Cavalia gallops into town for an equine extravagana

July 9, 7:50 PMChicago Theatre Review ExaminerCatey Sullivan

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Photos courtesy of Cavalia.

Usually the horses within city limits are confined to the buggies on the Mag Mile and the police at events like Taste of Chicago. This summer marks the advent of a new kind of equine brigade, as Cavalia prances into town. And if you hear a faint whinnying on the west-bound Eisenhower near Racine, no, you aren’t going crazy. The stars of Cavalia are in residence inside that white tent that sprung up like a ginormous mushroom a few weeks ago. (The stage inside the castle-like structure is the width of a football field. The whole thing spans more than 26,000 square feet and is touted as the largest touring tent in North America. )

Cavalia runs July 14 – 25. As the creation of one of the founders of Cirque du Soleil, the show comes with an excellent pedigree and, no doubt, some of the most over-priced souvenirs this side of Wrigley Field.
 

Like Cirque, Cavalia features a bi-ped corps of acrobats, aerialists, dancers and musicians. Unlike Cirque, it has – yes – horses. Among the quadruped performers: Arabians, Spanish Pure Breeds, Lusitanos, Quarter Horses, Appaloosas and Paint horses from France, Canada, Spain and the United States.                          

In addition to horses and humans, Cavalia features the kind of techno-heavy stagecraft worthy of an Andrew Lloyd Webber mega-musical. A 21-foot-wide curved screen and an array of lighting and cinematic effects will, we’re told, take the audience to “a dream-like fantasy world.”

Amid extravagant production values, audiences should be able to discern a thread of a plot: Cavalia traces the evolution of horses and their bond with humans, beginning with their  (the horses') unbridled life in the wilderness progressing through early domestication and ultimately reaching a rapport with people based on mutual respect.

We can only wonder what the tourist-trapped buggy haulers would make of it.
 

Tickets  to Cavalia are $45.50 to $98.50, with discounts for children and seniors. For more information, a detailed list of show dates and reservations, call 1-866-999-8111 or visit www.cavalia.net