Run Away with Cirque du Soleil

My visit to the Springs Preserve in  Las Vegas today in the monthly Bank of America Museums on US weekend was cut short as they are hosting a special event Mardi Gras Vegas that features Cajun and Creole cuisine, music and culture from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. The access to the Nevada State Museum was not affected. Before I left, I picked up an advertising card for a running event "Run Away with Cirque du Soleil" on March 28, 2015. Participants can run 5K or walk 1 mile with Cirque du Soleil cast members on the Springs Preserve ground at this annual event. All proceeds support the educational and environmental-sustainability programs at the Springs Preserve Foundation and Cirque du Soleil Foundation. You can register online at active.com.

Final Battle Scene Returns to "KA"

Cirque du Soleil removed a final battle scene from “KA” after a performer fell to her death when her safety wire snapped during a rapid ascent in June, 2013.

Eighteen months later, the scene is returning to “KA” theater at MGM Grand on December 3, 2014 after changes have been made to the choreography and equipment used in the scene.

Outgoing postcard US-3106782 to Finland shows a scene from "KA" where the Twin Sister encounters giant sea creatures, including a silly turtle, a mischievous starfish, and playful crabs, after surviving the shipwreck.

Let's Get to Know Each Other

Zumanity, billed as "the sensual side of Cirque du Soleil," is a "adult-themed" cabaret-style show featuring erotic songs, dances, and acrobatic acts at the New York-New York Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. The show celebrated its 10th anniversary on September 20, 2013. 

However, a recent article from Las Vegas Sun reports that Zumanity will go dark on January 3, 2015 to undergo major changes, and the majority of its cast members will be laid off.

Postcard US-2248696 to Texas shows Faun, a half-man-half-beast devilish spirit with boundless energy from Zumanity.

Innocence, So Fleeting, So Fragile

Outgoing postcard US-2529931 to Belarus was another postcard from Zumanity, the Sensual Side of Cirque du Soleil at New York-New York Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. The scene on the postcard, with a tag line "Innocence, so fleeting, so fragile", reveals elegance and passion of women. The show is scheduled to undergo an overhaul early next year. The postcard was purchased at the show's gift shop. It was sent on November 28, 2013 and had since expired.

Tonight, the giant Viva Vision LED display canopy at the Fremont Street Experience lit up again for the 16th annual Las Vegas Pride Parade in downtown Las Vegas. A blog from Las Vegas Weekly explains why Las Vegas Pride matters for a largely dis-unified LGBT community. The pride festival will be held at the Clark County Government Center Amphitheater tomorrow from noon to 10:00 p.m. on September 6, 2014. As concluded in that blog, we will be there "not because we want to see more people impersonating Britney Spears, but because we want to see us."

Happy 56th Birthday to Michael Jackson

Outgoing postcard US-2955783 to Italy was made of a magazine cutout from the August 2014 issue of Desert Companion, showing Michael Jackson ONE, a Cirque du Soleil production and a tribute to the work, innovative spirit, and legacy of Michael Jackson as the King of Pop, the genius, the visionary, and THE ONE through aerial performance, hip hop dances and acrobatics with vivid choreography by 63 cast members at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. Today on August 29, 2014, Michael Jackson ONE show is celebrating what would have been Michael Jackson's 56th birthday with a special performance.

My favorite Michael Jackson song was his 1991 single "Black or White" from his eighth studio album Dangerous. He declared in the lyrics: "It don't matter if you're black or white" and "I ain't second to none." It also featured morphing animation for the first time in a music video, which seamlessly transformed human faces from various races, symbolizing the celebration and appreciation of diversity.

Water and Energy

Water and Energy is the theme of World Water Day in 2014, observed on March 22. On the official website, it states: "Water and energy are closely interlinked and interdependent. Energy generation and transmission requires utilization of water resources, particularly for hydroelectric, nuclear, and thermal energy sources. Conversely, about 8% of the global energy generation is used for pumping, treating and transporting water to various consumers."

Postcard US-2367611 to Turkey shows the Black Canyon and the Colorado River downstream from the Hoover Dam. Arizona is on the left side of the canyon and Nevada is on the right side of the postcard. The U-shaped structure at the base of the dam is the power plant that hosts power generators insider. Now ranking in the 50th, it was once the largest hydroelectric power station in the world in 1939.

In Las Vegas, to highlight that millions of people around the world still do not have access to a safe and steady water supply and sustainable solutions can be found if we focus our efforts and our resources, Cirque du Soleil is presenting an one-night-only annual “One Night for One Drop” spectacular for the second year at Mandalay Bay tonight, with performs by guest star entertainers and casts from Cirque du Soleil shows on the Strip. As a result,  all eight Cirque du Soleil shows will be closed as the cast and crew are participanting the philanthropic show this evening.

Hula Hoop

I have been looking for fitness themed postcards for a while but rarely receive one. So I am extremely please to receive NL-2257435 from the Netherlands, showing a lady exercising a hula hoop. The modern hula hoop, which is twirled around the waist, limbs or neck, was invented by Arthur K. Melin and Richard Knerr in 1958. However, various hoops have been twirled, rolled and thrown around the world throughout history.

Cirque Du Soleil shows have many hoop acts. The one from Quidam is unique and one of the best. Quidam is currently touring in London.

Zumanity: a Decade of Sexiness

Zumanity is a mature adult themed Cirque du Soleil show at the New York-New York Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. The production opened on September 20, 2003 and it's celebrating its 10th anniversary with more than 6.5 million audiences in a decade. The show explores human sexuality with a series of erotic songs, dances, and acrobatics.

Balancing Men by Cirque du Soleil

Balancing Men

I bought this postcard at a Cirque du Soleil show gift shop. It noted: "Balancing Men: the powerful, yet fluid, movements of the Hand-to-Hand act mesmerize audiences with their fusion of strength and grace". However, we were reminded of the real risk in those unreal acts by the recent accidents.

Last week was a bad week for the Cirque du Soleil shows. First, a cast member was injured at Mandalay Bay during “Michael Jackson One” preview on Wednesday, June 26, 2013. The aerial artist was performing the “Stranger in Moscow” routine when he slipped off the slack rope and fell to the stage. Next, on Saturday, June 29, 2013 inside the MGM Grand, performer Sarah Guyard-Guillot in "Ka" died after a 50 feet fall near the end of its 9:30 pm show. Future performances of "Ka" are canceled until further notice.

I went to see "Ka" early last year and Sarah was mostly likely in the show since she had been an original cast member from 2006. I will remember the excitement and determination Sarah and other artists brought to me by taking the risk and turning those seemly impossible acts into reality.