For over 150 years, various traveling circuses have entertained across North America. Common through the 1960s, one of the great highlights of summer was when the train cars arrived carrying elephants, lions, tigers, and bears. Led by a ringmaster, lion tamers, equestrians, tightrope artists, jugglers, clowns, elephants standing on their heads and tigers jumping through flaming hoops were all a part of the show.

By the late 1970s, concerns about the mistreatment of circus animals, and particularly elephants, came to the forefront and circuses fell into disfavor. Often beaten into submission to perform tricks and kept chained or in cramped cages, newer morally justifiable entertainment options were available to the public which resulted in declining revenues and an unsustainable bottom line.

No longer a draw, what once was a rare spectacle, mass media, modern zoos, and travel had made viewing exotic animals more accessible. Seeing them perform on cue didn’t seem necessary. Stuck in an old format that had been in existence since 1871, as a last-ditch attempt to save operations, in 2016 Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus relented and phased out its use of elephants. Too little too late, by then the handwriting had been on the wall for decades and the next year they went bankrupt. Once known as the “Greatest Show on Earth,” they have since reorganized the company and adopted a new model that excludes animals, debuting later this year.

Founded in 1984 in Montreal, Canada, focusing strictly on human athleticism and artistry, the emergence of Cirque du Soleil (Circus of the Sun) marked the beginning of a new era in the circus industry. Now the largest and most successful operator of its kind, their shows have been enjoyed by millions of people at more than 400 cities in over 60 countries around the world. With 21 different productions currently playing or scheduled, original live music accompanies a theatrical approach with character-driven acts and complex themes or stories. Long-held traditions such as the flying trapeze, acrobatics, juggling, clowning, and the high wire have been retained and expanded upon.

The lights dimmed on a packed house under the big top tent in Denver on Wednesday, July 5, for opening night of Cirque du Soleil’s Kooza – a story about a character named The Innocent who discovers fear, identity, recognition, and power during a magical journey within himself. The title Kooza is derived from the Sanskrit word “koza” which means box, chest, or treasure.

One day while flying his kite, The Innocent is surprised when a large package is delivered. Perplexed as to what could be inside, as he goes to open it, he is startled when The Trickster abruptly pops out. Flamboyantly attired, sophisticated, and charming, as the creator of Kooza, The Trickster brings color and light, demonstrating his powers and sharing what that world holds to the naive main character through a series of eye-popping acts.

Lithe contortionists performed a graceful routine at center stage that involved extreme flexibility and beauty. Balancing on one another and bodies intertwined, it was at times hard to ascertain where one person began and the other ended. Lying on her stomach facing the audience, one of the performers arched her back forward and walked completely around herself.

A woman grasped two long red silks hung from the ceiling. At first swinging upon them, she ascended to the top, wrapping herself in the lustrous cloth. Repeatedly rising and falling in a series of swoops, twirls, and high-speed spins, her fluid movements were mesmerizing.

Between the physical performances, clowns and a zany cast of characters entertained the crowd in vaudevillian slapstick style. Among them were The King who is continually losing his crown, cops, a pickpocket, an obnoxious tourist, and an unruly but loveable dog.

Always striving to outdo themselves, Cirque du Soleil’s Kooza employs the use of two high wires – one stacked above the other that support up to four aerialists at a time. Three of the quartet members are brothers who come from a long line of Spanish circus performers and have been with Cirque since 2007. Front and back somersaults were intrepidly executed with precision while staying aloft on a thin line. To the audience’s astonishment, two of the men seated on bicycles ran a narrow pole between themselves on which another man stood on a chair balanced on the pole. Their dismount from that precarious position was just as amazing.

Following intermission, a lively dance number was a page from Día de los Muertos, reminding us all of our ultimate fate. We were again taken to the dark side with the Wheel of Death. Essentially two giant hamster wheels connected by a center axis, the men inside began running to turn the contraption. It gained momentum as it spun like some haywire carnival ride until almost a blur. Suddenly, one of them, resembling a character from a Mad Max movie, climbed atop one of the wheels. On the edge of existence and doom, he leapt ten feet in the air as the perilous device reached its apex beneath him. Landing softly on the ever-moving track of the wheel, he continued his downward plunge, duplicating the daredevil feat several times.

Like at all Cirque du Soleil shows, once one performance ends, you can’t wait to see the next because you know it will be something highly entertaining. An acrobat perched on eight chairs stacked in a 23-foot-high tower showed incredible concentration and muscle control. A stilt walker was launched from the teeterboard, did a flip, and landed upright. Through it all, The Innocent gained insight, found his place in the world, and was crowned king of Kooza.

Cirque du Soleil’s Kooza is playing next to Ball Arena in Denver through August 13. For more information about the show or to purchase tickets, go to www.cirquedusoleil.com.