As I wrote up in my Note, a few weeks ago we shared a bunch of alternative circuses in our amazing Big Top Issue. Also looking backward, if you’ve been a subscriber to this weekly email long enough, you’re already acquainted with Emily Jillette. She’s my pal and partner-in-crime for all things exciting and dazzling. (Like a gambling-free Las Vegas weekend itinerary and an overnight immersive experience in Wales!) Today, she’s stepped right up to satiate your hunger for sexy, spellbinding, immersive circus-like performances. Take it away, Emily. -NPH

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Lost Spirits Distillery’s Modern Cirque Show

Lost Spirits Distillery in Las Vegas is a tour; it’s a tasting; it’s a show. It’s all of that, and yet none of it definitively — it’s a “create your own adventure” that is different for everyone. You’ll find this visually delicious experience within the Area15 property in Vegas: a complex a mile from the Strip filled with art displays, bars and interactive experiences. With Lost Spirits Distillery, the Modern Cirque Show is completely immersive, as guests wander through four different stages where performances happen all around you (and the rum flows at all of them). There’s burlesque, acrobatics, magic, music and more. Lost Spirits Distillery will compel you to return, again and again…in a boozy search of what you might have missed the last time.

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The Grand Expedition

Inspired by Jules Verne’s Around the World in 80 Days, The Grand Expedition in London is an immersive, edible experience that delights your taste buds and your mind. In this fantasy adventure, you’ll be transported around the globe in your stationary hot-air balloons through a wild variety of entertainment…all while being served tantalizing food from each destination.

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Particle Ink

This is the most immersive, entertaining show I’ve ever seen that pairs image and video mapping with live action. This is an incredibly innovative spectacle in Las Vegas taking the oft-used theme of light vs. dark and bringing it firmly into today’s high-tech, mixed-reality experience. You will be caught up in a storyline that brings you along, but you might find yourself chasing tangential adventures at every turn. Wear comfortable shoes and prepare to be amazed and delighted.

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Eclipse by Cirque Eloize

I haven’t been to this experience in France yet, but I’ve heard it’s great. In Cirque Eloize’s latest creation, Eclipse brings to life a very current theme of AI and robots. The lines blur as an advanced virtual assistant and a revolutionary robot fight for what is real and what is not, all while enveloping us in light, textures and otherworldliness.

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Duel Reality by The 7 Fingers

This limited summer run in San Diego from the 7 Fingers troupe is an epic love story that brings a duel into a sporting arena. Good and evil fight through acrobatics, stunts and astonishing performances. The 7 Fingers is known worldwide for their gorgeous and fantastical productions…and their work can also be seen currently on Broadway in Water for Elephants.

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