The Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State 2016-17 season begins with a set of café doors swinging open on an exhilarating evening in the mythical Wild West. Cirque Éloize (Cirkopolis, iD, Rain) rustles up a mix of theater, music, acrobatics, and emotion in its new production, Saloon.
Co-commissioned by the Center for the Performing Arts, Saloon is the tale of a piano tuner’s adventures in a bar brimming with gold diggers, gamblers, lawmen, snake-oil salesmen, railroad workers, chorus girls, and cowboys. The piano man guides a chaotic, fun-filled journey through a world of comedy, spectacle, dance, music, and whisky fumes.
Saloon, on stage September 21 at Eisenhower Auditorium, brings the euphoric energy of live country/folk music and comedy to the classic drinking halls of the American West. The production features a company of 10 acrobats and musicians on stage.
It’s a dazzling ride, one that culminates in a breathtaking finale. Saloon offers an authentic, festive, and fun night out for the whole family.
Montreal’s Cirque Éloize has previously appeared at Penn State four times. The Center for the Performing Arts co-commissioned the company’s Cirkopolis, which made its Eisenhower debut in September 2013 and went on to win a 2014 Drama Desk Award for Best Unique Theatrical Experience in New York City.
Cirkopolis has toured across North America, South America, Europe, Australia, and the Middle East. This summer, the company is scheduled to perform the show in 18 cities in China, and a European tour of four countries is set for the fall. No matter where Cirkopolis is performed, the Center for the Performing Arts name is associated with it as a co-commissioner.
As it did with Cirkopolis, the Center for the Performing Arts is offering the public an opportunity to participate in the commissioning of Saloon at $250 per share. Each investor will receive various benefits, including:
• An invitation for two to an exclusive party planned for the evening of September 20.
• Recognition in the Saloon performance program.
• Recognition in the Center for the Performing Arts 2016-17 annual report.
• A commemorative Saloon poster.
• Recognition of the investor group from the stage at the Saloon performance.
Cirque Éloize, one of today’s leaders in contemporary circus arts, has been creating spectacular performances since 1993. The troupe has won multiple international awards and has toured hundreds of cities around the globe.
The Center for the Performing Arts announces its full roster of 2016-17 music, theater, and dance presentations June 23. For information about the season and for Saloon investment details, visit cpa.psu.edu
