Mystere at Treasure Island in Las Vegas Nevada

In September 2007, I finally got to go to Vegas! I knew that I wanted to see at least one of the 5 available Cirque du Soleil shows. If you haven't seen a Cirque du Soleil show yet, you might want to read this review which explains what to expect when you go to this type of show. In short, Cirque performances are a completely different type of circus. These performers do all sorts of crazy and dangerous stunts that really show off their fantastic timing, strength, and grace all at the same time.

Although most people I know had either seen O or Ka, I read many reviews stating the relatively new show Mystere was the best of all 3. Having never seen the other 2, I can't say if that is the truth or not, but I can say that my husband and I both fully enjoyed Mystere from beginning until end.

Elements of a Great Show
To start with, you will see camera men walking the isles near the front of the stage to snap pictures of couples and families that are attending. If you choose to get a picture, they will give you a ticket number so you can check it out and purchase it as a memory of the show. I passed on this since it was just a picture of us in our seats and didn't seem worth whatever price it was. I would have jumped at the chance to take a picture with some of the stars of the show instead! However, I did see some people having fun with this and taking a memorable picture with their partner or family. So if you want to try it out, go for it! You don't have to buy the picture just because you let the camera man take one.

Next, the show begins before you even know it. This crazy haired "usher" starts to greet people who are arriving close to show start time, and attempts to show them to there seats. Unfortunately they usually don't make it to there seats! And often, they lose their tickets as well. It's hilarious especially when the people don't realize that this guy is part of the show and just having fun with them. This crazy usher comes in various times throughout the show to provide random jokes and laughs while the Cirque performers were setting up for their next stunts.

Another hilarious element of the show was a BIG baby. This baby was silly, funny, and decided that one guy in the audience was his "Papa" which led to a lot of laughs throughout the show. Papa wasn't the only audience member who got involved. In fact, a couple of other people in rows 1-3 got to be part of it as well. If you are looking for the possibility of being part of the joke, try to get a seat near the center in the front. If you don't enjoy this type of humor, then sit in the back and you won't have to worry about maybe getting wet, or covered in popcorn, nor be part of the show in anyway.

This humor is really just meant to keep the show going, keep it light, and add a fun element to the show. However, the main focus of the show is on the amazing stunts these performers do. These range from trampoline acts to flying through the air over the audience. My favorite act was the flying trapeze where 6 performers were swinging in flipping from the ceiling right above our row 2 seats. Cirque performers don't just do a stunt at random. Everything is well timed and synchronized which makes it even more amazing.

As with every Cirque performance, I'm sure this one had an underlying theme or moral to the story but I had no idea what it is. The baby seemed to tie the story together, as well as a little girl who was also seen in many of the scenes. Overall it just seemed to be about crazy costumes and fantasy characters. The music was wonderful and I was almost convinced to buy the 22$ CD. The music relaxes you and really puts you into the fantasy world the show is based on.

Who should go?
Although I'm sure kids would like this, I didn't see many there as this seemed more like a show for couples or adults. Kids may get bored and not get the in-between jokes. Then again... I wouldn't bring kids to Vegas even though some people still do! Leave the kids at home, and bring everyone else to this show. My husband went in with no idea what to expect. I warned him that it would be different than anything he might have seen before. I was happy to see him enjoying the show and clapping at all the performances. No matter how weird you think the costumes might be, you can't look past the fact that these performances are just awesome. I am positive now that he will go to other Cirque shows with me. Adults of all ages should have some fun at this show as long as they let go their traditional beliefs about the theater.

Show/Ticket Facts and Conclusion
Get there at least 30 minutes early. There will be a line, but it's worth it to get there early so you can see some of the fun that starts before 9:30. Buy your tickets at least 2 hours early! I don't think it's even possibly to buy them less than an hour before the show because of how long it takes for everyone to filter in. The best thing to do is plan to walk there an hour or two early so you can catch the Volcano at the Mirage before you have to be in line. This was our plan, unfortunately the volcano wasn't running due to high winds. We still had a good 1/2 hour to walk slowly and enjoy the view so it was still worth it to start walking early.

There is no dress code but I always feel like being at least semi-dressy for these types of shows. Some people will go out with fancy dresses and shirts and ties, but even a nice shirt and some khakis will do. I would pass on jeans and shorts.

We paid $104 a ticket for 2nd row on the left section. Although I would have liked a deal, I thought it was worth it to buy tickets a month in advance to ensure we got the good seats. The theater is small so it really looks like 90% of the seats were good seats as I walked around. If you want to go a little cheaper, go for it! If you want to go all out, I'd recommend getting as close as possible. As I mentioned, the people up front are more likely to get a fun part in the show!

If you want a really good deal you can wait until you get to Vegas to buy your tickets at Tix2Nite found in the big coca-cola bottle on the strip, or the various sales areas in the casino. I didn't want to risk not being able to see the show so I went ahead and purchased online. If you are dead-set on seeing a specific show on a specific night, it's safer to buy the tickets in advance. However if all your nights are open and you have no major plans, then it's fine to wait until you get to Vegas to see what kinds of deals you can get.

I said it already and I'll say it again to end this review. It was worth the $104 ticket price to sit up close and see Mystere. This was a wonderful show and although next time I will see a different Cirque performance, I wouldn't hesitate to see this again if I got some cheap tickets. Enjoy!!