Wednesday, March 17, 2004
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Wednesday, March 17, 2004 |
| What is Spanish for elation, joy and jubilation? Alegria! By LINDSAY BIANCHI Cirque du Soleil returns to Atlanta to celebrate the 10th anniversary of its show, Alegria, with a special limited engagement starting on March 25. Featuring an international cast of 59 performers and musicians from 16 countries, the production combines flamboyant costumes, extraordinary lighting and an elaborate set design to create a circus arts atmosphere like no other. The baroque, operatic style of Alegria mixes skill, strength and speed with elegant, almost ethereal performances in an astonishing spectacle of athleticism and artistry. Critics across the globe have hailed the show as “Breathtaking,” The San Francisco Chronicle; “a show that thrills, that ignites the senses and unchains the imagination,” The Sydney Morning Herald; and “a world of wonder,” The Chicago Tribune. Due to the overwhelming demand, Cirque du Soleil is adding one full week of Alegria performances in Atlanta. The additional 10 performances will be held from April 13 to April 18 inclusive. Tickets are available to the general public by calling Admission Network at 1 800 678-5440 or online at cirquedusoleil.com. The eye-popping spectacle will take place under the blue-and-yellow Grand Chapiteau at Cumberland Galleria, located on I-75 at the Cumberland Blvd. exit. The show is directed by Franco Dragone, who has also overseen the Las Vegas-based “O” and MystEre, La Nouba at Orlando’s Walt Disney World, Quidam and Saltimbanco. Breathtaking acrobatics include the dramatically sensuous Synchro Trapeze and the hi-speed, hi-energy Aerial High Bars swinging more than 40 feet in the air. Imagine two agile performers who bring alive the Mongolian art of contortion and an artist manipulating flaming knives around his body in a rhythmic and dangerous Fire Knife Dance and you’ll have some idea of the creativity of the show. The vibrancy of youth is alive in Fast Track, a brilliant display of synchronized choreography and tumbling achieved through a trampoline system that magically appears from within the set. In Russian Bars, artists fly through the air with spectacular somersaults and mid-air turns, landing on bars perched on the sturdy shoulders of catchers. Currently presenting nine shows on three continents, Cirque du Soleil has wowed close to 40 million spectators around the world since it was founded in Montreal in 1984 by street performer Guy Laliberté. The regular performance schedule is Tuesday and Wednesday at 8 p.m.; Thursday to Saturday at 4 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.; and Sunday at 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. There is one performance on Friday, March 26 at 8:00 p.m. There are no performances on Mondays. Tickets can be purchased online at cirquedusoleil.com or call the Admission Network at 1-800 678-5440. For group reservations for 20 adults or more, call the box office at 1-800 450-1480 or online at cirquedusoleil.com. For corporate hospitality events, call 1 866-6CIRQUE or online at group.sales@cirquedusoleil.com. Prices range from $50 to $70 for adults and from $35 to $49 for children. For students, 13-17 and senior citizens, 65 and over, prices are from $45 to $63 weekdays only; Tuesday to Thursday, and Friday at 4:00 p.m.
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