Caught the Miami debut of Spiegelworld's Absinthe last Thursday night. Loved it. I think no one in the audience had any idea of what to expect and everyone was quite jazzed. The show has been described as everything from "Moulin Rouge meets Rocky Horror Picture Show" to a cabaret variety show combined with a lewd comedy revue and indeed it is all of those things. But the most salient aspect of the show is that it is pure entertainment. For about 2 hours you are completely and utterly dazzled by the various trapeze artists (scantily-clothed), acrobats, tumblers, novelty-act performers, and borsch-belt comedians - that is courtesy of a character called the Gazillionaire, the show's host decked out in a cheesy tux and gold tooth.
The 75 year-old tent is gorgeous - all Weimar chic with velvet and teak and a cozy booths circling the main sitting area where you can hide out if you don't want to be too close to the stage. And you may not want to get too close because performers have a knack for interacting with and playing off the audience. Put is this way - drinking during the show is encouraged. But the whole circus never gets too sloppy or frivolous despite all the debauchery which is a testament to the extremely talented cast and crew. Experiencing the show is like taking a trip back in time, to scenes from movies like the Illusionist and Invincible where people were entertained by clever personalities who had nothing more at their disposal than their wits and brilliant tricks.
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