Cirque du Soleil Returns to Miami with KOOZA!

Cirque du Soleil made its first visit to Miami more than 20 years ago. This year, Cirque du Soleil is proud to bring its critically acclaimed new Big Top production KOOZA to Miami. KOOZA will premiere Friday, November 12 for a limited engagement under the trademark blue-and-yellow Grand Chapiteau (big top) at Bicentennial Park. It's the last chance to see KOOZA in North America before it heads to Japan.

Tickets are now available at www.cirquedusoleil.com/kooza or 800-450-1480. A VIP Tapis Rouge package is also available and includes one of the best seats in the house and access to the VIP Suite one hour before the show and during intermission.

The Name
The name KOOZA is inspired by the Sanskrit word "koza," which means "box," "chest" or "treasure," and was chosen because one of the underlying concepts of the production is the idea of a "circus in a box."

The Show
KOOZA is a return to the origins of Cirque du Soleil that combines two circus traditions - acrobatic performance and the art of clowning. The show highlights the physical demands of human performance in all its splendor and fragility, presented in a colorful melange that emphasizes bold slapstick humor.

The show starts with The Trickster bursting onto the scene like a jack-in-a-box right in front of The Innocent, and that is just the first of many surprises to follow. The Innocent's journey brings him into contact with a panoply of comic characters such as the King, the Trickster, the Heimloss, the Pickpocket, the Obnoxious Tourist and his Bad Dog.

Cast and Acts
Several of the 53 performing artists in the show have received awards from important circus arts competitions. The show presents an unprecedented approach to the High Wire and a breathtaking Wheel of Death – an act that Cirque du Soleil has never before presented under the big top. "KOOZA is about human connection and the world of duality, good and bad", says the show's writer and director David Shiner. "The tone is fun and funny, light and open. The show doesn't take itself too seriously, but it's very much about ideas, too".

About Cirque du Soleil
From a group of 20 street performers at its beginnings in 1984, Cirque du Soleil is a major Quebéc-based organization providing high-quality artistic entertainment. The company has 5,000 employees, including more than 1,200 artists from close to 50 different countries.

Cirque du Soleil has brought wonder and delight to close to 100 million spectators in 300 cities on five continents. In 2010, Cirque du Soleil, will present 21 shows simultaneously throughout the world. The company has received such prestigious awards as the Emmy, Drama Desk, Bambi, ACE, Gémeaux, Félix, and Rose d'Or de Montreux. Cirque du Soleil International Headquarters are in Montreal, Canada.