text: Based on the other reviews this show certainly has plenty of fans I am guessing most of them did not know what Cirque du Soleil is famous for because Cirque du Soleil this show was notnnCirque du Soleil is first and foremost a unique art form that provides jawdropping unforgettable displays of physical human ability It is not just my opinion their own website proclaims as much This incredible experience is what causes people to book pricey shows weeks in advance nnBut there were almost none of the signature Cirque du Soleil acrobatics Instead there were lots and lots of interpretive dance moves running around in elaborate costumes nonsensical random artsy monologue and dialogue and oddly grunting At least three of us thought said grunting had an awkward racial tinge As a result the show felt less like Cirque and more like a live action reenactment of the multimedia displays of Beatles memorabilia that I would seen recently of all places interspersed between gameplay in the video game Beatles Rock BandnnThis version of Cirque du Soleil light seemed to answer the question I had going in how does one maintain the Cirque identity without upstaging the legendary Beatles Apparently the producers answer was We will notnnWhile costumes interpretive dance and general weirdness are indeed part of Cirque du Soleils identity I do not think they are the parts that people come to shows for And based on the applause I heard it seemed like I was not the only one in the audience that felt this way Not once was applause instantaneous the way it is when a crowd is wowed by a performance And to my own disappointment for the dutiful and energetic performers not once was the applause prolonged beyond that required by courtesy In an earlier life I spent a lot of time onstage myself and weak ovations like this are heartbreaking especially when the disappointment is not the fault of the performernnYet as I left the theater I overheard at least four patrons all women remark on how much they loved the show It was unclear to me if this was genuine awe at the overall experience a rekindled infatuation with the Beatles denied guilt at having just paid to watch a big music video with some interpretive dancers or something else To some extent I understood those who enjoyed the show The Beatles songs I adore most While my Guitar Gently Weeps and Hey Jude among them were the ones I remembered most fondly It suggested to me that those who thought they loved the show actually just loved the music The sound quality was impeccable delivered through a massive custom audio setup including stereo inseat speakers that made the Beatles music come alive in a way even my higher end multispeaker car stereo cannot When combined with the light show and special effects it was often a betterthanaverage way to experience Beatles recordingsnnBut the standard should be much higher than beating your car stereo To receive stars this show needs some changes first drop the Cirque du Soleil branding Second advertise it as an interpretive dance plus Beatles music multimedia show Third lower the price by x to be cheaper than the Beatles Rock Band video game Finally have the surviving Beatles make cameosnnI imagine none of this will happen anytime soon In the meantime Beatles fans rest assured that Cirque du Soleil did not upstage the Beatles And Cirque du Soleil fans make sure you get tickets to a different Cirque show