UNIVERSITY PARK — 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,” at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 21, in Eisenhower Auditorium. The production is co-commissioned by the Center for the Performing Arts.
Tickets — $42 for an adult, $15 for a University Park student and $32 for those 18 and younger — can be purchased online at www.cpa.psu.edu or by phone at (814) 863-0255 or (800) ARTS-TIX. Tickets are also available at four State College locations: Eisenhower Auditorium (weekdays, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.), Penn State Downtown Theatre Center (weekdays, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturdays. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.), HUB-Robeson Center Information Desk (weekdays, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.) and Bryce Jordan Center (weekdays, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.). 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.
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 festivals.
