Re-Review of Zed

A Re-Review of Zed
I think more of what I said for Zed holds true than for Ovo, but I still wanted to look back on it after some time with other circus people.

Set-Up
The staging of Zed is still incredible. It's breathtaking and mind-blowing, but speaking from an aerialist perspective, the beginning makes me cringe. The show is still magical.

The Acts
There's a few themes that seemed to come up with the acts overall. Some acts were perfectly satisfying despite the fact that they weren't the "main event". They're great for fleshing out that different world vibe. However, filling the stage meant occasionally packing in too much. For example, the Chinese pole/trampoline act did not need the aerial hammock. The wire act was very good. So good, in fact, that it would have carried better to the audience without the burning pendulum.

One thing Zed and Ovo really highlighted for me was the audience. There are tricks in circus that are insanely difficult, but just not what the audience wants. It shouldn't be about accomplishing that hard thing that everyone else does. There were times when Zed fully captured the audience around me - the lassos, the juggling, the flying trapeze. There were times when it was just beautiful and fun to revel in the world - the bungee traps and banquine. In some ways Zed tried too hard and it overshadowed the amazing accomplishments of the acrobats, but it's a tough balance to strike between too much and not enough. Overall, I think Zed got it right more times than it missed the mark. I'm still in awe of the ending and how much I adored it. It's inspirational in so many ways.