With apologies to Rene Angelil and the creators of Tete a Claques, the Cirque du Soleil is undoubtedly Quebec’s finest entertainment export. They reinvented and rejuvenated the outdated spectacle that was the circus, replacing creepy clowns and sad-looking animals with zippy acrobats and dancers with phantasmagorical costumes and otherworldly sets.

Totem, the Cirque’s latest offering, is a whimsical journey through evolution, tracking humanity’s progress from the primordial soup to space travel. Feats of strength, stunning acrobatics, flexibility beyond comprehension; the Cirque du Soleil must be seen to be believed.

Totem begins in the Old Port on Thursday, April 22, and continues through June 27.

Tickets $55 – $135.

http://www.cirquedusoleil.com