Theater News

Cirque du Soleil’s Banana Shpeel to Close June 27; Tour to Begin Fall 2010

Daniel Passer, Danny Rutigliano, and Wayne Wilson
in Banana Shpeel
(© Olivier Samson Arcand)
Daniel Passer, Danny Rutigliano, and Wayne Wilson
in Banana Shpeel
(© Olivier Samson Arcand)

The new Cirque du Soleil show Banana Shpeel, previously announced to run through August 29, will play its final performance at New York City’s Beacon Theatre on Sunday, June 27. The show plans to begin a North American tour this fall.

Broadway veteran Danny Rutigliano leads the cast as Schmelky, a fictional producer, and he is assisted by Daniel Passer, Wayne Wilson, and Shereen Hickman. The company also features the comedic trio: Claudio Carneiro, Patrick de Valette and Gordon White; Russian hand balancer Dmitry Bulkin; Vietnamese hat juggler Tuan Le; Spanish foot juggler Vanessa Alvarez; Canadian Hand to Hand duo Preston Jamieson and Kesley Wiens; Russian contortionists Tsybenova Ayagma, Tsydendambaeva Imin and Zhambalova Lilia; and tap dance duo Joseph and Josette Wiggan.

The production is written and directed by David Shiner. The creative team includes artistic guides Guy Laliberté and Gilles Ste-Croix; director of creation Serge Roy; composer and arranger Simon Carpentier; choreographer Jared Grimes; costume designer Dominique Lemieux; set designer and props co-designer Patricia Ruel; props co-designer Jasmine Catudal; lighting designer Bruno Rafie; sound designer Harvey Robitaille; and make-up designer Eleni Uranis.

For more information, visit www.schmelkyproductions.com.