By Charly SHELTON

Since its debut in 2005, Cirque du Soleil “Cortéo” has delighted audiences around the world with its spectacular displays of acrobatics, music and theatrical performances. And now, “Cortéo” has come to the Microsoft Theater in Downtown LA, with a run that ends this weekend.

In typical Cirque du Soleil fashion, “Cortéo” takes the audience on a journey through the extraordinary, with exquisite costumes, amazing stunts and beautiful set pieces. The story of “Cortéo” is easy to understand as many of the spoken lines are in English. The clown Mauro has died in his bed and, as his soul leaves his body, he’s envisioning his funeral and his life flashing before his eyes. But because he is a clown, Mauro envisions his friends and even the angels around him as circus acts, all in Baroque style. Cortéo is an Italian word meaning “cortège” or procession, and the show takes us through the funeral procession, the procession of Mauro’s life, and his procession into the great beyond.

“Cortéo,” even more so than many of the other Cirque shows, has unique and clever sets. Whereas many other Cirque shows lower some rings on wires or a long silk, “Corteo” weaves these acrobatic apparatuses into set pieces like chandeliers, beds and bikes. One of the standout performances featured multiple acrobats swinging and twirling from beneath chandeliers as they hang over Mauro’s bed. And later in the show, a clown is strapped into a balloon rig that is perfectly balanced for her weight. She hops off the stage and across the audience, floating gently, held up by balloons.

As expected, all of the performers showed tremendous agility, skill and daring throughout the show, accomplishing feats that I could only be jealous of as I shoved another handful of popcorn into my mouth.

The music of “Cortéo” was also an undeniable highlight of the show, with live renditions of beautifully composed pieces that elevated the performances of the acrobats to another level. The vocals of the performers were perfect and melded with the full band to provide the accompanying soundtrack which was at times haunting and other times joyous, just like at a funeral when the sadness of loss and the happy memories ebb and flow in time.

In comparison to some other Cirque du Soleil shows, this one had fewer genuinely astounding feats and was more about how the acts fit within the story and theme. Even the jugglers tossing bowling pins and rings were the right act for this – it may not be a huge acrobatic, death-defying feat like some of the other shows pride themselves on, but it’s what Mauro would have known and it fit perfectly in with the story and feel.

Cirque du Soleil “Cortéo” was a fantastic spectacle and one of the most immersive performances to grace the Microsoft Theater. The talented cast, excellent music and stunning sets were nothing short of fantastic. This is a must-see for fans of Cirque du Soleil and the circus in general. Its run at The Microsoft Theater in Downtown LA is coming to an end this Sunday, April 30 so those who want to experience “Cortéo” must act fast to see this show before the procession moves on.

Tickets and more information can be found at CirqueDuSoleil.com/Corteo.