Luzia comes to life with a Mexican flair

jose.montoya@eluniversal.com.mx

Fantasy and reality will come together once again through Luzia , a show by Cirque Du Soleil that has taken inspiration from several aspects of Mexican culture and will arrive in Mexican territory starting November.

At the beginning of the show, which premiered in Montreal two years ago, a Cocktail was thrown where Federico González Compeán , head of content for the Interamerican Entertainment Corporation (CIE) and its theater branch OCESA , went into detail about the inspiration of this new project, and how this type of show could never compare to other great performances such as the famous Mexican circus Atayde Bros., which just turned 130 years old.

“I think there is a market and an audience for everything. We hold a very particular niche in the market and this won’t be the first time we bring Cirque Du Soleil to Mexico. Certain opportunities present themselves and we have to seize them,” he stated.

Luzia, directed by Daniele Finzi Pasca, reinterprets various elements of nature, such as rain, which is recreated within the tent with the use of over 900 gallons of water. The show includes other colorful aspects like papel picado (perforated paper), traditional dancing and cempasúchil flowers (Mexican marigold).

When asked if he had ever considered bringing every show that the Cirque du Soleil had created to Mexico, he stated that it was one of the institution’s long-term plans.

“All of them will come eventually. In OCESA it is our concern to always bring the newest and most innovating shows in the world so that Mexico City continues to be a cosmopolitan place in terms of performances.”

González Compeán was asked whether or not OCESA and its sponsors had planned on bringing the Cirque Du Soleil to other theaters in town, given the long distance between the main urban area and the Santa Fe financial district, to which he responded that they had thought of creating new premises for the show.

Luzia’s tour in Mexico will begin at the end of August in Guadalajara, starting October in Monterrey, and will conclude in the capital starting on 8 November at the Gran Carpa Soleil (Soleil Grand Tent), which will once again be placed in the Santa Fe financial district.

dm