pineapple and mango one. Both were really yummy!

The Organic Protein Bars are new to the Keep Healthy Health Bar collection. Each provide 15 grams of plant based protein.These are a great to replenish protein right after a workout. These are also USDA organic as well. There are 6 flavors including: Almond Vanilla Crisp, Apple Cinnamon Crisp, Chocolate Cherry Crunch, Chocolate Coconut, Chocolate Fudge, and Strawberry Banana Crisp. I love the Apple Cinnamon Crisp the most out of the ones I received.

Delbin enjoying the Keep Healthy Banana Nut Organic Low Glycemic Bar.

My oldest son, Delbin, has Type 1 Diabetes, so when he has a low blood sugar I like to have healthy snacks on hand that will supply him with the proper things he needs. I hate having only sugar-filled or overly processed snacks to offer him. Keep Healthy Bars have the perfect bars for his low blood sugars and they also have Organic Low Glycemic Bars that won't radically change his blood glucose levels. These particular bars help him be fueled with all natural, plant based ingredients and keep his blood sugar stable. Besides diabetics watching their levels, these bars are great for Great for: busy lifestyles, the sugar conscious, weight management, and before or after a workout (12 grams of plant based protein!).There are 5 different flavors of the Low Glycemic Bars including: Banana Nut, Chocolate Cherry Mint, Coconut Crunch, Lemon Zest, and Sea Salt Brownie. My favorite of these was the Coconut Crunch and Lemon Zest.

Keep Healthy Snack Bar Varieties.

I love these snack and health bars. Keep Healthy Inc. offers a wonderful variety of yummy flavors that you are sure to love. These are perfect to satisfy those cravings and energize you throughout the day. They are the perfect snack without the guilt and great to refuel your kids for an after school snack or brain food if you homeschool.

BUY IT
You can purchase the bars from the online store on Keep Healthy Inc.'s website. A box of 16 bars is $23.84 to $39.84 depending upon which bars you select.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received this product for free to facilitate this review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review.

Celtic Woman Believe Tour Concert Review

Last night I "Believe" I was in the presence of angels. Celtic Woman came to Portland for their new Believe Tour to the Keller Auditorium at the Portland Center for the Performing Arts. My husband and I got to go free for reviewing their CD and DVD on my blog previously. We don't usually get these opportunities to go out on dates as just the two of us anymore since having children, so this was quite the treat! This was an awesome early birthday present for me too (My birthday is May 10th).

We arrived there right on time to will call to pick up our tickets and be escorted to our seats. Little did we know that I would be right in the front row! I could touch the stage! Unfortunately the two seats weren't right next to each other they were one in front of the other. Even though we didn't get to hold hands and snuggle as much as we wanted to we both enjoyed the show thoroughly and we clapped til our hands hurt and gave a whole lot of standing ovations. Celtic Woman definitely deserved all of the applause and standing ovations made by the audience that night. They were spectacular! We also picked up a $20 program during intermission because I wanted something besides the tickets to take home with me as memorabilia.

If you have seen the Believe DVD you know how fantastically decorated and ornate the set on stage and gowns the Celtic Woman wear are. Well they brought all of that to Portland. From the drapery in the background of the scrolling archway to the chandeliers, it was all very lovely. I really enjoyed being so close that I could even see the stagehands up in the scaffolding doing the theatrical lighting. The lighting was grand and there was a scrolling pattern on the raised parts of the stage on either side where the drummers were that when ever was hit by the light it changed that color. They also projected patterns of things on the ceiling of the theater sometimes. The wardrobe of the women was embroidered and ornate as well and made the foursome look very elegant and princess-like.

For the DVD and CD the group is made up of 4 women: vocalists Chloë Agnew, Lisa Kelly, Lisa Lambe and Celtic violinist Máiréad Nesbitt. For this Believe 2012 tour a new member Susan McFadden joined the group while Lisa Kelly takes pregnancy leave. Even though this was Susan's first tour with Celtic Woman she was awesome and the whole group seemed like they had warmed up to her nicely. Lisa Lambe said this was her very first time in Portland and she was enjoying herself. Chloë Agnew, the veteran member of the group mentioned that usually when they come to Portland it is rainy like Ireland and it reminds them of home because of all the green, but this time they had some sun and it was a nice change. Chloë has been with the group since 2004 when she was age 14. She and Máiréad have been the constants while the rest of the group has changed over time. All these changes to the group really hasn't broken any bonds between all these wonderful woman and you can see how well they get along with each other on stage. They also feature dancers, including champion Irish dancer Craig Ashurst, bagpipers, a six-piece band and the Aontas Choir.

The most memorable song I think for me for this concert was Ave Maria sung by Chloë. She was so breathtaking! I loved her gorgeous voice to this well known song. They also, like they did on the DVD, invited the audience to sing "Green Grow The Rushes" and I sang my heart out :) I absolutely loved seeing Celtic violinist Máiréad Nesbitt leap around the stage like a deer while in heals and playing her violin as she danced, her long flowing dress whipping around her like billowing clouds. Once again my heart ached to play the violin again. My husband joked that if I get another violin that he would expect me to dance with so much high energy while I play like she did. I also loved the bagpipes, even though there was not 16 like on the DVD, they were wonderful. Being so close to the stage makes you wonder if the performers are actually making eye contact and smiling at you some of the time. I thought I caught a glimpse of Máiréad winking at me and smiling as she danced and played, but who knows, it could have been my husband she was winking at, LOL!

After all  the fabulous performances by the Celtic Woman were done we stayed after a bit, as people were clearing out, to see the stagehands take the set apart. We also saw people line up for the VIP tour. I would love it if maybe next time we could get VIP passes to see them backstage or have a VIP tour of everything and maybe get to meet them. All in all we had a fantastic time at the concert and definitely would love to see Celtic Woman again when they are back in town.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Thanks to the rep and Celtic Woman for sending me tickets for free for the concert to review on my blog. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review.