For those of you who just read the first paragraph and then get on with your lives let me put it to you this way: More than 10 years after opening at Treasure Island and changing the direction of Las Vegas entertainment, "Mystere" by Cirque du Soleil is still one of the most inventive, astounding, awe-inspiring, funny and evocative shows in this or any other town.

For the rest of you, allow me to elaborate.

Adequately describing a show like "Mystere" is like trying to explain a beautiful dream you had. It's so powerful that it stays with you long after it's over, but as soon as you start to put it into words you realize you can't even come close to capturing the full effect. Forgive me in advance for even trying.

The show is a broad mixture of jaw-dropping circus-style acrobatics and gymnastics, fantastical avant-garde-theater style dance and production numbers, and some laugh-out-loud comic relief. It's all wrapped up in an almost hallucinatory package of special effects fog, soaring (and descending) hydraulic staging, and ethereal music -- all of which only reinforces the dreamlike quality of the production.

Get there early so you can appreciate the majestic stage and the antics that happen on it before the show. Just be warned that if you see a crazed looking guy in a suit lit by a spotlight headed in your direction as you're trying to find your seat you may want to duck in a corner unless you want to become a part of the preshow entertainment. This is Cirque's version of a clown, albeit one without floppy feet and a big red nose, who teases and taunts the arriving guests before and during the production.

The show proper opens with the trademark Cirque aesthetic, a "where do I look now?" blend of acrobats descending from the rafters, baby carriages rolling across the stage, sleekly costumed dancers and actors throughout the theater, an adult "baby" bouncing a big red ball and sucking on a bottle, a gibberish-speaking emcee of sorts and his giant ostrich-like puppet, an adult "toddler" in her pajamas looking for her toy snail -- this is where words fail. It sounds odd, but it's a visual feast that will have you wishing they would rewind and do it all again so you could catch the pieces you missed while you were looking at something else.

Does it all have some sort of deeper meaning? If it does, far be it from me to try to tell you what it is. That's one of the things I most deeply love about this show. If you want to sit back and enjoy the acrobatics, dance and comedy you can take the production at face value and still be fulfilled. If, however, you want to search for a subtext about the meaning of life, death, fulfillment, passion, or the human condition you can do so and find your own definitions. They may not be the same as the guy sitting next to you, but that's okay. That's fantastic, actually.

The first circus-style act is a good example of this "take from it what you want" mandate. An aerialist/acrobat descends from the ceiling in an aluminum framed cube, twirling it and himself high above the stage. He is lowered to the floor, where the heavily costumed cast members help him remove his "cage" and he goes on a soaring flight around the theater via a bungee-style cord. At the end, the man is standing on the stage, spinning the giant cube in his hand as the theater lights gleam off the metal edges, capturing a rainbow of color.

Is it a commentary on taking control of your life? Escaping your own "cage" and flying high, showing that we are ultimately in control of the things that imprison us spiritually and emotionally? Sure, why not? Or it's a really great circus act? Either way, if the moment where the acrobat runs and jumps and literally flies out over the audience doesn't cause you to gasp at least a little, you really should have your pulse checked. For me, it was the definition of breathtaking.

Other visually and physically stunning acts follow: a pair of men act as "living sculpture," slowly and elegantly balancing themselves and each other in a virtuoso-level performance that will either leave you emotionally drained or wanting to join a gym (or perhaps both); a company of acrobats climb poles, jumping, posing, and leaping around on them as assuredly as monkeys in trees, creating more than one, "How can any human being possibly do that?" moment; a group of gymnasts uses a teeter-totter and giant trampolines as their spectacle-size playground; high-flying trapeze artists on an enormous metal contraption tumble through the air with the greatest of ease; and a stage full of pounding, tribal drummers brings the whole thing to an auditory, visual and emotional crescendo.

My favorite piece by far is the set with six aerialists on swings and bungee cords high above the audience. Costumed in sleek body suits festooned with glittering streamers, they tumble, spin, and soar in a glorious evocation of flying freedom that I'm not ashamed to admit brought me to tears just as it did six years ago when I first saw the show. It is beauty brought to life.

Of course, I'd be remiss in not spotlighting the comic relief portions of the show, which are audience favorites for good reason. The aforementioned clown shows up periodically to harass cast and audience members alike, kidnapping one unsuspecting theater-goer and sticking him in a box while the clown moves in on his wife, complete with champagne and candles.

The plus-size man playing the baby (with bonnet, diaper, big red ball, and bottle) is especially noteworthy. He helps open the show with a cooing, giggling, gurgling bit that casts one audience member as his "pa-pa," then uses the poor guy throughout the show to everyone else's great amusement. This actor is a master of comic timing -- watch for his perfectly executed sideways glances or pauses before wordless punch lines. Each brings effortless laughs that lesser performers would never be able to accomplish.

There's so much more to the show than even what I've described here, but to catalogue it all is not only virtually impossible but unnecessary. I'm one of those who sees "Mystere" as more than just a sum of its extraordinary parts, finding inspiration and enrichment in my personal interpretation of what it all means. How you choose to interpret the show is up to you, but whether it leaves you moved to the point of speechlessness or simply blows you away by the sheer spectacle, it is an experience that you will not forget and absolutely should not miss on your next trip to Las Vegas.

Vegas4Visitors Grade: A+

Mystere
T.I. (Treasure Island)
3300 Las Vegas Blvd. S.
Las Vegas, NV 89109
(800) 392-1999

Showtimes: Friday through Tuesday at 7:30 and 10:30 p.m.
Tickets: $95 per person, including tax

This Week's Trivia

Q: Treasure Island is going by the new name -- the T.I. What hotel was nicknamed the D.I.? ANSWER

The Weekly Trivia Question is sponsored by the Online Memorabilia Museum at Vegas4Visitors.com

The Full Story

'Mystere' Still Has Power To Amaze
'Sirens' Producers Should Walk The Plank
Queen, Trump Coming To Las Vegas
Vegas Q&A: What Don't People Know About Vegas?
Vegas Q&A: Where Should Bachelors Go?

In Next Week's Column

Next week: The latest from Las Vegas.

Plus, don't forget to send me your questions about Las Vegas. I've got room for more, so send them in today!

Click here to go to the main page of Vegas4Visitors.com and see all of the fantastic resources Vegas4Visitors has to offer you when planning your next trip to Las Vegas.