I’m gonna let you in on a little secret. Are you ready?
Okay… I was a band kid.
I know, I know. I’ve heard it all before; the band nerd jokes and the “this one time, at band camp…”. But it was a long time ago! I’ve grown a lot since then.
Anyway, I’m only telling you this so I can let you in on another secret.
Ready?
When I was a band kid, I hated the music.
I know what you’re thinking, that’s crazy, right?! To be a band kid who hates band music is like being a chef that hates food. It just doesn’t make any sense. Which is why when my first serious boyfriend took me to see an ISO performance, I put on a dress and a smile and sat on the edge of my seat, ooh-ing and ahh-ing intermittently. I was smitten with him, though, and convinced myself that I needed to put on this performance and in essence, I missed the entire experience.
Nearly six years later, I still cringe a little when I hear a Concert F or the name Taktakishvili. But when I was gifted two free tickets to see Cirque de la Symphony, I decided I should go ahead and give it another shot. Like I said, I’ve grown. Maybe things would be different this time.
Boy, was I right.
Something about walking into Hilbert Circle Theater just makes you feel grand. The walls are lined with gold-trimmed mirrors and the garments range from button downs and khakis to mink furs and drama shawls. And while you sit and sip champagne from a plastic champagne flute, you realize that you have become that person—the one who just goes out to see the Symphony—and you feel a that much cooler.
Tonight there is a more playful excitement in the air—and how could it not be with a cast of dancing contortionists, silk dancers, and strong men all performing to Broadway scores? The conductor is charming and seems to be having a great time giving the audience a history on pieces before he is seduced off the stage by a sultry Cirque performer after a Chicago! number.
The real showstoppers, though, are the final performers. A silk trapeze wraps herself horizontally in a seemingly juxtaposed way, dangling 20 feet in the air, and then lets go. There is a collective gasp turned aah as she comes to a graceful stop mid-air to Les Miserables’ song Stars. Next, an intoxicatingly gruff performance of The Who’s Pinball Wizard as a strongman hurls man-sized cubic contraptions around like a baton. Last but not least, the finale performance of Wicked’s Defying Gravity, which is always, always a winner.
What’s my take-away? Well, I’ve already got tickets to see the next show at the Symphony: Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark with a live score performed by none other than the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. You should grab your tickets, too!
After all, most shows are around $10 with a student ID and your friends will think you are really cool when you say you went to the Symphony this weekend.
KC Chan is a senior majoring in English at Marian University. Born in Indianapolis, KC has lived in many towns in the area, including Martinsville, Avon, Greenwood, and Beech Grove. KC works at the MU Writing Center, and in her spare time enjoys growing her own food, cooking, and exploring Indy’s restaurant scene.
