Hong Kong first stop on Cirque do Soleil's Kooza Asia tour
Seven years since it last came to town,
Cirque du Soleil's Kooza is returning to Hong Kong from May 21 to June 22. This marks the first stop of the troupe's Asia tour, bringing its signature Big Top tent to the Central Harbourfront Event Space with a 54-strong cast from around the world.
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Premiered in 2007, Kooza was written and directed by American clown David Shiner. Unlike Cirque's more abstract shows, the show leans into the traditions of classic circus, with plenty of slapstick humour. There are clowns, acrobats and a live six-piece band playing an original score by Jean-François Côté drawing on jazz, funk and Western pop alongside traditional Indian music.
At Kooza's core is a story about the Innocent, a naive dreamer in search of meaning who stumbles into a surreal world populated by comedic characters including the King, the Trickster, the Clowns and the playful Mad Dog. It's a world brought to life through elaborate costumes created by Marie-Chantale Vaillancourt and a fantastical set designed by Stéphane Roy.
Cirque du Soleil performers on a high wire during the Kooza show. Photo: Jocelyn Tam
'Kooza is about the human experience,' says artistic director Jamieson Lindenberg. 'It's about duality, the good, the bad, yin yang, the things that make us all complete. It explores all kinds of tones, from innocence to death, scary, exciting.
'It's meant to evoke the senses. It's meant to provoke ideas. It's got a huge heart.'
But in many ways, the narrative is secondary. It's the physical feats, from the twin high-wire act, contortionists and gravity-defying teeterboard artists to the fearless duo on the Wheel of Death, that are the main attraction. You'll find yourself holding your breath as an artist climbs a seven-metre tower of chairs only to balance one-handed on top, or acrobats propel each other through the air with their feet in the Icarian Games. A circular stage with 260-degree sight lines means it's hard to find a bad seat in the house.
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'My job as an artistic director is to continue to evolve the shows, and not just artistically, but with how society evolves as well,' says Lindenberg. Still, he assures us there will be 'the sparkle and the incredible acrobatics that we are known for. That is still the same and at the heart of Kooza'.
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