Cavalia

I was lucky enough to get *free* tickets to this show and given that I’d seen it a few years ago in San Jose, I had no idea that it was given a fresh upgrade. Cavalia was set on a bigger scale with beautiful backdrops, live music and MORE WATER. So much water that the whole stage transforms into a lake right before your very eyes. It was magical I tell ya.
Can you say *majestic*? Try saying that word out loud with me. That is the word that comes to mind when describing the horses. They gallop, trot and take your breath away. The performers are so precise, elegant, graceful and strong.
If you haven’t had a chance to check out a Cirque Du Soleil show yet and you love horses (or just feel like being entertained) then come check this out.
Tips:
*Park elsewhere to avoid the $ 20 parking lot fees.
*The only real food they have are hot dogs, nachos and popcorn. Eat beforehand if you’re hungry.

Cavalia — Outstanding!
The wife and I saw the San Francisco show and it was truly fantastic. The stage is magnificent; backdrops are breath taking and amazing. We saw the event about 6 years ago and it was worth going back. The show builds throughout the evening with more and more complicated events. Do not miss this extraordinary show!

Oh my gosh, it was beautiful, spectacular, mesmerizing! Took my 10 year old grand-​daughter, and daughter! We all had tears when it first started, it was so angelic? Expensive, well not in my book. I think the parking was, but not the show… worth every penny abs will go again. The service fees, did not quite understand, but if it goes toward the horses and acrobatics, it’s all good. I give it 10 stars

I was so lucky to have been treated to this show over the holidays and just loved it. The lighting, live music and horses were dazzling. I would have liked to have seen a bit more acrobatics, but what there was — was well done. Parking was a breeze and available right at the tent. Definitely worth seeing.

I saw the show, it was good. Didn’t realize it was really a «trained animal» act, but, the horses were beautiful. Came home and wanted to train my dog.
My bone to pick (complaint) is the outrageous service fees– including a fee as to how to receive tickets, I would rather have the fee as part of the ticket price, instead of an additional fee. Seeing ALL the full page, color advertising, non stop advertising, It begs the question if the ticket price actually pays for all the advertising. And once a customer is hooked… service fees! After we bought non refundable full price tickets plus service fees (4 tix@$ 600), to be targeted for discounted tickets, adds insult to injury.
My other bone is the weirdness of the horse riding staff was white and the (amazing) acrobats were black. Sort of a throwback to pre-​civil rights era entertainment. It made me uncomfortable to see that segregation on a SF stage.
Turning a blind eye to those issues, we appreciated the production values, the sets, the costumes, the lighting, the transitions. The visual artists deserve praise for their beautiful work,
And how could I forget: the volume of the music was way too loud and was unpleasantly deafening. Someone with normal hearing might want to check the decibel levels during the show, I think they are outside the realm of safety or health. Bring 2 sets of ear plugs, you’ll need them.

I saw this show last evening and found it spectacular. Visually stunning with beautiful live music. Add in fun and frolic. Yes, pricey but you will see why this show is worth it. Only comes around every few years so a real holiday treat in every way.

I’m not really ’ horsey ’ but this riveting spectacle puts magic and muscle into the phrase ‘horse opera’. Mostly riveting choreography melding beautiful acrobats, daring aerial dancers, live music, fantastic settings and of course the highly trained beautiful horses. The last act features a ‘heavenly lake’ and I think is more of an encore after the show had peaked earlier. Swooping aerialists dodging blobs of floating horse poop broke the spell. Nevertheless, fine and moving entertainment ! Yes it is pricey for a family … Seniors get a little break… I was comped.

Amazing show! Loved seeing the beautiful artistry. Not a horse person but I am definitely converted because of this show. Had a VIP pass so I got to meet the four legged stars.

You should only go to this show if you’re extremely into horses. I mean EXTREMELY. We were clearly not horse people and for the most part it just appeared that the horses were running/​walking around and doing little steps. Don’t get me wrong it is impressive that the horses were trained to the extent where they were able to do all these coordinated tasks however not impressive enough for this price tag for a non self acclaimed «horse person».
The acrobats which others have called «filler acts» were actually the highlight of the whole thing for us, but not enough to save the show in its entirety.
If you think this is going to be a cirque du soleil caliber show but just with horses, you will be sorely disappointed. Save your $$$ for another show unless you live breathe and love horses.

Best show EVER! Cannot even believe how much I enjoyed this! Went in thinking it was gonna be iffy… Nope! It was magic magic MAGIC! Stunning sets, stunning horses, stunning performers! Live band, live singer! The stage, the costumes, all beautiful!

Very very expensive, not worth paying!!!
I got 4 tickets and was charged $ 50.00 for services. What kind a services is that I don’t really know.
After 25 minutes in line to get the tickets from will call, I don’t know what services they charging for.
Be prepared to pay $ 25.00 for parking.
The music is so annoyed!

Show is amazing. Only 2 bars and they need to work things out. Both bars super slow (one doesn’t know what they are doing, other are 2 guys getting slowed by every single girl stopping by). Cavalia needs to work this out.

If your into seeing horses jump over a log, walk sideways and run next to each other then by golly this is for you! If your into paying hundreds of dollars to see horses run around in a little circle then this is for you! If you love the idea of sitting in a crappy small *** plastic seat for 3 hours then this is for you!
The only thing special about this show is the lights and the atmosphere they create. There is absolutely nothing spectacular the horses do, this is not acrobatics, this is not cirque de soleil, this is seeing horses run around in a circle.

Ride a cock horse to Banbury Cross,
To see a fine lady on a fine horse,
With rings on her fingers and bells on her toes,
She shall have music wherever she goes.
What makes this show special is the concept.
If you are a horse person you can appreciate the skill it takes to have horses that don’t flip out during this sort of performance. Lights, music, cheering, clapping. On top of being asked to preform precise choreography. Impressive.
The acrobatics were pretty fun and put that together with really innovative equestrian combinations. As a horse person I really really appreciated the skill that went into this performance.
I don’t know if the average person can appreciate it as much.
I wanted entertainment. I was entertained!

Not quite sure what makes Larry King call this show «The greatest show I have ever seen.» Cause it sure isn’t mine. (Also, not too clear on why Larry King could be considered an authority here.)
As many have mentioned, for being associated with Cirque du Soleil, this show is rather underwhelming. When you see a Cirque show, you come to expect a level of «holyshithowthehelldidhejustdothat-​ness» from nearly every act. Cavalia did not cause me to even think the above phrase at all. In fact, at times, I found myself looking around, wondering what people were clapping for (typically after some very simple stunts). The show was way too long, with several moments of boredom, sprinkled with less than stellar stunts, mistakes, and only a couple of breath-​catchers (woman mind-​controlling the 8 horses was pretty nice). Costumes were dull, blending in too much with the scenery.
They do get praise for the staging and lighting of the show, however. There were several very pretty moments (usually involving just horses, no people), and the live band and singer were positives.
I’ve ridden a fair amount. I have a friend who has been a national dressage champion and currently trains horses and people to ride them. I would far rather spend a few hours watching one of her training sessions than spend the $ 90 for another Cavalia show.
The «holyshitwhythehelldidIjustpaythat?» factor is high for this one.

Such a mixed bag on this one. My boyfriend treated me to this show as a x-​mas present. There were some truly exceptional and beautiful scenes in this show combined with a few that were pretty lackluster and boring. The «tricks» seemed fairly amature to me for the most part and many times they were not completed well – or at all. There were MANY mistakes.
The horses were beautiful and well cared for (it seemed). The costuming was TERRIBLE. The outfits blended into the scenery and it was often hard to know which way to look on the gigantic space. The music was a bit much as well. I am ready to never hear anything like it again. I imagine that it must be necessary in order to calm the horses, but it seemed very repetitive to me.
All in all, there were moments that made me glad we had gone. Some were truly moving and well executed. It is too bad that the whole show wasn’t up to par.

Save your money and our city from corny, corny shows like this one.
Think Renaissance Fair romance meets 80s hair metal music video b-​roll meets an Austrian horse show meets watching paint dry meets an episode of Tarzan meets a stunt-​man audition… with fake snow and junk food in the lobby.
Besides, it is a truly heartbreaking watching and wondering if the horses are abused and unhappy the whole time. It sure seems like they are…

Okay, now that I’m no longer upset about getting my first review deleted, I’m ready to try this again.
Last week I was immeasurably surprised when I was whisked off to see this show, the first time I’d ever gone to any show that took place in a tent (outside of camping, that is). The experience was unbelievable!
Being a Horse myself, I love my counterparts dearly, and what a treat it was to watch them perform alongside their human companions and trainers. So well bred and beautiful and all things child-​like innocence whilst performing to key throughout the entire show. I squealed like a little girl many times. =)
Also of noteworthy attention was the music — more specifically the lady with the amazing voice and the band that played with her. Yes, it was ALL live, not some crazy recording. They were out of this world! Her voice itself sent me to another parallel dimension that had me anticipating for the next moment she would sing. I’m buying their CD next chance I get to preserve the memories.
All in all, the show was fantastic, and with the best company ever! I now smile every time I pass their billboards. I even went home with a stuffed horse to reinforce the memories of the wonderful night under the tent and stars. I named her Cava, after the show. Please do me a favour and go catch this show before they’re gone. You won’t regret it.
(So, was that a better first-​hand review?)
Update: Look! I found this awesome video about the show:

I was so very much disappointed by this show. It is more of a circus with horses as props.
FIrst of all-​I am a huge Cirque du Soleil fan so I had high expectations but I felt this show was more of the slower portions of a Cirque du Soleil show with horses added. The horses don’t really do much but go in circles with acrobats around or riding them (while still going in circles). If you’ve seen fine equestrian events or work with horses, I felt what the horses did was not worth the money – there are better horse acts at the Rodeo. If you want to see horses, perhaps go to Keenland (KY). Only one act, the trick riding was woth seeing, not sure $ 100/​ticket though.

If you’re a horse lover, this is a must see. You will be whisked away into a playful, magical world that doesn’t seem real, but is.
If you’re an equestrian, this is a must see. You will be awed by the level of training and dedication shown by the people and the horses. You will «get» Sylvia Zerbini, feel her connection with and dedication to her horses, and she will make you want to run home and hug your horses. And her.
If you’re a Cirque lover but not too familiar with horses, this is a must see. It will turn you on to the power, beauty, grace, and intelligence of the equine animal, while still dazzling you with flying and colors and great live music.
If you have children, this is a must see for them. Just be careful, horses are an expensive hobby Mom & Dad!
Thank you Cavalia for presenting us with a beautiful dream, and for putting in the incredibly hard work to give it life.
It’s simply wonderful.
*Addendum:
I don’t know that I’ve ever directly called out another Unilocaler’s reviews before — however, after reading some negative reviews that have appeared — specifically, one from Rita W. who has only one — this one — review to her Unilocal account, I have some comments.
1. Anyone who comments «so much for professional horse training» when horses don’t perform perfectly, like machines… has laughably never trained a horse. They’re NOT dogs.
2. Anyone who says they go to see a show «since the Artistic Director… helped create Cirque du Soleil» … and then complains that the show is a «just a lot of separate acts» … has probably never actually seen the vast majority of other Cirque shows. «O» perhaps? You get two main characters as the through-​line there, among multiple separate acts. Did you know some of the horses were «characters» in Cavalia? No, because you thought they were dogs.
3. Anyone who complains about «trudging through a rainstorm» to see a San Francisco show, as if it were the show’s fault that, oh my goodness, IT RAINS in San Francisco… is a complete idiot.
Please, don’t come back.
On to the other negative reviews about «filler» with acrobats and acting, there are a couple of things that need to be understood here. I agree, the acrobatic acts — in level of difficulty — were not on par with most Cirque shows. HOWEVER — the main reason for this is that you cannot simultaneously rig a safe «flying» (what trapeze is called in the performer world) and acrobatic stage AND make that same stage accessible and safe for equine performers. So a balance has to be struck. There is no way you could have horses perform on the sets of Ka, O, etc, because of the nature of those sets as well as the safety equipment necessary for the acrobatics. Some people just don’t know enough about horses to understand this.
Also, the horses need time to regroup physically and psychologically between their individual performances, and this requires some of the performers to be with them, which means there has to be «filler» in between some of the horse acts. It’s all about compromises.
On my two trips to this show, yes, one time the man did fall when doing a flip while standing atop two galloping horses (ever tried it?). The attempt and willingness of the horses to participate is what makes it magical regardless of the «win.»
And despite its subtle, yet for the most part unavoidable flaws, during both shows I attended the audience was collectively awed — and clearly enjoyed every minute. And, knowing what I know about horses and acrobatics, so did I.