Just a short trip from the beach, find world class entertainment
If you decide to venture out from the boardwalk on your Virginia Beach vacation, be sure to take a trip across the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel. In the city of Hampton, you will see a very peculiar looking building right off Interstate 64. This is the Hampton Coliseum. This crown-shaped building is actually an arena that has tons of fun events happening all year long. From sporting events, to concerts, to conventions—the Hampton Coliseum has something for everyone.
In Fall 2016, a very special production made its way to the circular arena. Crowds packed in to see a performance by the famed Cirque du Soleil. If you’ve never gone to a Cirque show, put that on your bucket list. It’s worth every penny.
This year’s production from Cirque du Soleil was called OVO, the Portuguese word for egg. The story centered around a community of insects discovering a strange egg within their midst. Although the story was compelling and often humorous, that’s not the real draw of a Cirque du Soleil show.
Amazing acrobatics, contortionists and high flying acts that take your breath away are the norm for this traveling group of performers. Each show contains original music that’s moving and rhythmic. As you watch the incredible acts, you can’t help but wonder about the training and dedication of these performers. Each act is flawless. For example, one act contained a group of about 10 “bugs,” balancing round discs on their feet. In perfect unison with the music, they rotated their props, tossed them to each other and threw them high in the air.
As I sat watching the show, I was amused at the young woman sitting in front of me. As the performers in the high flying act zipped across the stage, being thrown and caught by other performers, she gasped and laughed and clapped. It’s common for the audience to have an emotional reaction to a Cirque du Soleil show.
The Hampton Coliseum was a perfect venue to contain the show’s wonderment. The lighting, staging and arena-style seating allow each member of the audience to experience this amazing show. It doesn’t matter if you’re up front or in the nose-bleeds, each seat offers a great view.
Be sure to make Cirque du Soleil a regular event on your yearly calendar.
