Cirque du Soleil's Banana Shpeel Delays Start to April 29

Cirque du Soleil's Banana Shpeel has again delayed its first performance at New York’s Beacon Theatre. The new vaudeville show, which had already postponed its start date from February 25 to March 17, will now begin performances on April 29.

The press announcement quotes fictional producer Schmelky as saying that “Banana Shpeel still needs more time to ripen.... I am still holding auditions because Banana Shpeel has to be like me: bold, wacky and colorful. I’m mixing together different ingredients and we will showcase dance, comedy and circus arts in the fancy schmancy Beacon Theatre on the Upper West Side.”

The show has previously been described as a roller-coaster mix of styles that blends comedy with tap, hip hop, eccentric dance, slapstick and Cirque du Soleil acrobatic acts—plus madcap characters spreading chaos in all directions. David Shiner is credited as writer and director.

Banana Shpeel is presented by Cirque du Soleil and MSG Entertainment, which oversaw a lavish restoration of the historic Beacon Theatre.