REVIEW: ‘Slava’s Snowshow’ on Broadway
Photo: Slava’s Snowshow centers on a clown in search of snow and joy. He finds both. Photo courtesy of Vladimir Mishukov / Provided by Vivacity Media Group with permission.
NEW YORK — There’s a storm a-brewing on Broadway, and whatever theatergoers do, they certainly should NOT seek shelter. Slava’s Snowshow, the global sensation from Slava Polunin, is a clown show of epic proportions and elemental immensity. As a form of combined entertainment and artistry, there is simply no parallel.
The largely plot-less show, playing a holiday engagement at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre in Midtown Manhattan, features a clown with spiky hair, a Pokémon-esque onesie and a large, unmistakable red nose. He traipses out on to the stage, seemingly in search of joy and perhaps a little snow. There are whispers of something to come, but he finds himself lost and crestfallen.
Soon, other clowns populate the terrain. These are Goofy-like creations with long, helicopter-like ears, and they seem to come from all corners of the barren landscape.
For the next 90 minutes, Slava and this troupe of clowns explore the world around them, and this often includes the area where the audience is sitting. They perform a bunch of comedic routines, all accented by little chirps and grand humor (hardly any words are spoken), and then they start getting messy. Water is sprinkled on the crowd, much like Blue Man Group, and although no toilet paper is spooled out like The Lightning Thief, plenty of cobweb material covers the orchestra and mezzanine.
The pièce de résistance is a blizzard set to the music of “O Fortuna” from Carmina Burana. The well-known work of classical music certainly gets the blood boiling, and as the snow whips the audience in the face, the true grandeur and dimension of Slava’s Snowshow come into focus. For the best experience of this can’t-miss blizzard, an orchestra seat is definitely recommended.
There’s a wonderful surprise to finish off the evening, almost like a ray of sunlight after the storm. It’s a beautiful image of children and adults together enjoying the warmth of innocent fun and the discovery of light after darkness. It took the sending in of the clowns to achieve such a revelation.
Slava’s Snowshow, which has played off-Broadway and Broadway previously, is an experiential play that asks audience members to do something they may have not done in a long time: have some fun, throw a snowball, bounce some balls, laugh like a child.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Slava’s Snowshow, created by Slava Polunin, plays through Jan. 5 at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre on Broadway. Click here for more information and tickets. Rating: 
