Cirque du Soleil will present a special engagement of the new show Banana Shpeel at San Francisco's Golden Gate Theatre with performances from Saturday, October 16 through Sunday, November 14, 2010. Variety Magazine calls Banana Shpeel "a boisterously winning funfest."
Banana Shpeel tickets will go on sale to the general public in September. Advance online tickets will be available to Cirque Club members prior to the public onsale, with the exact date to be announced online soon. Cirque Club membership is free and benefits includes access to advance tickets, special offers and exclusive behind the scenes information. To join and for more information on advance tickets for Banana Shpeel, please visit www.cirquedusoleil.com.
Banana Shpeel is a new style of production from Cirque du Soleil that features a colorful combination of slapstick comedy, eclectic dance and unique acrobatic acts. The action follows a diverse spectrum of performances including tap, hip-hop and eccentric dance, physical comedy and distinctive acrobatic acts performed by elite International Artists - plus madcap characters spreading chaos in all directions.
Banana Shpeel features an international cast of 38 performers including the main character of Schmelky, played by Broadway veteran Danny Rutigliano, best known for his role as Timon in The Lion King. Assisting Schmelky are two slapstick sidekicks performed by Daniel Passer and Wayne Wilson and his wacky assistant Margaret played by Shereen Hickman. As Schmelky works to complete his latest show, he is disrupted by a comedic trio: Claudio Carneiro, Patrick de Valette and GorDon White. The show offers incredible acrobatic performances, including 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 and Russian contortionists Tsybenova Ayagma, Tsydendambaeva Imin and Zhambalova Lilia. BANANA SHPEEL features diverse dance elements, including brother-sister tap dance duo Joseph and Josette Wiggan and a talented ensemble comprised of Robyn Baltzer, Kassie Brown, Adrienne Jean Fisher, DeWitt Fleming Jr., Karida Griffith, Luke Hawkins, Kathleen Hennessey, Adrienne Reid, Anthony J. Russo, Melissa Schott, Josh Scribner, Alexis Sims and Steven T. Williams.
