Chris Lashua News

The ever-inventive Cirque Mechanics present Pedal Punk, a Steampunk inspired acrobatic whirlwind performance, coming to the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall on Friday, April 22nd at 8:00pm.

The Grand 1894 Opera House presents Cirque Mechanics in PEDAL PUNK, Sunday, April 3,  at 4 pm. Tickets may be purchased at The Grand's Box Office, 2020 Postoffice Street, by calling 409.765.1894, 800.821.1894, or online at www.thegrand.com.  It will be featured as part of The Grand Kids Festival on Saturday, April 2, which takes place outside on three blocks of Postoffice Street, from 20th to 23rd.   The Festival is open to the public and free of charge.

A clever and delightful spin on the cirque genre, Cirque Mechanics' 'Pedal Punk' combines traditional circus elements - acrobatics, aerialists, juggling, contortionists, dancing and clowning - with a story on wheels. The cirque-meets-pedal power romp fills The Eccles Center tonight, December 30. The spectacle begins at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available by calling 435-655-3114 or online at EcclesCenter.org.

A clever and delightful spin on the cirque genre, Cirque Mechanics' "Pedal Punk" combines traditional circus elements - acrobatics, aerialists, juggling, contortionists, dancing and clowning - with a story on wheels. The cirque-meets-pedal power romp fills The Eccles Center on Tuesday, December 30. The spectacle begins at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available by calling 435-655-3114 or online at EcclesCenter.org.

Entertaining, educating and illuminating. Park City Institute (formerly known as Park City Performing Arts Foundation) presents a dynamic season of eclectic, electrifying, awe-inspiring and internationally acclaimed dancers, musicians, family entertainers, speakers, actors and performance troupes.

Entertaining, educating and illuminating. Park City Institute (formerly known as Park City Performing Arts Foundation) presents a dynamic season of eclectic, electrifying, awe-inspiring and internationally acclaimed dancers, musicians, family entertainers, speakers, actors and performance troupes.

A clever twist on the cirque genre, Cirque Mechanics' "Birdhouse Factory" combines traditional circus elements - acrobatics, juggling, trampoline antics, contortionists, dancing and clowning - with a story steeped in mechanical ingenuity. This cirque-meets-industry romp fills The Eccles Center on Saturday, March 2. The spectacle begins at 7:30 p.m.

See how a woeful widget factory becomes a frolicsome funhouse in Cirque Mechanics' Birdhouse Factory which will play the Ohio Theatre for one night only. Created and directed by Chris Lashua, the originator of the German Wheel act in Cirque du Soleil's Quidam, and featuring veterans of the Pickle Family and Moscow Circuses, Birdhouse Factory uses a decidedly fresh aesthetic to showcase its high-flying, mindboggling talent. The production has wowed audiences worldwide, including a critically acclaimed off-Broadway run and US tour, highly successful European tour, and performances in Dubai and Hong Kong.

See how a woeful widget factory becomes a frolicsome funhouse in Cirque Mechanics' Birdhouse Factory which will play the Ohio Theatre for one night only. Created and directed by Chris Lashua, the originator of the German Wheel act in Cirque du Soleil's Quidam, and featuring veterans of the Pickle Family and Moscow Circuses, Birdhouse Factory uses a decidedly fresh aesthetic to showcase its high-flying, mindboggling talent. The production has wowed audiences worldwide, including a critically acclaimed off-Broadway run and US tour, highly successful European tour, and performances in Dubai and Hong Kong.

The McCallum Theatre presents the Cirque Mechanics' critically acclaimed BOOM TOWN April 5-7. Cirque Mechanics was founded in 2004 and quickly established itself as a premiere American circus. With its unique approach to performance, inspiring storytelling and innovative mechanical staging it has been hailed as "the greatest contribution to the American circus since Cirque du Soleil". I had the chance to sit down with Chris Lashua, the troupe's founder and Creative Director, to chat about all things Cirque. Here are a few highlights from that conversation:

The McCallum Theatre transforms itself from theatre to big top as it brings to the stage the hilarious and exciting Cirque Mechanics BOOM TOWN for four performances, April 5-7. Cirque Mechanics was founded in 2004 by Boston native and German Wheel artist, Chris Lashua, after the success of his collaborative project with the Circus Center of San Francisco, Birdhouse Factory and quickly established itself as a premiere American circus. With its unique approach to performance, inspiring storytelling and innovative mechanical staging it has been hailed as "the greatest contribution to the American circus since Cirque du Soleil".

'As circus artists, we aim to show the outrageous things that our bodies can do and to surprise people as much as we can,' said Chris Lashua, artistic director of the Las Vegas based contemporary circus troupe, Cirque Mechanics. 'However, we take circus one step further by building machines that not only capture the spectacle of circus, but thrill in a whole new way.'

The New Victory Theater, New York's theater for kids and families, opens its 2010-11 season on a high note - literally. From New York's Gotham Chamber Opera and celebrated Broadway director and founder of Tectonic Theater Project, Moisés Kaufman, in association with London-based puppet company, Blind Summit Theatre, comes the opera Puss in Boots (El gato con botas), a stunning and entirely new adaptation of the beloved children's story.

Grin like a fool and feel like a kid all over again when 'Birdhouse Factory' comes to Midland Center for the Arts on Friday, June 5 at 7:30 p.m. as part of the MATRIX:MIDLAND Festival. Join in the madcap fun as 12 acrobats of Cirque Mechanics transform the stage into a wondrous birdhouse factory, complete with uniformed unicyclists and acrobatic assembly lines in this enchanting story of laughter, love, flight - and the quest to build the perfect birdhouse!