Kooza, New Cirque du Soleil Show, Sets New York Dates

Cirque du Soleil’s latest touring show, Kooza, written and directed by Broadway vet David Shiner, will begin a limited engagement in New York’s Randall’s Island Park on April 16. This is the 10th big top show from Cirque du Soleil to perform in New York since 1988.

Kooza premiered in Montreal in April of 2007 and has been touring North America since, to rave reviews. The name—inspired by the Sanskrit word “koza,” meaning “box,” “chest” or “treasure”—was chosen because one of the underlying concepts of the production is the idea of a “circus in a box.”

Featuring a cast of 53, Kooza represents a return to the origins of Cirque du Soleil, combining two circus traditions: acrobatic performance and the art of clowning. “Kooza is about human connection and the world of duality, good and bad,” Shiner said in a statement. “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. As it evolves we are exploring concepts such as fear, identity, recognition and power.”

Shiner first came to fame as a cast member in Cirque’s Nouvelle Experience in 1991. He co-starred with Bill Irwin in several Broadway engagements of Fool Moon and created the role of the Cat in the Hat in the Broadway musical Seussical.