Call it Cirque de Silence

To say that Cirque du Soleil came and went from Costa Mesa with

hardly a peep is about the highest compliment the acrobatic show

could earn.

The last time a full-blown version of the nouveau French-Canadian

circus put up its tent posts in the city, back in 1997, neighbors

weren’t exactly doing cart-wheels. Complaints began during

rehearsals, got louder during the first week of the show and

ultimately forced the show to spend $50,000 to quiet things down.

Residents near the fairgrounds were more than ready for its

departure.

Understandably, there was a little tension after news that the

circus was coming back to town this January after an extended hiatus

that included a stop at the Irvine Spectrum instead of Costa Mesa.

But Cirque producers, along with city officials, had a bright

solution: move the circus to a point at the fairgrounds as far as

possible from residents.

And so, on with the show.

By nearly all accounts, “Varekai” was quite an extravaganza:

Trampoline tricks to twist the mind. High-wire acts to startle the

most steely hearted. Rollings and tumblings and jugglings and humor

enough to make the least young at heart smile.

There were a few mishaps. A protest over the firing of an

HIV-positive performer stretched over a few nights before the company

agreed to bring him back on board. One performer broke her wrist

during a performance. But anyone who saw a show would have to agreed

that one broken wrist seems a miracle amid all the flying bodies.

In other words, Cirque du Soleil’s stay in Costa Mesa -- the City

of the Arts, remember -- was a successful one. We’re anxious for the

tent stakes to reappear and the show to go on again.