KÀ by Cirque du Soleil

A story-driven Cirque du Soleil show at MGM Grand with a moving stage that tilts and rotates: martial arts, aerial work and big set pieces.

KÀ opened at MGM Grand in 2005 and is the Cirque du Soleil show that leans hardest on story. Directed by Robert Lepage, it follows twins from an imperial family who are separated by an attack and then journey through dangerous lands to be reunited. Unlike many Cirque productions, there is a clear plot, and the combination of martial arts, aerial work, puppetry and fire means there is always something moving.

The star of the show is the stage itself. A giant moving platform can tilt to vertical, rotate in the air and carry performers through battle scenes that look as if they take place on a cliff or a ship. Because the platform can turn into a wall, the audience sometimes watches fights that happen at what feels like a ninety-degree angle. It is a feat of engineering and one of the main reasons visitors remember the show years later.

The theater is a large, specially built room with a steep layout, and the sightlines are good from most places. Seats in the middle sections and on the upper tiers give the best view of the moving stage, while the closest rows put you near the performers but make the large set pieces harder to read. Visitors who care most about seeing the whole platform often prefer a few rows back.

KÀ runs roughly 90 minutes and is usually staged in the evenings with a couple of dark days in the week. There are normally an early and a late performance on show nights. Check the calendar for your dates and the age policy if you are traveling with children, because the show is intense in places and has a minimum age.

MGM Grand is at the south end of the center Strip, a short walk from New York-New York and Park MGM. The theater is in the resort's main building, and it can take 10 to 15 minutes to walk from the entrance or parking structure to your seat, so plan ahead. The resort has restaurants, bars and shops to use before the show, and it is an easy place to pair with dinner.

KÀ is a good choice for people who enjoy martial arts, big stage effects or a clear story. It suits older children and teens, couples and groups of friends. It is a good counterpoint to O for visitors who want to see two different sides of Cirque: O for water and atmosphere, and KÀ for action and engineering.

Because the staging is the main event, it pays to choose your seat with some care. Rows that are too close to the stage can make the tilting platform harder to appreciate, while the upper sections show off the full scale of the set. Eat before the show, since the late performance ends well into the evening. Dress is casual, and the theater can feel cool, so a light layer is useful. If you are traveling with teens, they usually enjoy the fight choreography and effects most.