Mummenschanz Celebrates 40th Anniversary with North American Tour; Stops at NYU's Skirball Center, Now thru 1/6

Celebrating 40 years, the internationally acclaimed MUMMENSCHANZ is poised to bedazzle a whole new generation of audiences this fall and winter when the legendary mask theater company returns to North America with a special full-length program, from November 2012 to March 2013.

The U.S. and Canada performances are part of a larger calendar of worldwide jubilee events for the 40th anniversary to mark the beloved company’s four-decade legacy of bringing its uniquely imaginative and ground breaking art form to international stages. As a centerpiece to the U.S. run, MUMMENSCHANZ will present a special limited holiday engagement for four weeks at NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts, from tonight, December 11, 2012 through January 6, 2013.

For a list of performances and cities scheduled to date and information on how to purchase tickets online, see the attached national tour schedule below and click on the individual theaters, or visit mummenschanz.com.

Showgoers of all cultures are enchanted by the creative work of MUMMENSCHANZ, which endlessly appeals to generations of fans around the world, who come to witness the magic and wonder of the witty, weird timeless creatures and incredible colorful forms. The mask theater company creates a playful and uniquely memorable experience through an inventive use of forms, shadow and light and creative manipulation of sculptural, expressive masks. The result is a visually stunning spectacle of family entertainment that sparks the imagination and transcends cultural barriers.

Recommended for ages 6 and up, the show coming to North America this fall and winter is a full two-hour program (with intermission), which consists of nearly 30 sketches – featuring playful colorful creatures that have rarely been performed in the USA and Canada, as well as many of their most popular fantastical characters and perennial fan favorites.

“We’re deeply honored by all of the support over the years and our meaningful connection with North America, which has always welcomed and embraced MUMMENSCHANZ,” said Floriana Frassetto. “We’re thrilled to mark this occasion by reveling with longtime fans there and making new friends through sharing a special new theater experience.”

For tour updates and more information on MUMMENSCHANZ, visit the company’s official website, available at mummenschanz.com. To become a Facebook fan, join at facebook.com/mummenschanz. Click on youtube.com/mummenschanztour to watch live performance videos. Follow the company’s featured artists on Twitter: twitter.com/mummenschanz.

Currently in its fourth decade of existence, Mummenschanz is still one of the most successful theater groups in the world. Formed in 1972 by Swiss artists Bernie Schürch and Andres Bossard with artist Floriana Frassetto, the pioneering performance company created a non- verbal theatrical language that transcended the traditional. The company had its breakthrough during an extended Broadway run at the Bijou Theatre in New York City from 1977-1980. Never before or since has a show without words or music succeeded on Broadway for three consecutive years. Since then, the company has toured continuously around the globe, performing in renowned festivals and theaters worldwide. Following the death in 1992 of founding member Andres Bossard, original artists Floriana Frassetto and Bernie Schürch, with the help of long-time friend and supporter Hans Jörg Tobler, went on to establish in 1998 the Mummenschanz Foundation, a non-profit organization that aims to promote the art and expression of nonverbal theater. Mummenschanz has grown to a company of five. In June 2012, founding artist Bernie Schürch gave his farewell performance, and the company introduced Philipp Egli to join original cast member Floriana Frassetto as a featured performer, alongside performers Pietro Montandon and Raffaella Mattioli, and technical director Jan Maria Lukas.