Cirque du Soleil Sets ‘Paramour’ as First Show Created Just for Broadway

New production will begin previews in April for a June 2, 2016 opening at the Lyric Theatre

Cirque du Soleil will launch a new production, “Paramour,” its first specifically designed for Broadway, the company announced Wednesday.

The show will begin previews at the Lyric Theatre on April 16, 2016, with an official opening on June 2, 2016 — past the eligibility cutoff for the 2016 Tony Awards.

“Paramour,” whose story follows a beautiful young poet forced to choose between love and art in Golden Age Hollywood, will feature a cast of 38 that includes both traditional stage actors and dancers as well as aerialists, acrobats and circus arts performers. Casting will be announced later.

French stage director and choreographer Philippe Decouflé will direct, under the artistic guidance of Jean-François Bouchard. Guy Dubuc and Marc Lessard will compose the score (under their pen name Bob & Bill), while Daphné Mauger will choreograph.

In addition to “Paramour,” Cirque du Soleil Theatricals previously announced plans to stage a revival of the 1974 musical “The Wiz” during the 2016-17 Broadway season, following the company’s co-production of a star-studded live broadcast version set to air on NBC on December 3.

The rest of the creative team for “Paramour” includes Pascale Henrot (associate creative director), West Hyler (associate creative director and scene director), Jean Rabasse (set designer), Philippe Guillotel (costume designer), Patrice Besombes (lighting designer), Anne‐Séguin Poirier (props designer), Olivier Simola (projection designer), Christophe Waksmann (projection designer), John Shivers (sound designer), Shana Carroll (acrobatic choreographer), Boris Verkhovsky (acrobatic performance designer), Pierre Masse (rigging and acrobatic equipment designer) and Nathalie Gagné (makeup designer).

“Bringing ‘Paramour’ to Broadway is the culmination of years of work, planning, and countless creative discussions,” President and Managing Director of Cirque du Soleil Theatrical Scott Zeiger said in a statement. “The ‘Paramour’ creative team, led by our remarkable director Philippe Decouflé, have designed the show specifically for the Lyric Theatre, and it is the perfect fit for the incredible experience we have in store.”

Daniel Lamarre, president and CEO of Cirque du Soleil, added, “Cirque du Soleil and Broadway are two forms of artistic entertainment that have pushed the boundaries of what audiences expect from live performance. With Cirque du Soleil Theatrical, we are thrilled to be joining the Broadway community and we are proud to have our Cirque du Soleil family perform in the same neighborhood as so many other talented Broadway artists.”

The Quebec-based company currently stages nearly 20 shows in Las Vegas, Orlando and Mexico’s Riviera Maya as well as in touring productions throughout the world.

Comments