Two New Cirque Du Soleil Shows To Open In New York

Cirque du Soleil will launch two new productions in New York City over the next two years, according to a new feature in the New York Times.

A new Cirque production, possibily titled "Vaudeville" - a show about that theatrical tradition - will have tryouts at the Chicago Theater in Chicago from Nov. 19 through Dec. 31, 2009. The show will then run at the Beacon Theatre in NYC beginning February 2010 for at minimum of three months, with the possibility of an extension to as long as six months. Cirque hopes the new show will become an annual institution in the city.

"Vaudeville" will include a cast of 50 to 55, and will be directed by David Shiner, the director of current Cirque show, "Kooza." "Vaudeville" will be written by Laurence O'Keefe ("Bat Boy: The Musical" and "Legally Blonde").

The Times article goes on to report that Cirque du Soleil will then present a four-month summer show at Radio City Music Hall in 2011. According to Guy Laliberté, Cirque's founder and majority owner, the still unnamed show will have a cast of 72 to 80 performers, a $20 million price tag and "will fully utilize the [Music Hall] space and spend half of each year in Paris or London."

To read the complete NY Times article, click here.

Cirque du Soleil began preview performances Thursday, April 16th in New York with the latest big top touring show, KOOZA, for a limited engagement under the trademark blue and yellow Grand Chapiteau (Big Top) at Randall's Island Park. ZOOZA officially opens Thursday, April 23rd.

KOOZA is a return to the origins of Cirque du Soleil that combines two circus traditions - acrobatic performance and the art of clowning. The show highlights the physical demands of human performance in all its splendor and fragility, presented in a colorful mélange that emphasizes bold slapstick humor.

The name KOOZA is inspired by the Sanskrit word "koza," which means "box," "chest" or "treasure," and was chosen because one of the underlying concepts of the production is the idea of a "circus in a box."

Cirque du Soleil recently announced that 18 additional KOOZA performances will be added from May 26 till June 7, 2009. Tickets may be purchased online at www.cirquedusoleil.com.