Cirque Du Soleil's Diane Paulus-Helmed AMALUNA to Open at Citi Field, 3/20

Following the enormous popular and critical success of TOTEM earlier this year, Cirque du Soleil has announced the return of its trademark blue-and-yellow big top to New York this spring with Amaluna, directed by 2013 Tony Award winner Diane Paulus (Pippin, The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess, Hair) beginning performances Thursday, March 20 on the grounds of Citi Field in Queens. Whimsical and enchanting, Amaluna is a theatrical acrobatic tribute to the work and voice of women. Amaluna had its world premiere in April of 2012 in Montreal.

Pre-sale tickets are now available online exlusively to Cirque Club members. Cirque Club membership is free and benefits includes access to advance tickets, special offers and exclusive behind the scenes information. To join, visit www.cirqueclub.com. Tickets will be available to the general public starting Friday, November 15, 2013 at www.cirquedusoleil.com/amaluna. Tickets are available for performances through Sunday, April13.

Amaluna invites the audience to a mysterious island governed by Goddesses and guided by the cycles of the moon. Their queen, Prospera, directs her daughter's coming-of-age ceremony in a rite that honours femininity, renewal, rebirth and balance which marks the passing of these insights and values from one generation to the next.

In the wake of a storm caused by Prospera, a group of young men land on the island, triggering an epic, emotional story of love between Prospera's daughter and a brave young suitor. But theirs is a love that will be put to the test. The couple must face numerous demanding trials and overcome daunting setbacks before they can achieve mutual trust, faith and harmony.

Amaluna is a fusion of the words ama, which refers to "mother" in many languages, and luna, which means "moon," a symbol of femininity that evokes both the mother-daughter relationship and the idea of goddess and protector of the planet. Amaluna is also the name of the mysterious island where the story unfolds.

For the first time in Cirque du Soleil's history, Amaluna features a cast that is 70% female. "Amaluna is less about feminism and more about reconnecting to our world in a different way", says director Diane Paulus. "Amaluna is a tribute to the work and voice of women," explains Director of Creation Fernand Rainville. "The show is a reflection on balance from a woman's perspective," he adds. To watch an official interview with Diane Paulus about the themes of Amaluna, visit http://cirk.me/1iBhJnV.

Paulus serves as the Artistic Director of the American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) at Harvard University and is the 2013 recipient of the Tony Award for Best Director of a Musical. Broadway: A.R.T.'s 2013 Tony Award-winning revival of Pippin, A.R.T.'s 2012 Tony Award-winning revival of The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess and The Public Theater's 2009 Tony winning revival of HAIR. A.R.T.: The Donkey Show, a disco adaptation of A Midsummer Night's Dream; Prometheus Bound, a new musical inspired by Aeschylus's ancient Greek tragedy, written by Tony Award-winner Steven Sater (Spring Awakening) with music composed by Grammy Award-winner Serj Tankian; Tod Machover's Death and the Powers: The Robots' Opera, finalist for the 2012 Pulitzer Prize in Music; Best of Both Worlds; Johnny Baseball. As an opera director, her credits include The Magic Flute, Il mondo della luna, Don Giovanni, Le nozze di Figaro, and the Monteverdi trilogy L'incoronazione di Poppea, Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria and Orfeo. Other work includes Kiss Me, Kate (Glimmerglass Opera) and Lost Highway (ENO co-production with the Young Vic). Diane is a Professor of the Practice in Theater in Harvard University's English Department and was one of Boston Magazine's 50 Most Powerful Bostonians in 2012. She was awarded the 2012 Founders Award for Excellence in Directing from the Drama League. Read more about the A.R.T. at www.americanrepertorytheater.org.

For more information, visit www.cirquedusoleil.com/amaluna.

From a group of 20 street performers at its beginnings in 1984, Cirque du Soleil is a major Québec-based organization providing high-quality artistic entertainment. The company has 5,000 employees, including more than 1,300 artists from more than 50 different countries.

Cirque du Soleil has brought wonder and delight to more than 100 million spectators in more than 300 cities in over forty countries on six continents.

For more information about Cirque du Soleil, visit cirquedusoleil.com.

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