It’s Cirque du Soleil in an entirely new light

TORUK – The First Flight is making its Asian debut in the Philippines tonight. And with names like Cirque du Soleil, James Cameron and Avatar tagged to the stage production, there is a lot to live up to. But the show, like most of Cirque du Soleil’s masterpieces, leaves audiences awe-struck and completely mesmerized.

Photo: Errisson Lawrence

Costumes: Kym Barrett

© 2015 Cirque du Soleil

It brings us back to Pandora

Avatar is one of the highest grossing films of all time, but there is so much more to discover about the world of Pandora. James Cameron’s film opened up an entirely new universe that was richly formed but still holds many mysteries. In this full collaboration, Cirque du Soleil had the perfect backdrop to not only recreate the moon Pandora as seen in the movie, but to expand upon it. And the company does not disappoint.

TORUK begins some 3000 years before the events in Avatar. The story tells the tale of three Na’vi teenagers who set out on an epic quest to save their world from a natural catastrophe. As foreseen by the Shaman, only the Toruk –
the most feared predator of the Pandoran skies - can save their people from extinction. Through their journey, Ralu, Entu and Tsyal encounter different Na’vi tribes in search of the five sacred talismans that will help them face this impossible task.

In TORUK – The First Flight, the storyline is more narrative than any previous Cirque du Soleil production. For the first time, a Storyteller takes the stage and recounts events in a language that the audience understands while artists speak the inventive Na’vi language heard in Avatar. But like with all of Cirque du Soleil’s masterpieces, TORUK – The First Flight is about so much more than the plot.

Photo: Jesse Faatz

Costumes: Kym Barrett

© 2015 Cirque du Soleil

It’s above and beyond anything that came before it

The acrobatics of the show are, to put it bluntly, mesmerizing. With never before seen acrobatic apparatus, Cirque du Soleil pushes the boundaries of what the human body is capable of and leaves its audiences wondering How is that possible? The choreography is tied together in synchronous patterns that create visual effects that are both breathtaking and remarkable.

Speaking of visual effects, the stage design is in a different caliber altogether. Pandora comes to life right in front of the audience’s eyes with impressive projections covering the equivalent of five IMAX screens. With the iconic Omaticaya Hometree at the center of the stage, the world is further brought to life by the epic puppetry created especially for this show. Creatures that were once curated by computers are brought to life by human hands.

All in all, TORUK—The First Flight is unlike anything that any company, even Cirque du Soleil, has put together before. It’s a one-of-a-kind immersive spectacle for the senses that can only be truly experienced live in person!

Don’t miss out on your chance to catch TORUK—The First Flight live in Manila. Playing June 23 – July 2 at the Mall Of Asia Arena. Click here to get your tickets now