It’s Tres ‘Ingenieux,’ Indeed

Comparisons are obvious. “Cirque Ingenieux” at the Pantages is an opulent theme circus heavily reminiscent of the famed Cirque du Soleil. Granted, despite director Joe Leonardo’s smoothest ministrations--and Leonardo is unvaryingly smooth--the proscenium staging of “Ingenieux” (as opposed to the more flexible arena-style of Cirque du Soleil) takes some getting used to. Rest assured, however, that this is no knockoff. A class act all the way, the visually gorgeous “Ingenieux” carves out its own niche on the theatrical scene.

The plot is necessarily simple--how else to link a series of unrelated entertainments? The action opens at a turn-of-the-century carnival, where a pole artist (Alvin Tam) performs to the strains of “Carmen.” Enchanted by the magic of it all, Sarah (Ekaterina Fedosseeva), a young spectator, returns to the big top by night.

Against a swirling backdrop of stars (a stunning projection effect engineered by scenic designer Jerome Sirlin), Sarah is swept upward on a golden hoop into an ever-shifting dreamscape of the imagination. There, a seductive Enchantress (Iolanta Stradomskayte) clashes with an ethereal singing Angel (Ashley Leadbetter, substituting for regular cast member Jennifer Hamady), while clowns, contortionists and acrobats cavort in hallucinogenic tableaux. At dream’s end, Sarah is returned by the Angel to her waking life--but not before she dons a nifty pink spandex number and performs on the double-lira (twin hoops) with her diminutive counterpart, Tatiana (Anastasiya Nelyubina).

It’s no coincidence that Sarah rhymes with Clara (as in “The Nutcracker”--get it?). Although set to the driving techno-music of Kitaro, Sarah’s dream could have been lifted, part and parcel, from Hoffmann’s tale. (There’s even a snippet or two of “Sugarplum Fairy” to drive home the allusion.) Again, it’s familiar, but without a whiff of the derivative. Creator Neil Goldberg’s modest conceit is effective down to the ground.

*

Up in the air, various aerial artists dangle dizzyingly on ropes, hoops, even gossamer sheets. A black-light illusion sequence, in which Sarah walks up a disappearing neon stair, is eye candy of the sweetest sort, as are Howell Binkley’s lighting, Jonathan Bixby’s costumes and the splendid choreography by Catherine Archambault and Eric Hoit.

Music director Jose M. Cancela performs the lion’s share of the synthesized music, with Fausto Cuevas on percussion. The sound is full-bodied and rich--dauntingly so, considering that only two people are producing it. One longs, with futile nostalgia, for the rustling hubbub of a full orchestra pit.

Guaranteed to set you roaring, the amazing strength act of Jaroslaw Marciniak and Dariusz Wronski stands out in earthy contrast to all the celestial splendor. Quite possibly the most superbly conditioned athletes on Earth--and that’s no circus ballyhoo--these muscular ubermenschen have to be seen to be believed.

* “Cirque Ingenieux,” Pantages Theatre, 6233 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood. Tuesdays-Thursdays, 7:30 p.m.; Fridays, 8 p.m.; Saturdays, 2 and 8 p.m.; Sundays, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Ends May 9. $27-$52. (213) 365-3500. Running time: 2 hours.