Clint Hale
210SA Staff Writer
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Cirque du Soleil’s “Delirium” show bills itself as “the quest for balance in a world that is increasingly out of sync with reality.”

If only reality was this interesting.

Delirium, a more contemporary Cirque de Soleil show featuring remixed music, stunning visuals and talented performers, made its way into AT&T Center on Friday night for the first of two shows (the other being the next night).

And it was, to say the least, quite a sight.

From the opening number, where clouds and stars flooded the more than 13,000 feet of projections screens, it was evident that Delirium was not going to be your typical stage show.

Needless to say, it wasn’t.

There was a guy on stilts that somewhat resembled Sex Pistols frontman Johnny Rotten. There were on-screen images of people in their underwear walking in and out of doors (doors that looked real, even on screen). There was an eclectic mix of music, from traditional rock to world beat.

And for the first time in Cirque de Soleil history, there were lyrics to accompany that music.

Featuring a handful of gifted singers, including American Jennifer Hamady, Delirium provided some vocals to accompany the already-extravagant stage show. One particular number even sounded - in the early stages, at least – like Madonna’s classic anthem, “Like a Prayer.”

And though the singers were on display, the non-vocal stage performers remained very much a part of the Delirium experience.

During one portion of the show, while one performer stood on the ground, another balanced his entire weight on the other performer’s head. Indeed, it didn’t appear to be something that the less athletically-inclined should try at home.

Nor should another portion of the Delirium show, where a woman was able to use seven hula hoops at once. Some she juggled. Others she spun with her legs. Others, with her arms. It truly made those of us who failed at hula hooping in elementary school (even with one) feel worse than we already did.

And just before the 100-minute show concluded, the crowd even got to participate a bit, as oversized balloons began to flood the crowd. It resulted in a beach ball effect, similar to the one at the My Chemical Romance/Muse show on Monday night, where the crowd batted the balloons all over the AT&T Center.

As the surreal show came to a close, the performers took center stage – as customary white lights shone down – and took a bow to a well-deserved standing ovation. For but a moment, they were back in our reality.

Of course, without question, Delirium’s reality is much more interesting.