Imagine a most pleasant summer night, amazing acts of strength and beauty, costumes beyond the realm of your imagination, and then add music that will make you wonder if it was all a dream.. that is Cirque.

I had always wanted to see a live Cirque du Soleil show. I knew of Cirque from the many Bravo (the cable television network) specials. So when I found out they were going to be a mere 12 hours from me (I live in Nashville, TN) in Washington DC, I bought the $75 tickets, booked the hotel, pinched my husband, dropped the 3 yr old off at grandma's and off we were on an adventure!!

The first thing you see is the blue and yellow Big Tent. It rose with several smaller companions whimsically from the RFK Stadium parking lot. It is fully air conditioned, thankfully. Popcorn, cokes, candy are all available and can be eaten in the Big Tent.

As I walked into the huge expansive tent, popcorn in hand, I stepped back 20 years. It was like I had pulled the bow on a huge wrapped up box, sheer delight beyond words.

We took our seats.. 6 rows back and almost in the middle of the stage. I don't think any seat would be bad though. The action is so big and the performers move so much you could probably see well from anywhere.

I will not try to do a play by play because it would be too hard. My personal favorites... the Icarian Games, the Arial Straps, the juggler, the clowns, the Russian Swings, and the Trapize. In truth, no act disappoints. The quality of performers Cirque procures from all across the globe is astounding and they all deserve their due.

The music in this show is spectacular. It is all live and is a mix of electronic and world music. It is not uncommon to hear a synth organ and a rare woodwind instrument playing together. It is imaginative and entertaining. The musicians are so skilled and make it all flow so well.

The vocalist are outstanding. They perform their own vocal acrobatics. The music they produce lofts upward and matches so smoothly the actions on stage one would think they two simply are, as is light and air. The vocalist have the difficult task of singing what I think to be phonetic lyric strings and not words from an established language. I think the idea behind the use of phonetics and not words is that non-words lend themselves to imagination whereas words have a solid meaning. If Cirque is anything, it is about imagination.

There was an intermission but the total two hours worth of show went by like an instant. I was sad to leave the Big Tent but I did pop by the delightfully tempting gift store which managed to coerce the last dollar or two out of me.

As for my husband (who was a bit reluctant to say the least), he has now decreed that anytime Cirque is anywhere within a 12 hr drive, we too will be there.

Go, go and be a kid again.. gasp with the crowd.. wonder at the sights and sounds.. allow yourself to be swept away on a sea of imagination like no other. Go... just go!!

Recommended: Yes