“Ka” opened 20 years ago already a trendsetter. It was the first Cirque du Soleil show to achieve a full story arc. The plot revolves around a brother and a sister entering adulthood, following them through encounters with love, battles and, as the show explains, “the duality of Kà, the fire that can unite or separate, destroy or illuminate.”
Of course, we had to look up the actual plot description, even after seeing the show about 30 times over the years. We lose focus the moment the Firefly Boy arrives to protect Twin Sister, soaring around the stage like Tarzan after downing a can of Celsius.
It’s been speculated that “Ka” might be winding down its two-decade run. The show is expensive, at a time when visitors are more likely to seek a star headliner, or a walk-around “immersive” experience, over costumed acrobats.
But Mike Newquist, Cirque’s chief revenue officer, says the show is still strong, under contract through November 2026.
“The health of the show has continued to be strong,” Newquist said Feb. 7 at the opening of “Stories From Backstage: Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas” at City Hall. “We are always talking with MGM about what’s the next big thing, but ‘Ka’s’ very much a part of our future. We renew every couple of years, and ‘Ka’ is still a special show.”
Twenty years remains an achievement, with “Ka” trailing only “Mystere” (opened in ’93) and “O” (’98) for longevity among Cirque shows on the Strip. The production has played to 11.5 million fans.
Building on that figure, here are 20 things to know about “Ka” as the show marks 20 years:
24: Cast members from day one still performing in the show.
3: Performers who starred in the stage show “EFX,” which ran in what is now the Ka Theatre at the MGM Grand — Michael Crawford, David Cassidy and Rick Springfield.
$80 million: Cost of renovating the theater to stage “Ka.”
$65 million: The show’s total production costs.
1: Member of the current production team at “Awakening” who also worked on design of “Ka.” He’s puppet-design visionary Michael Curry, whose team created the sand crabs, starfish, tortise and other creatures in the show’s beach scene.
1,300: Hours spent making a single crab puppet.
4,000: Total speakers in the house, including speakers in every seat, making this the first Cirque show to install sound equipment in ticket holders’ seats.
3,000: Lighting instruments (as the show calls them), or lights (as we call them), in the theater.
25 by 50: Height and width (in feet) of the show’s Sand Cliff Deck. This is the platform of the show’s signature Final Battle scene.
80: Pegs fired at the rotating stage during the Final Battle.
4: Cirque shows performing in residency on the Strip when “Ka” opened, joining “Mystere,” “O” and “Zumanity.”
3: Cirque shows on which music director Richard Oberacker has worked, including the touring productions “Dralion” and “Worlds Away.”
1: Musicals Oberacker has written that have performed on Broadway. His “Bandstand” ran from April to September 2017.
32: Song cues.
30-90: Amount of time, in minutes, cast members spend applying their own makeup.
326: Pairs of shoes used in each performance.
500: Props used in each performance.
8,600: Total shows since opening.
1,950: Seats in the theater.
250: Artists, technicians and staff.
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.
