Cirque du Soleil’s ‘Corteo’ will finally make its Philadelphia debut next spring
The beloved arena show "Corteo" will come to Philly next year. If that's too long a wait, you can check out the "Cirque Dreams" holiday extravaganza at the Kimmel Cultural Campus.
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Corteo, a beloved arena show by Cirque du Soleil seen by over 10 million spectators in 20 countries, will make its Philadelphia debut this May.
A long-running production that premiered in Montreal in 2005, Corteo will hold its first Philadelphia run at Temple University’s Liacouras Center for six shows from May 30 to June 2, 2024.
And for those who want some Cirque sparkle to brighten their holiday season, the Kimmel Cultural Campus and the Shubert Organization are presenting family-friendly Cirque Dreams Holidaze at the Miller Theater (formerly the Merriam Theater) from Dec. 26 through 31.
“This Broadway-style production, with musical theater, dancing, acrobatic feats, and favorite holiday songs, is an outing guaranteed to foster joy this season,” said Frances Egler, the Kimmel campus’ vice president of theatrical programming and presentations. “Part of our 2023-24 Family Discovery Series, we hope this event inspires our littlest guests — and adults as well — with the transformative power of the arts.”
Corteo, according to that production’s organizers, “is a joyous procession, a festive parade imagined by a clown.” .
The dreamer clown, Mauro, pictures his own funeral — a carnival-like affair, watched over by angels. The show juxtaposes the dualities of existence — the fanciful and the tragic, the strength and fragility of the clown, and the humanity that is present in all. The music is at turns lyrical and playful, and the story mixes illusion and reality.
The Corteo stage divides the audience and makes them face another — a unique perspective for a Cirque du Soleil production. The set curtains, inspired by the Eiffel Tower, and the hand-painted central curtains, which take more than two weeks each to be made, add to the grandiose air of the show.
Mauro is joined by a cast of clown characters. There are also acrobats, jugglers, and bar, pole and aerial performers. There is a theater-within-a-theater for a madcap version of Romeo and Juliet. The cast includes performers of 18 nationalities from North and South America, Europe, and Asia.
Tickets for Club Cirque members are available online starting at 10 a.m. Nov. 6. People can sign up for Club Cirque at https://www.cirquedusoleil.com/club-cirque.
General audience tickets go on sale Nov. 13. All tickets can be purchased at cirquedusoleil.com.
Corteo will also be playing this spring at Allentown’s PPL Center from March 28 through 31.
Tickets for the family-friendly Cirque Dreams can be purchased by calling 215-893-1999 or online at www.kimmelculturalcampus.org. In-person tickets sales will be conducted daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Academy of Music Box Office, 240 S. Broad St.