EXECUTIVE BRIEFCASE
CHEVAL
Equestrian show under a big top at the Orange County Fair & Exposition Center, Costa Mesa, through April 21. Thirty horses and 30 human performers. Tickets at (877) 528-0777, information at www.chevaltheatre.com.
Just when you think Cirque du Soleil might be getting stale, they throw in a new wrinkle. This time it’s the horse, or cheval in French. This is not technically a Cirque show, but it’s inspired by former Cirque director of creation Gilles Croix, so it’s pretty much the same thing, down to the exotic costumes, foreign accents, goofy-looking comedians and daring acrobats. But the stars of this production are the four-legged ones. Cheval is a little shorter on variety and splendor than the typical Cirque production, but its longer on danger, as evidenced by a thrown rider and an injured ankle on the preview night. In fact, the interaction of horses and humans, in alternately tense and tender situations, lends a dramatic note to an enjoyable evening.
, Rick Reiff
RATING: THREE BRIEFCASES (out of four)
