Cirque du Soleil Crystal

Crystal is Cirque du Soleil on ice. That’s a first, as the world-renowned troupe takes its high-concept, often surreal circus aesthetic onto frozen water with a cast of 40, including skaters (some of whom also do acrobatics) and acrobats and aerialists (some of whom skate). On the rink at PPG Paints Arena, watch the story of Crystal, a girl who runs away from home, falls through the ice, and goes on an Alice-in-Wonderland journey of discovery. The cast of this two-hour show with live music includes veteran professional skater and Cincinnati native Mary Siegel. “It’s all new territory that we’re exploring,” says Siegel of Crystal, speaking by phone. “It puts a new focus on skating. People will see things they’ve never seen before.” The first of eight shows is tonight.-Bill O'Driscoll