Theater News

Cirque Du Soleil’s Banana Shpeel Revises Cast

David Shiner
(© Olivier Samson-Arcand)
David Shiner
(© Olivier Samson-Arcand)

Broadway veterans Michael Longoria and Annaleigh Ashford will not star in Cirque du Soleil’s new show Banana Shpeel, which will play a six-week run at the Chicago Theatre, November 19-January 3, before beginning a limited engagement at New York’s Beacon Theatre, February 4-April 30, according to The Chicago Tribune. The newspaper reports that the pair’s characters have been cut.

The show is written and directed by David Shiner, and will feature Claudio Caneiro, Daniel Passer, Patrick de Valette, Gordon White, Wayne Wilson, Dmitry Bulkin, Tuan Le, Vanessa Alvarez, and Joseph and Josette Wiggan, along with Robyn Baltzer, Alex Ellis, DeWitt Fleming, Jr., Luke Hawkins, Kathleen Hennessey, Adrienne Reed, Anthony J. Russso, Melissa Schott, and Steven T. Williams.

The creative team includes Serge Roy (director of creation), Jean-Francois Cote (composer/musical director), Jared Grimes (choreographer), Dominique Lemieux (costumes), Patricia Ruel (sets), Bruno Rafile (lighting), and Harvey Robitale (sound).

For more information, visit www.cirquedusoleil.com.