BILL ORDINE Cirque plans R-rated show

Cirque du Soleil, the Montreal street-performers-turned-international-entertainment-conglomerate, is planning to do in its next Las Vegas production what it does best -- surprise its audience.
Already a fixture on the Vegas Strip with the popular O at the Bellagio and Mystere at Treasure Island, Cirque du Soleil will unveil Zumanity at New York New York this summer. And even for the troupe known for a blend of circus artistry, dance and athleticism that has brought it both critical acclaim and legions of fans, Zumanity, opening July 31, will break new ground.
It will be R-rated, for audiences 18 and older.
Although the show's content and degree of anatomical exposure are still under wraps, the Cirque folks have touted it as "Another Side of Cirque du Soleil."
With those provocative cards laid on the table, both Cirque and New York New York officials promise that the show's artistry and taste will be in keeping with the lofty standards the company has maintained since its inception in 1984.
Erotic themes
"This is not a topless show in that sense, but we will see skin" said Andree Deissenberg, a Cirque spokeswoman. "But more important, what we're attempting here is to take the themes of sensuality and eroticism, combine those with Cirque's creativity, and infuse those elements with humanity and humor."
Words such as passionate and desire and arousal have been used by people who have seen bits of Zumanity rehearsals in Montreal.
New York New York president and chief operating officer Felix Rappaport, who grew up in the Olney section of Philadelphia and graduated from Penn, said the Zumanity theater is designed to draw spectators into the show.
"This theater will be very intimate," Rappaport said. "Some of the seating will be traditional theater seats, but others will be plush love seats for two that are quite close to the stage, and the people there will be very much a part of the performance." Other nontraditional seating will be stools at a bar and sofas for more than twosomes, but no perch in the 1,260-seat theater will be farther than 25 yards from the stage. Tickets, on sale May 22, will cost $55 to $95.
Who's involved
Zumanity is expected to have 40 performers and 10 musicians, including two singers. The artists, in the Cirque du Soleil tradition, are an international ensemble, but there is a substantial Latin flavor with performers from Spain and South America, as well as from Canada, France, Sweden and the United States.
With costuming a key element in executing the sexual theme, Cirque has recruited a designer from the world of haute couture, Thierry Mugler.
Directing Zumanity is Rene Richard Cyr, whose work has been largely in legitimate theater in Canada. Cirque veterans Debra Brown (choreography), Luc Lafortune (lighting design) and Andrew Watson (director of creation) are key players in the project.
New York New York has been making a bid for a younger market, with an ESPN Zone bar-restaurant and a Coyote Ugly saloon featuring minimally clad women bartenders. And coming soon is an Irish pub, called Nine Fine Irishmen.
Adding a Cirque du Soleil show that holds out the promise of sensuality and eroticism could both contribute to the high energy level that New York New York hopes it's creating and, at the same time, deliver a touch of edgy class.
XContact Bill Ordine at ordinebaol.com.