Cirque du Soleil Gives an A-Peel-ing Peek at Banana Shpeel

Ready for a 21st-century vaudeville spectacular? Cirque du Soleil is reinventing the variety genre with a new show called Banana Shpeel. Described as a mix of comedy, tap, hip hop, “eccentric dance,” music, acrobatics and slapstick, this world premiere production is headed to the historic Beacon Theatre on the Upper West Side in February 2010. The venue couldn’t be more appropriate, since it was built in 1929 as a vaudeville palace and has been sumptuously refurbished by MSG Entertainment. On September 9, writer/director David Shiner (Fool Moon) introduced members of his company, including a pair of Broadway.com Fresh Faces, Annaleigh Ashford and Michael Longoria, and offered a preview of the show. Take a look!