PORTLAND, Ore. — Cirque du Soleil is bringing its latest show to the Rose City. The show, called KOOZA, opens at the Portland Expo Center Wednesday night.
KOOZA, which runs from Aug. 21-Oct. 6, features 54 artists from around the world including six musicians and two singers. The show is a tribute to the origins of Cirque du Soleil, combining acrobatic performance and the art of clowning. KOOZA begins with a character called "The Trickster" who bursts on to the stage like a jack-in-the-box in front of another character, called "The Innocent," and many surprises unfold.
The show features human pyramids, contortionists, tight-rope walkers on a wire 25-feet above the state, artists balancing on a 23-foot tall tower made of chairs, hula hoop performers, aerialists, unicyclists and something Cirque du Soleil describes as a 1,600-pound "Wheel of Death" that rotates with two artists who perform acrobatics on it.
KOOZA explores themes including identity, recognition and power.
"The show is about human connection and the world of duality, good and bad," said David Shiner, the show's writer and director, in a news release. "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."
KGW was able to get a behind-the-scenes look on Thursday as hire wire performers warmed up for opening night.
One of those artists was Flouber Sanchez, a third-generation circus performer.
“My grandpa started in the circus, and then my father and me. I started as a clown when I was 5 years old, and then I became a high-wire artist,” said Sanchez.
He explained what goes into perfecting his craft: "The training, the repetition of doing is the key to everything. That’s why we train a lot, like two hours a day. That’s the key to everything."
The name KOOZA is inspired by the Sanskrit word "koza," meaning box, chest or treasure.
Tickets can be purchased on Cirque du Soleil's website.
The last time Cirque du Soleil performed in Portland was in 2022 for its show called Alegria: In a New Light, and in 2019 at Moda Center for its show called Corteo.