Cirque Du Soleil ‘Amaluna’ Hits NYC with Diane Paulus Directing

The amazing circus spectacular that is Cirque du Soleil is making its way back to New York with its most recent big top production entitled Amaluna. The show, which had its world premiere in Montreal in April 2012, is scheduled to begin performances March 20, 2014 at Citi Field in Queens (home to the New York Mets).

Amaluna is staged to be a theatrical acrobatic tribute to the work and voice of women. It is a fusion of ama (meaning mother) and luna (meaning moon), which is meant to represent the concept of the mother-daughter relationship and the idea of goddess and protector of the planet. The show features a cast that is 70% female; a first for Cirque du Soleil. It is billed as follows, “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 honors 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 lands 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.”

The production is written and directed by Diane Paulus. Paulus earned a Tony Award nomination for her direction of the 2008 revival of Hair, which earned the Best Revival of a Musical Tony Award. She also saw strong reviews on Broadway this past January for her new production of Porgy and Bess.

Cirque du Soleil shows have been seen by more than 100 million people in over 300 cities and in more than forty countries on six different continents. The most recent New York production took place in Spring 2013, entitled Totem, which played a limited engagement at Citi Field.

Tickets for the upcoming show can be purchased by visiting cirquedusoleil.com.