Zarkana': Cirque du Soleil debuts new gamble in NY

Like a cocktail with a dash of "Alice in Wonderland" and a splash of "Rocky Horror," Cirque du Soleil's highly acrobatic, dream-like spectacular "Zarkana" opens this week with its world premiere in New York. The show is a flashy rock opera that mixes bold acrobatic showmanship, powerful live music, and a balanced use of video effects -- a heady mix filling Radio City Music Hall's towering stage that matches Canadian director Francois Girard's surrealist vision. In a show some have compared at times to a dream or a nightmare, a magician named Zark (played by Paul Besson) appears in a shining red suit on an abandoned-theater set. With music setting the tone, gravity seems to disappear as performers rise and fly, soar and fall. "Zarkana" may have a bit of something for everyone: the show boasts poetry by Erika Chen; there is speed on the "Wheel of Death" segment with brothers Ray and Rudy Navas Velez; art with its "Flags" installation; harmony in its "Rope Duet," featuring Di Wu and Jun Guo; and sky-high jaw-droppers "High Wire" and "Trapeze."