Review: ‘Amaluna’ at Sutter Health Park

In the third week of January, an old-fashioned blue-and-white striped circus tent magically appeared in the River Cats’ parking lot in West Sacramento. This mystical spectacle has lured so many people to Cirque Du Soleil’s Amaluna showcase that the producers extended the show through Sunday.

The lucky audiences who fill the tent are witness to a spectacular display of amazing acrobats with a wonder of dexterity, flexibility and engaging personalities. These athletes spin, jump, twirl, leap, juggle, cycle and entertain with such ferocity and elegance that watching them is both knuckle-biting and awe-inspiring.

Amaluna is billed as a retelling of Shakespeare’s The Tempest, but the plot is secondary—it’s basically star-crossed lovers in a mythical land who have to overcome many obstacles along the way. It’s female-centric—written and directed by Diane Paulus, with women warriors and an all-female band with three thrashing guitar players—though there are plenty of male performers as well.

And there’s a local performer back to visit her hometown: Kelsey Custard, who grew up in Shingle Springs and did summer theater at Sacramento State, is the star clown who has traveled the world with Cirque, entertaining international crowds with her comedic talents.

Not only is Sunday the last day to see Amaluna in Sacramento, it’s also the final production of this particular Cirque Du Soleil run after eight years and 2,500 performances throughout the world. There are only six more performances left before the tent comes down and leaves town for good.