Cirque du Soleil Returns to Seattle with the latest Big Top Creation

After the remarkable success of AMALUNA in 2013, Cirque du Soleil returns to the Pacific Northwest with its newest touring show, Kurios – Cabinet of Curiosities, premiering under the iconic blue-and-yellow Big Top beginning Thursday, January 29, 2015.  

Written and directed by Michel Laprise, Kurios – Cabinet of Curiosities is a tale in which time comes to a complete stop, transporting the audience inside a fantasy world where everything is possible. In this realm set in the latter half of the nineteenth century, reality is quite relative indeed as our perception of it is utterly transformed. The name of the show refers to the humble and strange characters that inhabit the Seeker’s Cabinet of Curiosities.

In an alternate yet familiar past, in a place where wonders abound for those who trust their imagination, a Seeker discovers that in order to glimpse the marvels that lie just below the surface, we must first learn to close our eyes. In his larger-than-life curio cabinet, the Seeker is convinced that there exists a hidden, invisible world – a place where the craziest ideas and the grandest dreams lay waiting. A collection of otherworldly characters suddenly steps into his makeshift mechanical world. When the outlandish, benevolent characters turn his world upside down with a touch of poetry and humor in an attempt to ignite the Seeker’s imagination, his curios jump to life one by one before his very eyes.

What if by engaging our imagination and opening our minds we could unlock the door to a world of wonders?

Kurios – Cabinet of Curiosities premiered to the world in Montréal in April 2014 and is Cirque du Soleil’s 35^th production. Since its debut, the reviews and the critics have been raving:

“Kurios is Cirque du Soleil's strongest act in years…one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen on a stage,”
–Richard Ouzounian, Toronto Star

"Kurios is a classic. It runs like clockwork and could tick on forever."

– Pat Donnelly, The Gazette

Michel Laprise

Michel Laprise worked in theatre for nine years as an actor, director and artistic director before joining Cirque du Soleil in 2000. At Cirque du Soleil, Michel spent five years as a talent scout before taking on, in 2006, the role of Special Events Designer. In that capacity, he directed the act with Quebec diva Diane Dufresne during the Opening Ceremonies of the Montreal 2006 Outgames; the large-scale performance event created for the launch of the Fiat Bravo in Italy (2007); the Cirque du Soleil performance event celebrating Quebec City’s 400^th anniversary (2008); the launch of Microsoft’s Kinect console at the 2010 Electronic Entertainment Expo, broadcast on MTV; the opening show at the Eurovision Song Contest held in Russia in 2009; and the Opening Ceremonies of the 2010 FIBA International Basketball Federation World Championships in Istanbul. In 2012, Michel collaborated with pop star Madonna, providing artistic direction for her performance at the Super Bowl XLVI halftime show; he later went on to direct herMDNA tour. In 2013, he directed the musical Robin des Bois – Ne renoncez jamais, currently on tour in Europe.

 

Creative team

The creative team of KURIOS – Cabinet of Curiosities consists of 17 creators under the artistic guidance of Guy Laliberté (Guide) and Jean-François Bouchard (Creative Guide):

Michel Laprise                   Writer and Director

Chantal Tremblay             Director of Creation

Stéphane Roy                    Set and Props Designer

Philippe Guillotel              Costume Designer

Raphaël Beau                    Composer and Musical Director

Bob & Bill                             Composers and Musical Directors

Yaman Okur                       Choreographer

Ben Potvin                          Choreographer

Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui         Choreographer

Susan Gaudreau               Choreographer

Andrea Ziegler                  Choreographer

Jacques Boucher              Sound Designer

Jean-Michel Caron          Sound Designer

Martin Labrecque            Lighting Designer

Rob Bollinger                     Acrobatic Performance Designer

Germain Guillemot         Acrobatic Performance Designer

Boris Verkhovsky             Acrobatic Performance Designer

Danny Zen                          Acrobatic Equipment and Rigging Designer

Eleni Uranis                        Makeup Designer

 

Tickets will be available for purchase to the general public beginning Friday, September 26, 2014 by visiting cirquedusoleil.com/kurios or calling 1-800-450-1480. Tickets range from $35 to $156.