Photo by Joan Marcus
In order to make way for a certain little West End show that's doing quite well over in London (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child... Heard of it?), Cirque du Soleil's first-ever Broadway musical will be leaving the Lyric Theatre this spring and seeking its future elsewhere in the world. We hope that this will not be the last time the French-Canadian mega-company undertakes a Broadway venture and we will keep our eyes and ears open for the rumored revival of The Wiz. Until then Paramour is our #ShowOfTheWeek!
Upon closing on April 16 Paramour will have played an entire year on the Great White Way - no small feat when you consider it is playing at one of Broadway's largest theatres! Previously, despite Cirque du Soleil dominating the globe in the circus market, the company had never been able to establish a lasting presence in New York City. In Las Vegas, on the other hand, you are ambushed by a Cirque show every which way you look. So why had the Big Apple been such a difficult spot to crack? Possibly because NYC and Broadway go hand-in-hand and people take trips to the city that never sleeps specifically for the theatre. And there are so many great Broadway shows on offer, which you can only see in New York. So why would you visit a touring circus show?
With the creation of Cirque du Soleil Theatrical (under the direction of Scott Zeiger), the company added another feather to its bow by staging hybrid productions, where the audience can follow a traditional musical (with actors singing and dancing) blended together with those infamous circus stunts, performed by an army of acrobats. Paramour is its inaugural production and is a high-flying, unique spectacle like no other currently seen on the Great White Way.
The production curiously doesn't list a writer for its book, although West Hyler is credited as "Associate Creative Director, Scene Director & Story." But the plot is a very simple one, set in the Golden Age of Hollywood, where a big shot film director by the name of AJ Golden (Jeremy Kushnier) discovers his muse Indigo (Ruby Lewis) and her talented songwriter Joey (Ryan Vona) and offers her fame and fortune. Of course, he has other intentions and the classic love triangle evolves, in which Indigo must choose between her true love and a celebrity career.
True, there may be nothing new or exciting about the plot of this musical, but as it is a Cirque du Soleil show, it does offer you a generous helping of unforgettable moments. These are brought to you, of course, by the real stars of the show - the circus performers. A special mention goes to Andrew and Kevin Atherton for their breath-taking aerial straps number and also to Martin Charrat, Myrian Deraiche and Samuel William Charlton for their beautifully magnificent depiction of the aforementioned love triangle through gymnastics.
There are some catchy tunes provided by composers Bob & Bill (Guy Dubuc and Marc Lessard), some grand, over-the-top sets by Jean Rabasse and delightful old-school choreography by Daphné Mauger. This is a promising start for Cirque du Soleil Theatrical... Watch this space!
Click here for tickets to Paramour for performances through to April 16, 2017 at Broadway's Lyric Theatre.
Ruby Lewis, Jeremy Kushnier & Ryan Vona in Paramour More Production PhotosOriginally published on