We just came back from seeing Mystère at Treasure Island, courtesy of Shadow winning Best Dressed Pet at The Great Santa Run last Saturday. THANK YOU, Shadow! What a great kid we have to give us such a great Christmas present. We felt so bad having to leave her alone at home to enjoy it. Rest assured, though, she got some special treats when we got home.

Our first reaction to the show? Wow! and Awesome! And that’s the very mild version! Personally, I really didn’t know what to expect from the show and wasn’t that interested in seeing a circus-style act in Las Vegas, preferring something like The Rat Pack or something similar that seemed more Vegas-y to me. But the show was a gift, and Cirque du Soleil is something Chuck has been wanting to see for a very long time, so I was excited to go – and excited for him.

Simply put, I was completely mesmerized and literally had my mouth agape throughout most of the two-and-a-half to three hour performance and Chuck was equally thrilled; smiling, laughing, and gasping all the while. It was a great show. Mystère is actually very hard to describe as it is the most unusual show I’ve ever seen. I hesitate to provide too much detail, as not knowing what to expect is part of the whole fun of it. I will say that the premise for the program is that it explores the ‘mystery’ of life. I think they did a very good job of making you feel like you’re in a dream while you’re watching. It was funny and entertaining. At various times throughout, performers flitted through the audience, sometimes completely surprising viewers and at others, actually involving them in the performance. It was also a jaw-dropping and mind-blowing time as the strength, agility, and grace demonstrated by the performers just had us shaking our heads and giggling with amazement. Everything was live, and bigger than life. Even the music included costumed singers giving voice to haunting melodies in the balconies while a small symphony played behind them.

We are not usually the type of people to pay $60+ per person for a show. However, if we had not won the tickets and we knew what kind of performance we would be getting for our money, we would probably have bought them ourselves. It was just that good and worth it for the experience. However, I have to say, the concessions were a giant rip-off, a’la movie theaters. $7 for a small plastic cup of beer? $3 for a simple candy bar? Outrageous! But who needs snacks? Just go for the experience of Cirque du Soleil.

If you’re ever in Las Vegas and want to be enthralled, we highly recommend Mystère™ at Treasure Island. Look for discounted tickets during the holidays, or if you’re in the military, from the ITT office at your base (or at Nellis AFB in Las Vegas). We even had half-price coupons handed to us while walking through the casino. So, you can see, you don’t need to pay full price to see a great show – though it would be worth it if you did.

Enjoy the short trailer below. We didn’t take pictures, as they’re not allowed.