Cirque Du Soleil’s BAZZAR is Under the Big Top in Oaks through October 22nd

-Jamie Flowers
photo by Wide Eyed Studios

BAZZAR is one of Cirque Du Soleil’s most awe inspiring, creative, spectacular circuses
to date. You can see the live, North American premiere performances at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, just outside the city in The Oaks from now until October 22, 2023.

BAZZAR, created and directed by Susan Gaudreau, debuted in 2018 and has toured in India and in the Middle East. The show was relaunched in September 2022 in Brazil with additional stops in Sao Paolo, Rio de Janeiro, Santiago de Chile, Colombia, and Argentina. BAZZAR was inspired by Cirque’s early shows and takes place in a Grand Chapiteau style tent which is smaller than most of the tents used now, thus easier for set up and travel.

The show, which features an international cast of 35 performers and musicians, includes
teeterboard, portage, acrobatic bike, contortion, duo rollerskates, duo trapeze, aerial rope, hair
suspension, fire manipulation, slackline, and, for the first time in Cirque du Soleil history, a
mesmerizing act of Mallakhamb. Mallakhamb is a traditional Indian sport in which a gymnast performs aerial yoga postures and wrestling grips in concert with a vertical stationary or hanging wooden pole, cane or hanging rope.

The Grande Ame and the Maestro are the only characters to use their voices in this show. The show opens with the Maestro pointing to his chest and saying “Everything you see and everything you feel happens here.” While the main theme of Bazzar is the creation of a successful show of street performers, love is a subplot. It’s beautiful and sometimes funny to view especially with the Floating Woman and Mini Maestro characters.

Each individual character and performer were absolutely incredible. The technical skill and intensity that each of them gave to their performances created such a high energy collision of art, music, and athleticism that the energy buzzed for days after. Along with the performances, the music, costumes and sets (known as the Performance Lab) were all incredible. Composer Simon Carpentier previously worked on many other Cirque Du Soleil shows and was inspired by street performances and folk music. James Lavoie created the costume and set design, inspired by street performers and utilizing a variety of materials. By incorporating silk, silicone and foils, Lavoie was able to create the Performance Lab with the sights and textures that would be found in a real life bazaar.

Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group is a world leader in live entertainment. In addition
to producing world-renowned circus arts shows, the Company brings its creative approach to a
large variety of entertainment forms, such as multimedia productions, immersive experiences,
and special events. Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group aims to positively impact people, communities and the planet with its most important tools: creativity and art. Since its creation in 1984, more than 378 million people have been inspired on six continents and 86 countries. The Canadian company now employs more than 4000 employees, including 1200 artists from 80 different nationalities.  

For more information about Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group, visit http://www.cirquedusoleilentertainmentgroup.com or follow #BAZZAR and #cirquedusoleil on social media.