Disney World's Cirque du Soleil show ends this December
According to tradition, the show must go on. But for the Cirque du Soleil troupe performing La Nouba at Walt Disney World, the show will end on December 31.
After a 19-year run, the acrobats, clowns, dancers, musicians, and other performers who have been taking up residence in a specially designed theater at Disney Springs will depart the Florida resort. Some of them, presumably, will continue to present their dazzling feats and derring-do in other venues. Until the end of the year, Disney World visitors can still catch La Nouba's B-Boy break dancers, trapeze artists, and other acts as well as the show's pageantry and distinctive, theatrical sensibility.
When it wraps, more than 11 million people will have seen one of "La Nouba's" nearly 9,000 performances. Millions more have sat in the audiences of Cirque's other permanent shows in Las Vegas and elsewhere and attended its many touring productions circumnavigating the globe. For those who haven't witnessed it firsthand, it can be difficult to succinctly describe the Cirque experience.
"It's a cross between traditional circus, physical theater, and maybe a bit of Dr. Seuss," says Daniel Ross, La Nouba's resident director.
The tumblers, trampoline artists, and aerial ballet dancers who soar through the air using flowing strands of red silk, have their roots in the big top. They are accompanied on stage by a cast of wildly eccentric performers that sometimes interact with the featured artists, but often seem oblivious to the action and appear to exist in a parallel universe. The supporting performers bridge each of the acts and help tell an overarching, dreamlike story in which circus people bring color and vibrancy to an urban setting. The show is set to a new age score infused with world music that is played by live musicians.
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In the grand circus tradition, the graceful skills of La Nouba's performers keep audience members riveted and on the edge of their seats. The entire show, however, is delightfully quirky and absurd. "The way we combine acrobatics with theater multiplies the acrobatics," is how Ross summarizes it.
Among his favorite highlights of the long-running show, Ross picks the Diabolos. The quartet of young Chinese girls use strings attached to two sticks to juggle bobbins that resemble yo-yos. The impossibly cute performers incorporate impressive choreography into the act and demonstrate remarkable precision. The Cirque director also singles out the clowns and says that they really pace the show.
One of the clowns has been with La Nouba since it opened 19 years ago. Other opening-night veterans include members of the band, the prima ballerina, and a character known as "Titan." Dressed in a vintage swimsuit and sporting a strongman look, Titan is one of the participants in "Powertrack," the show's trampoline finale.
So, where will the strongman, Diabolos, and aerial ballet dancers end up after they take their final bows with La Nouba? Ross says that Cirque has been presenting acting workshops and helping the performers prepare for the future in other ways. It's possible, however, that some of the troupe members may end up back at Mickey's Florida hangout.
Nothing has been formally announced, but according to Cirque, it is in negotiations to continue dazzling theme park visitors. "We're exploring new opportunities," the company said in a statement. "Given our strong relationship with Disney over the years, we may soon have news to share about exciting new entertainment coming to Disney Springs."
After yo-hoing with pirates, meeting princesses, and riding the Tower of Terror, Disney World guests may be able to enjoy some quirky and absurd Cirque-style fun in 2018 and beyond.