Cirque du Soleil is coming to Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth with their latest electrifying and death-defying show, 'KOOZA'.
An homage to their traditional circus origins, 'KOOZA' brings together acrobats, musicians, singers, actors, artists, magicians and clowns to create an exhilarating concoction of thrills, chills and comedic spills.
Characters like Trickster and the The Innocent take audiences on a journey through the 'KOOZA' world, filled with laughter, smiles, strength, fragility, turmoil, harmony and surprises galore.
When Carnivale meets the Day of the Dead and audacious acrobatics mingle with the art of clowning, a visual discovery of identity, recognition and power takes place.
Image © Matt BeardSome Big Top behind-the-seams secrets:
The name 'KOOZA' was inspired by the philosophical language of Sanskrit's word 'koza', which translates to 'box', 'chest' or 'treasure'. Cirque du Soleil decided on the name because of the show's underlying theme of 'circus in a box'.The notorious Wheel of Death weighs 725kg and is one of the most dangerous acts in 'KOOZA'. Sitting on the edge of their seats, audiences will witness two artists defy gravity by walking on air.
Queensland culinary greatness is represented in the 'KOOZA''s VIP Rouge Experience with Brisbane's own Caxton Street Catering, who have been creating custom canapés and menus for Australian shows for the past 17 years.
Image © Matt BeardMarie-Chantale Vaillancourt designed 'KOOZA''s costumes, which were inspired by the 'Mad Max' films, artwork by the painter Klimt, Indian time travel films, Eastern Europe, tin soldiers and clockwork. This combination creates an overall look of 'Alice in Wonderland' and 'Wizard of Oz' meets Baron Munchausen.
The 160 custom made hats were created by precise measurements taken of every performer's head by a scanner and Cirque du Soleil's milliners (with the assistance of 3D printers) build the headwear.
There are 1,080 unique, kaleidoscopic costume items in the production, 80 per cent of which are custom treated and dyed in house to create a unique look for each show.
Queensland born chef Shane Schipper heads the 'KOOZA' tour kitchen. Sourcing local produce, he creates all the menus and serves meals everyday to 120 cast and crew varying across 17 nationalities.
Image © Matt BeardThe Cirque Du Soleil Tour Dates
24 November-8 January – Skygate (Brisbane)20 January-12 March – Flemington Racecourse (Melbourne)
13 April-7 May – Belmont Park Racecourse (Perth)
