Fans Claim Best Cirque Production To Come To Denver In Years
by Mark Smiley
The equipment is as simple as it gets — eight chairs and a pedestal — but in this act, the artist uses them to create a 23–foot tower on which to perform a balancing act that displays the human body at the very peak of condition and muscular control. Photo Credit: Matt Beard & Bernard Letendre
Cirque du Soleil’s production KOOZA is under the big top at Denver’s Ball Arena through August 13, 2023. KOOZA had its world premiere in April 2007 in Montréal, Canada, and has since played in over 66 cities in 22 countries, including Denver in 2009. KOOZA has performed in front of eight million spectators since its creation. The big top in Ball Arena’s parking lot has a seating capacity of 2,600 which makes for an intimate show without a bad seat in the house.
KOOZA is packed with interesting characters, daring acrobatics, clowns, lavish costuming (by Marie Chantale Vaillancourt, Cirque du Soleil), colorful sets, and a powerful live score that complimented the show wonderfully. The music of KOOZA demonstrates the spirit of the live show with its themes of human connection and fun in a world of duality.
With a stream of uplifting songs with timeless influences where forms and styles intertwine, the music of KOOZA is inspired by the sounds of western pop culture, from 1970s funk to full orchestral arrangements. It also draws heavily on traditional Indian music. There are six KOOZA musicians who play live music during each performance: trumpet, trombone, bass, drums, percussion, saxophone, electric guitar, and keyboard. There are also two singers who sing live during each performance.
KOOZA’s 1,600-pound Wheel of Death rotates at high speeds, powered only by the two artists who leap and counter-rotate in a display of fearless acrobatics and teamwork. Like the High Wire, the Wheel of Death is positioned diagonally, stage left to stage right, in order to break with the usual symmetry and bring the action as close as possible to the audience. Photo Credit: Matt Beard & Bernard Letendre
KOOZA is a return to the origins of Cirque du Soleil that combines two circus traditions — acrobatic performance and the art of clowning. The show highlights the physical demands of human performance, presented in a colorful way that emphasizes bold slapstick humor. The audience had plenty to observe as the action never stopped through its two hour and 10 minute performance.
“KOOZA is about human connection and the world of duality, good and bad,” says the show’s writer and director David Shiner. “The tone is fun and funny, light and open. The show doesn’t take itself too seriously, but it’s very much about ideas, too. As it evolves, we are exploring concepts such as fear, identity, recognition and power.”
The name KOOZA is inspired by the Sanskrit word “koza,” which means “box,” “chest,” or “treasure,” and was chosen because one of the underlying concepts of the production is the idea of a “circus in a box.”
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit cirquedusoleil.com/kooza.
A twist on the classic unicycle number introduces a passenger to the action. Two performers create a pas de deux in constant motion around the stage with a combination of balance, acrobatic control, physical strength, choreographic grace, and a spirit of partnership. Photo Credit: Matt Beard & Bernard Letendre
Young performers work in unison to bring a new approach to the art of contortion. What sets this number apart are the artists’ innovations in movements and position, their speed, and the way they work as a team to create a tableaux of sculptural beauty. Photo Credit: Matt Beard & Bernard Letendre
With the ability to fly, spin, and swing in all directions, the flowing dynamics of the aerialist’s motion is juxtaposed against the high acrobatics performed in this silk act. The versatility of the artist allows her to own the space and soar into aerial feats while continuously building the excitement to its climax. Photo Credit: Matt Beard & Bernard Letendre
