In response to the overwhelming demand from Australian audiences, Cirque du Soleil has announced additional shows in Melbourne as part of the highly anticipated national tour of its critically acclaimed production, LUZIA.
Promising to deliver an unforgettable experience for both new and seasoned Cirque du Soleil enthusiasts, LUZIA is set to open on 24 March 2024 under the iconic Big Top. With tickets selling fast, Cirque du Soleil has added a total of 15 new shows to the Melbourne season.
Australian Helena Merten, one of the lead artists in LUZIA, expressed her excitement about returning to her homeland for the national tour, “I’ve dreamt of this since I was 7 years old and saw my first Cirque du Soleil show,” she said. “Now returning to Australia, coming home to where it all began, I am beyond excited to perform in front of Australia.”
Written and directed by Daniele Finzi Pasca, LUZIA invites people to an imaginary Mexico, like in a waking dream, where light (“luz” in Spanish) quenches the spirit, and rain (“lluvia”) soothes the soul. In a series of grand visual surprises and breath-taking acrobatic performances, LUZIA will take the Australian audiences on a surrealistic journey through a vibrant world filled with wonders, playfulness and striking artistry.
Smoothly passing from an old movie set to the ocean, to a smoky dance hall or an arid desert, LUZIA cleverly brings to the stage multiple places, faces and sounds of Mexico taken from both tradition and modernity. Rich in awe-inspiring moments, LUZIA enchants by incorporating rain into acrobatic and artistic scenes – a first for a Cirque du Soleil touring production.
Cyr Wheel artists perform the unprecedented feat of rolling and spinning under the rain, while an aerialist suspended from a Trapeze flies and twirls through pouring showers. Hoop Diving is taken onto gigantic treadmills, expanding exponentially the speed and amount of daring leaps executed.
Jaw-dropping highlights include a male contortionist skilfully twisting his body in the world’s most unimaginable positions, a powerful Aerial Straps specialist defying the laws of gravity at the centre of a cenote (natural sinkhole), a juggler tossing seven pins at breakneck speed, and two football freestylers deftly mixing street dance with mind-blowing ball manipulation.
Cirque du Soleil’s LUZIA will play under the Big Top at Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne, from 24 March – 19 May 2024. LUZIA will then tour to Adelaide (from 9 June), Perth (from 25 July), Brisbane (from 25 September) and Sydney (from 24 November). For more information, visit: www.cirquedusoleil.com for details.
Image: Helena Merten features in Cirque du Soleil’s LUZIA – photo by Anne Colliard