Sneak peak of Cirque du Soleil's 'Varekai' in Philly

Cirque du Soleil's 'Varekai' is in town and Wednesday is their opening night at the Wells Fargo Center.

Action News was there for a backstage tour and got a front row seat at rehearsals for the renowned show.

'Varekai' tells the tale of Icarus.

On Wednesday, we were there as the performer who plays the lead role - Mark Halasi of Hungary - rehearsed and spread his wings.

"I do different movements, contortion, handstand," said Halasi.

He's among 50 of the best acrobatic athletes from 18 different countries who are part of this touring production.

The feats are amazing and the training is quite rigorous.

"You have to eat well, you have to sleep well and you have to train a lot," said Halasi.

We watched as the performers tested out the space and as the costumes got washed, dried and steamed.

Crystal Marano, the production stage manager, had the task of overseeing the 17 trucks worth of equipment.

She's a native of Vincentown, New Jersey and is thrilled to be home.

"This is actually the first Cirque show I saw back in 2005 and that made me want to work for the company so for me I came full circle," said Marano.

What are some of the high flying highlights?

"'Russian Swing,' the finale, is breathtaking, you will be at the edge of your seat. We have a beautiful trapeze act that is absolutely stunning. 'Hand-balancing' is amazing, and it's also because of the story, it's when the two fall in love. It takes you away and gives you goose bumps, it makes you dream," said Vanessa Napoli, publicist for 'Varekai.'

'Varekai' opens Wednesday night and runs through Sunday. Tickets are still available and can be purchased through Cirque du Soleil or the Wells Fargo Center.