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b"So this is actually the first Cirque show I\\u2019ve reviewed for the podcast. I\\u2019ve seen several Cirque shows; the wife is a big fan. Our first trip to Vegas together included The Beatles - Love, which I really need to revisit. Maybe Tony will go with me, since he really should see it. Since that first trip we took together, my wife and I have seen \\u201cO\\u201d, Mystere, as well as Zumanity. Confession time: I liked Zumanity. I think we saw it twice. I was definitely disappointed when I heard it was going away. But we really like Cirque, and we like New York- New York. We\\u2019ve never stayed there, but we always end up hanging out there. So I was very interested in what we were going to get when Mad Apple was announced. I heard a lot of buzz that it was \\u201cnot your typical Cirque show,\\u201d which actually made me really nervous because that\\u2019s also what they were saying about \\u201cR.U.N.\\u201d and that show was apparently a giant belly flop\\u2026\\xa0\\n\\xa0\\n\\nNot the best photo, but she was hanging by her hair. By her hair!\\nTo me, it\\u2019s kind of funny that since I started doing these reviews, it\\u2019s pushed me to sort of have a greater sense of urgency to see new shows so I can review them for the podcast. We made an effort to see Rouge at the Strat, Miss Behave\\u2019s Mavericks, and Mad Apple all within a few months of their opening so that I could get the review content for the show. Anyway, I snagged tickets for a trip in July, and we really enjoyed the show. One of the things I like about Cirque shows is that since I\\u2019m a cheap bastard, it\\u2019s actually often better to sit back a ways so that you can take it all in. In fact, out of all the Cirque shows I\\u2019ve seen, none of them really benefit from front row seats. So there\\u2019s a frugal Vegas tip for you.\\xa0\\n\\xa0\\nIf you ever saw Zumanity, Mad Apple is in the same theater. From the audience perspective, the theater doesn\\u2019t really look that different from the time that Zumanity was there. One cool thing is the bar at the end of the stage. So the stage looks like a regular stage, but it has this part that sticks out into the audience, which is actually called a \\u201cthrust stage.\\u201d Insert joke here about parts that stick out and thrusting. So at the end of the stage, there\\u2019s now this half circle bar, and you can go up to the bar and order drinks for yourself before the show starts. When the show begins, there\\u2019s a cover for the bar that\\u2019s lowered down so it just becomes part of the stage.\\xa0\\n\\xa0\\n\\nI don't remember. I just remember laughing my ass off.\\nThe show itself isn\\u2019t your typical Cirque show. I would describe it as \\u201cintro to Cirque.\\u201d It has the acrobatics, but it\\u2019s not all acrobatics, and it doesn't have the weird French-Canadian stuff that\\u2019s all over \\u201cO\\u201d and Mystere. What it does have is live singers and a live band. A few years back, word was that Cirque du Soleil was moving away from live musicians, so that was a pleasant surprise. It also features 3 different comedians throughout the show, which gives the show a chance to breathe.\\xa0\\n\\xa0\\nI think Mad Apple - while not a show for kids due to the humor - is a show for younger adults, or those who might be bored by the more traditional Cirque material. (Seriously, I think it was purely my confusion keeping me awake during \\u201cO\\u201d.) I try really hard to keep politics away from my Vegas discussions, because Vegas is my escape. However, it should be noted that this is a show that celebrates the bluest city in the bluest state. It\\u2019s not too in your face, but I\\u2019ve seen complaints online about some of the content. New York City\\u2019s population leans left on average, so the show, in that spirit, is going to lean left a little. This shouldn\\u2019t be shocking, but apparently some people were nonetheless clutching their pearls. Consider yourselves warned.\\n\\xa0\\n\\nFeel the thrust of the stage.\\nThe format of Mad Apple is more like a variety show than anything else. Between the aerialists, the singers, and the comedians, it feels almost like Ka and Absinthe had a baby, but it\\u2019s a beautiful baby. I\\u2019ll be the first to admit"