Cirque Éloize returns to Eisenhower Sept. 21 with Wild West ‘Saloon’
Not since “Cirkopolis” has Montreal-based contemporary circus troupe Cirque Éloize tantalized a central Pennsylvania audience with its gravity-defying acrobatics. The company will return to Penn State for the first time in three years with its new Wild West-themed adventure “Saloon.” The production, co-commissioned by the Center for the Performing Arts, will swing open its doors at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 21, in Eisenhower Auditorium.
Purchase tickets, which are $42 for an adult, $15 for a University Park student, and $32 for a person 18 and younger. A grant from the University Park Allocation Committee makes Penn State student prices possible.
“Saloon” takes audiences on a trip to a burgeoning American West populated with a cast of athletic characters, including a femme fatale and her law-avoiding lover, a sneaky barkeep and dueling cowboys. Eight artists will exhibit their talents on acrobatic devices such as Chinese pole, Cyr wheel, Korean plank and aerial straps. Unique to this Cirque Éloize production, a live trio will perform country-folk music, including songs by Patsy Cline and Johnny Cash. Plus, a trip to 19th-century America wouldn’t be complete without a scene atop a speeding locomotive.
The Hartford Courant praised the show’s August world premiere at Connecticut’s Foxwoods Resort Casino. “Everything’s a bit ‘off,’ gloriously so, in this weird blend of history, pop culture, folklore, fantasy, gymnastic precision and general circus wonderment,” the reviewer wrote about the opening night of “Saloon.Since its inception in 1993, Cirque Éloize has performed 11 original productions. The company has appeared before audiences in more than 500 cities and 50 countries. The troupe has also performed for international audiences at numerous prestigious festivals.
Watch a preview of “Saloon.”
Since its inception in 1993, Cirque Éloize has performed 11 original productions. The company has appeared before audiences in more than 500 cities and 50 countries. The troupe has also performed for international audiences at numerous prestigious festivals.
Artistic Viewpoints—an informal moderated discussion featuring Maxime Charbonneau, director of business development, communications, and marketing for Cirque Éloize—is offered in Eisenhower one hour before the performance and is free for ticket holders. Artistic Viewpoints regularly fills to capacity, so seating is available on a first-arrival basis.
Mary Ellen and Tom Litzinger sponsor the performance.
BIG FROGGY 101 is the media sponsor.
The creation of “Saloon” was co-commissioned by Les Productions Saloon, Inc., the governments of Quebec and Canada, Montreal Arts Council, the city of Montreal, Le Théâtre de Namur and the Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State.
Learn more about “Saloon.”