The world renowned Cirque du Soleil has been touring its spectacular circus shows around New York City since the 1980s.
The brainchild of Canadian circus performer Guy Laliberte, Cirque du Soleil ('Circus of the Sun') came to prominence in the 1980s and took America by storm in 1988, which was the year that it first visited New York City. For over 20 years now, Cirque has been dazzling New York City audiences with its tremendous ingenuity, skill, and playful spirit through a succession of original productions that is sure to continue on into the future.
Saltimbanco, Battery Park City, 1993
Created by Cirque du Soleil in 1992 and brought to New York City the following year, Saltimbanco was the first Cirque show based around a story and theme, in this case the "urban experience".
Alegria, Battery Park City, 1995
Cirque du Soleil returned to Battery Park City in 1995 with its 10th anniversary show, Alegria, a production that displays a darker side of Cirque. Aristocrats, minstrels, and beggars are among the characters that populate the world of Alegria, which features such themes as oppression, power, and the passing of time.
Dralion, Liberty State Park, NJ, 2001
Well, it's not quite New York City, but it's really close. In 2001, Cirque brought its show Dralion to New Jersey's beautiful Liberty State Park. A meeting of East and West, Dralion fuses Cirque du Soleil's own avant-garde style with the Chinese circus tradition.
Varekai, Randall's Island, 2003
Cirque du Soleil began its tradition of putting up the Grand Chapiteau on New York City's Randall's Island when it brought Varekai to the Big Apple in 2003. Opening with a young man falling from the sky into a magical forest, Varekai boasts Cirque's signature acrobatics and mind-boggling feats of strength and skill.
Alegria, Randall's Island, 2004
This Cirque du Soleil spectacular came back to New York City a second time during its 10th anniversary tour.
Delirium, Madison Square Garden, 2006
New York's iconic sport and concert arena, Madison Square Garden, may seem like an odd place for a Cirque du Soleil production, but that's because Delirium was unusual. Choreographed by Mia Michaels (So You Think You Can Dance?), Delirium was kind of like 'Cirque du Soleil in Concert' and 'Cirque's Greatest Hits' rolled into one. The show, which was retired in 2008, featured remixes of Cirque music and reimaginations of routines seen in previous productions.
Corteo, Randall's Island, 2006
A return of sorts to Cirque du Soleil's roots, the carnival-like Corteo is a more playful show that focuses on the humor, fun, and clever clowning that made Cirque famous.
Wintuk, Madison Square Garden, 2007-2010
From 2007 until 2010, Wintuk turned the Theater at Madison Square Garden into a winter wonderland every year for 10 weeks. New York City audiences came to depend on this seasonal show as the perfect holiday outing for the whole family.
Kooza, Randall's Island, 2009
Cirque du Soleil visited New York City with its show Kooza in 2009. Directed by accomplished clown David Shiner, who had previously appeared in a Cirque show himself, Kooza joins the best of acrobatics and clowning in a delightful production that features colorful comic characters like the Trickster, the King, and the Obnoxious Tourist and his Bad Dog.
Ovo, Randall's Island, 2010
New Yorkers were introduced to a seldom-seen ecosystem of insects when Cirque du Soleil came to the city with Ovo, a lively and colorful underworld teeming with crawling and fluttering creatures as realized by Cirque's brilliant performers and acrobats.
Banana Shpeel, Beacon Theatre, 2010
Cirque du Soleil tried to do something different with Banana Shpeel: A New Twist on Vaudeville, which opened at the Beacon Theatre in 2010. Eschewing its tradition of huge tents and specially-built stages Cirque installed Banana Shpeel in a regular theater, which was surprising enough. But more shockingly, they decided to forgo the spectacle and concentrate on the clowning. Critics and audiences didn't respond well and the Shpeel came to an end after just over a month.
Zarkana, Radio City Music Hall, 2011
This Cirque du Soleil show, directed by Francois Girard, is going to be a part-time resident at one of New York City's crown jewels, Radio City Music Hall. Cirque's latest spectacular is set in an abandoned theater, where a magician who has lost his love (and therefore his magic) descends into a fantastical world full of strange creatures.
Paramour, Lyric Theater, 2016
Paramour was the first Cirque du Soleil show that was created with Broadway originally in mind in the original conception of the show. It bridges the traditional Cirque du Soleil circus style with riveting acrobatics and spectacle, along with the traditional Broadway concept of a plot driven love story. The story deals with a beautiful young poet who is forced to make a decision between love and art.
