Cirque du Soleil's 'Toruk' in Allentown

Toruk, the First Flight is the most satisfying production yet by Cirque du Soleil, partially because of its visual effects, but mostly because of its solid story — it’s based on the blockbuster movie Avatar. Previous Cirque du Soleil offerings have themes (like the Beatles or Michael Jackson) but lack Toruk’s narrative power.

The multimedia immersive spectacle brings the moon Pandora to the stage, then adds aerialists, acrobats, gymnasts, and spectacular lighting and sound effects. Crumbling mountains, cascading waterfalls, and swirling rivers are overwhelmingly convincing. Toruk is narrated by a shaman speaking clear English, but all the other characters talk and sing in a made-up language. The musical score is rhythmic and pulsating, with intentional repetition in the manner of Philip Glass.

Embarking on a quest

Trying to unite five tribes to save their world, three youthful characters embark on a journey into the Floating Mountains. In the final scene, they destroy the monster, then attach strands of their hair to hanging branches of the Tree of Souls, thus acquiring the tree’s infinite knowledge.

That monster is the massive flying Toruk, a dragonlike red-and-orange puppet with a 40-foot wingspan that is operated from the ground by six puppeteers. Both it and the menagerie of other animals that populate the tale are reminiscent of the puppetry in Julie Taymor’s Lion King.

While Cirque du Soleil’s Vegas productions are performed on traditional stages, this show occupies a much larger arena: Toruk is presented in a large oval space normally used for hockey games or three-ring circuses. Some of the characters move into the audience area, which I’ve never seen in other Cirque offerings.

Cirque, which sells about 12 million tickets a year— more than all Broadway shows combined— has 10 resident shows around the world, including eight in Vegas. This new production may become the most successful of them all.