Cirque de Soleil's Zaia at the Venetian Macau

September 08, 2011

We were on a roll. After being blown away by House of Dancing Water, I realized it will take a long time for another show of that proportion to come along my way. Hence, everything was downhill. Nevertheless, we were getting bored already, and since we were staying in the Venetian, we decided to catch Zaia's matinee performance.

We booked 15 minutes before the show began, and thus, had a 20% discount. That was quite a steal, as we paid only around 600 MOP per ticket, that's around 3,200 Php. Not bad, especially after watching the rip off Manila staging of Varekai.

I will not compare the show to House of Dancing Water, but more to Varekai. And the moment I entered the theater, I figured, well, throw out that comparison as well. The tunnel leading to the main theater was amazing.

We were pleased to be seated in the center of the center aisle. Probably the best seats in the house, and all for a bargain. The theater was half filled. It seems that the show of the moment is really in the City of Dreams. Zaia has been running for 2 years now, so I guess, it's time it dropped the curtain.

The theater was grand, even grander than Singapore's Lion King. The stage was wider and had more depth. There was giant sphere in the middle as we entered, and it soon flew off the stage to reveal a new set.

The "cube" act was dazzling. It took juggling to the next level. A man balanced and spun a steel cube forming shapes and angles that were illuminating with the light.

Zaia was about a girl's exploration to different worlds, as she travelled with this hot air balloon. The balloon was rigged to a truss though, which means it wasn't really full of hot air, and just moved in one direction the whole time.

The other act that I liked was the ice performance. Two contortionists were doing several poses on a moonlike stage. The scene was spectacular and eerie as well. The floating blocks of ice had models frozen inside them. It was truly mesmerizing.

Then there was the fire performance, and the trapeze stunts. There was also a trampoline performance where acrobats shot themselves in the air like rockets.

Zaia is Cirque de Soleil more than a circus act (like Varekai). This show had a stunning visual appeal and the music was inspiring. The show seems to be short, having only around 8 acts.

I don't know when Zaia in the Venetian will end its run, but with the dwindling crowds, that moment may come sooner. I still think one should watch the show, given the better value ticket prices (book late).

Zaia at the Venetian
Show performances are 8pm daily with matinee shows of 5PM during the weekends.