Kouza!

Juli and I went to see Kouza tonight.  Kouza is Cirque du Soleil's latest. It was marvelous.

The above posted by text message.

More 11/3: I've seen two similar performances before and this was by far the best.  The first was a poor Cirque du Soleil - like performance back when the South Bay Civic Light Opera was bringing in outside acts.  A better one was Cortero, Cirque du Soliel's most recent touring act prior to Kouza.  Kouza seemed more energetic and focused than Cortero in all respects, so I think it was better for the occasional fan like me.  Physically the set was less sprawling with all the action happening on a smaller central stage.  Rather than diluting its appeal, this made the action appear more energetic.  Musically I found it more engaging too: the music was uplifting and energetic with familiar pop and world  influences that could have been sampled from current broadcasts on KCRW.  The stories in these productions are always minimal as well, but the Kouza story trod a fine line that had just enough continuity to bridge the different acrobatic acts.

Side note: Aside from the fantastic acrobatics in the production, I noticed that the food and drink prices were also quite fantastic.  I bought a large soda for $6.50.  Small sodas were $6.00.  Both came in souvenir cups which were used as an excuse for the price.  Other food prices were high too - something like two hot dogs for $24 or similar.