ongoing- Sun. Oct. 19

 When asked what any particular Cirque du Soleil show is "about," we often hem, haw and basically draw a blank. It's about beauty and splendor and grace and strength and emotion and dazzling feats of acrobatics, all set to a rock/classical/world music score. But there are stories, there, too - although to explain the story, we often have to go back to the press release. We read the press release for "Kooza," before we went to Sept. 5 debut at the Bayside Expo Center, and here's what the Cirque people say. And that's that it "tells the story of The Innocent, a melancholy loner in search of his place in the world." And "it is a return to the origins of Cirque du Soleil that combines two circus traditions - acrobatic performance and the art of clowning. The show highlights the physical demands of human performance in all its splendor and fragility, presented in a colorful mélange that emphasizes bold slapstick humor." Our impressions? We'll get to those after we finish with their description

The show's title comes from the Sanskrit word “koza,” which means “box,” “chest” or “treasure,” and was chosen because one of the underlying concepts of the production is the idea of a “circus in a box."
The show starts with The Trickster bursting onto the scene like a jack-in-a-box right in front of The Innocent, and that is just the first of many surprises to follow. The Innocent’s journey brings him into contact with a panoply of comic characters such as the King, the Trickster, the Heimloss, the Pickpocket, the Obnoxious Tourist and his Bad Dog. The 19 artists of the House Troupe burst into action off the top of the show, combining acrobatics, rapid-fire costume changes and rebounds from three miniature trampolines set in the stage. The act highlights include human pyramids, bodies flying through the air and a “crash bash” – a daring dive into a circle of fabric inspired by the “Nalukauq,” the traditional Inuit game of “Blanket Toss” and the landing mats used by firefighter
"'Kooza' is about human connection and the world of duality, good and bad,” says the show’s writer and director David Shiner. “The tone is fun and funny, light and open. The show doesn’t take itself too seriously, but it’s very much about ideas, too. As it evolves we are exploring concepts such as fear, identity, recognition and power.”
It has a cast of 53 that features a "Wheel of Death" that makes its Cirque debut in this show. The 1,600-pound Wheel of Death rotates at heart-stopping speeds, powered only by the two artists who leap and counter-rotate in a death-defying display of fearless acrobatics and astonishing teamwork.

What we saw: This show is less about high-flying acrobatics and more about, well, other acrobatic stunts and clowning. Some of the clowing is downright PG-13 rated - a few kicks to private parts, a costumed dog taking a wizz into the crowd, a lot of buffoonery. Now, there's also there amazing acts: The three female contortioniists, including the woman who literally walked her legs around her head and torso. The high-chair act where the graceful athlete assembled (and then climbed and balanced) on this monstrous tower of chairs, and the Wheel of Death, where the two guys in each wheel looked like "Road Warrior" extras - but friendly ones - and really took our breath away. Sweaty hands factor? Yep, it was there. There is the trademark Cirque notion of the constnat barrage and the pleasant uncertainty of what comes next. Humor? High-wire? A drum solo with the drummer wheeled out center-stage. The music, as always, is appropirately loud, soft and dynamic in all the right places - its very own idea of world music. The show's a long one, nearly three hours counting intermission, and your eyes can feast on numerous feats. We loved the dancing skeletons that began the second act, the dancers who looked like they came from "Beetlejuice," the fake tasers used by the somewhat naughty clowns, even, well, the fart jokes. (Seems the clowns, as mimes, were trapped in that famous glass box and one of them let loose ... with glass-shattering sound you can bet they broke out of that fast! The offender said, "My bad." To say anymore would be to spoil it for you. Suffice to say, there's some audience participation - maybe with plants, maybe not - and there's a whole dream/"Wizard of Oz" element too. Did all this happpen to the Innocent who opens the show? Or was it a dream? Cirque is still the most phantastagorical experience out there. Do you part. Take the kids, grab the old ladies. The last shows are today, Sunday, Oct. 19 at 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. Tickets: Adults - $55 - $125, children under 13 - $38.50 - $87.50.

200 Mt. Vernon St., Dorchester, 617-474-6000 www.cirquedusoleil.com