Welcome home, Cirque du Soleil.

An idea born on a Hawaii beach in the mind of Canadian creator Guy Laliberte many years ago has finally made it back to the islands, glorious and fully realized.

Never mind that “;Saltimbanco,”; the signature show of the “;Circus of the Sun”; has toured the world for 14 years. Originally staged to be set up in parking lots as a big-top circus, “;Saltimbanco”; was scaled down for arena tours in 2007, and it was only then that the Hawaii market was considered a viable tour stop.

It's been worth the wait.

First off, “;Saltimbanco”; is an intimate experience because only about half of Blaisdell Arena's seating is utilized, so there's not a bad view anywhere, from floor to balcony.

And while it's helpful to buy a program to become familiar with the story and the colorful characters inhabiting this fanciful metropolis, it's not necessary. As a prelude to the show, the cast immediately breaks down any barriers, playfully interacting with the audience. It makes it easy to get drawn into the spirit of “;Saltimbanco.”;

Speaking of interaction, while the aerial ensemble work provides the wow factor, Cirque doesn't forget the importance of one-on-one play with the crowd, and for that, Arno Guilinello does terrific work as the clown-mime. Whether he's tossing imaginary baseballs with the audience or in a “;gunfight”; on stage with someone picked from the crowd, Guilinello's physical expressiveness is a pure delight—plus he showed a seasoned ability to pick the right, unsuspecting person to play with on stage. That's a pro in action.

With so much activity on stage, it's easy to overlook the contributions of the costumed singers and band, but props must be given to the performers who provide astute, live accompaniment to the acts, playing world music in a smooth pop or jazz-rock drive.

  “;SALTIMBANCO”; is a showcase for its featured performers and acrobatic house troupe, which includes Hawaii-born Malia Jones.

The show's first act includes a trio of acrosport artists (Anna Kachalova, Virginie Canovas and Dmitri Shvidki), the house troupe performing on Chinese poles 25 feet in height, juggler Terry Velasquez, and ends on a kinetic note with Eduardo Rodriguez and Adriana Pegueroles twirling Argentinian boleadoras (weights attached to cords). It's an especially dramatic act, more so when seen against a dark background, with the boleadoras twirling at a constant blur.

The second act opens with Ivan Do-Duc performing stunts on a moving bicycle and the house troupe showing high-flying acrobatic skills on both the Russian swing and in bungee work off of trapezes. But the highlight had to be the spectacular duo trapeze work of sisters Ruslana and Taisiya Bazalli. Working high above the crowd, their ballet-like routine was breathtaking.

With every show, this run of Cirque du Soleil can only get better. And who knows? If the Hawaii dates are successful, “;Alegria”; is reportedly next in line for arena touring. So Cirque may become a repeat visitor—and we'll all be the richer for it.

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