‘Zumanity’ remains a study in kinetic energy

Friday, Oct. 29, 2004 | 8:43 a.m.

Erotic?

Not really.

Not in the sense that it arouses sexual desire in the heart of the observer.

What "Zumanity" does is present a series of sexually-related, sometimes titillating scenes that fail to live up to their potential.

Perhaps that is because this is a Cirque du Soleil production, and Cirque's theory seems to be that you must cram as much activity onto the stage as possible.

All of their Vegas shows are visually busy, full of action and distractions, as in a three-ring circus.

But while this works quite well in "O" at the Mirage and "Mystere" at Treasure Island, it is a detriment to "Zumanity," which celebrated its first anniversary at New York-New York in August.

Producers don't subscribe to the idea that sometimes more is less, and conversely less might be more. Fewer acts, with more focus on the more sensual scenes, could potentially enhance their provocativeness.

That is, if the show's aim truly is to present "another side of Cirque," as is claimed in the advertising. But I'm not sure that is the real goal here.

There's a lot going on inspired by sex, but not much that could be described as sexually inspiring.

The "Body2body" act, in which acrobatic contortionists Sara Joel and Stephan Choiniere create a number of Kama Sutra-like poses, is one of the best numbers in the show and comes closest to achieving what the production set out to achieve.

But then that scene is offset by a contortionist who is gross. The one-man act simply demonstrates how many ways it is possible to rotate your limbs and throw your joints out of whack. It is painful to watch and destroys whatever mood has been created by previous routines.

Two lithe, female contortionists who perform dives and underwater ballet in a water bowl are another highlight of the show. Gyuinara Karaeva and Bolormaa create some amazing stunts that interweave their athletic ability with a sexual intensity that is exciting.

I didn't find two males kissing at the end of their duo dance scene particularly exciting. For some, it is more shocking than anything else.

While most of "Zumanity" involves dancers and contortionists, this is a Cirque production, and therefore there are some acrobatics: an aerial scene between a tall blond and a midget and another based loosely upon a schoolgirl fetish.

There is no overt nudity in the show. A few bare breasts pop up now and again. There are phallic devices worn by men in some scenes.

The show explores sex from many angles -- homosexuality, interracial relations, orgies and S&M -- which might send some unsuspecting visitors fleeing for the exit.

But after a year on the boards, "Zumanity" seems to be taking itself less seriously, which makes the show more fun (refer to the less may be more theory).

There is plenty of comic relief in the production, primarily from the comedy team of Spymonkey. The ensemble opens the show as a band of Puritans who wrestle with their natural sexual desires and the restrictions placed on those desires by their religion.

The group then appears several times during the 90-minute production, performing some hilarious comedic routines that border on the obscene.

Famed cross-dresser Joey Arias is still the host of the show. He seems to have toned down his act from when the show opened. He is less aggressive and more humorous than in the beginning.

And thankfully the Medeiros twins are still around.

Luciene and Licemar warm up the audience by squeezing through the aisles as they pass out trays of strawberries and stick their broad derrieres into the faces of seated fans.

These obese, Brazilian sisters wearing French maids' costumes are 2 tons of fun in this relatively lightweight sexual romp.