It hasn't occurred to me to get tickets for Cirque du Soleil for a long time, and except for the occasional Vegas show, I haven’t been under the big top for at least a decade. I have missed several of the shows over the years, and now I wonder why I did, because Amaluna reminded me of the excitement and magic of Cirque du Soleil! I am hooked again! The tickets were reasonably priced, and somehow we ended up in the front row (I must have read the seating chart incorrectly, because I thought we had seats midlevel). The tent is not huge, so even if you end up in the back row, you will get a great experience, but being in the front row definitely has a bit more danger - flying bodies and unicycles get very close to the edge!

Upon arrival (we took Uber and that was easy) you will go through security and enter the lobby of the tent, where they are selling merchandise (I use to buy that stuff) and cocktails (I still buy that stuff!) and they have a concierge selling upgrades for your seats for just $10 and up. Our friends took advantage of that deal and got excellent seats. The Cirque du Soleil formula is familiar to most and they have not changed that. Amazing costumes and death-defying acts, interspersed with some moments of laughter. The show begins on time, with some amusing antics by the “clowns” (not really clowns), to warm the audience up, and then it commences with the mesmerizing performances, that have the audience close to heart attacks with every jump and flip. There is the typical Cirque soundtrack, with two chanteuses, and a live band - all female, accompanying the action. This soundtrack has the haunted ballads but also a very edgy rock composition for the acts. Amaluna has a very strong female component, and loosely follows the journey of a young woman coming of age, but the story is not heavy on message and is just a framework for the acts. Incredible that they all do this as their livelihood. These performers really are talented and put their lives in danger every single night - I am now on the hunt for a documentary behind the scenes looking into their lives when not performing. It fascinates me. They certainly deserved the standing ovation. The show began at 8pm and there is a 25 minute intermission. It was fast paced and never a dull moment, and the costumes are incredible.

Dinner at The Commons Club

If you go, I suggest dinner at The Commons Club, in the new Virgin Hotel. Everything was delicious, especially the fries. Some of my photos are from our visit there a few months ago, in case you are wondering about blackberries and cherry tomatoes in November! This time I didn’t have a chance to take photos of our food, we were pressed for time and starving. Just a note for future reference: Dreamforce in town means you can forget finding an Uber at 6pm on a Friday night- we were 40 minutes late for our reservation. Luckily we called and they were nice and kept our table. For logistics if you are going to Amaluna, you can park your car with the Valet and leave it for the evening ($45 for 5 hours, $30 for 2 hours), have a nice dinner and a cocktail or two, then take an Uber (just a 5 min ride to Oracle Park) to Amaluna, then Uber back for a nightcap at Everdene, the hopping rooftop bar at the Virgin Hotel. A perfect SF evening, you’re welcome!