Cirque de la Symphonie

As I mentioned in my Happy Thoughts Thursday a couple weeks ago, I won four tickets to see the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra from Indy Downtown. This weekend, I put them to good use when Wheat, Jenn, and Morgan joined me for Cirque de la Symphonie.

I had never been to Hillbert Circle Theater before, but I absolutely love the outside of the building. Year round, they light the windows up to create different shapes and designs, including Colts-inspired horseshoes and American flags. Here's what they did for the Super Bowl this year:

I think this city might still like Peyton Manning a little bit.

After a nice outdoor lunch at Scotty's, we headed over to the theater for the show. The music, which spanned from classical pieces to modern film soundtracks, was awesome. Only a couple songs were performed as standalone music, but I loved to close my eyes periodically and remind myself that the musicians creating all of that magnificent sound were right in front of me. They performed the theme songs from Harry Potter and Hook, along with pieces from Swan Lake and Candide, so I was in my eclectic, musical glory.

Although the music was a personal highlight, the orchestra was easily overlooked as it served as a backdrop for the awesome Cirque performances at the front of the stage. Over the course of the show, we saw jugglers, aerial acrobatics, contortionists, balancing acts, ribbon dancing, quick costume changes, strong men, and just about everything you'd expect from a Cirque du Soleil show. The incredible physical feats, which actually caused us to elicit a few whispered What thes and How on earths, were perfectly synchronized with the music, creating a really entertaining combination that I can only describe as a classy circus.



It was a different/wonderful way to spend a Sunday afternoon and the perfect excuse to dress up and hang out with a few of my favorite people. Wheat and I finished our night by lounging at the pool, getting dinner at Wendy's, and finally seeing Neighbors. And after seeing the ISO's awesome lineup for the 2014-15 season (hello Beatles tribute!), I'll definitely be scoping out ticket prices in the fall.