New highflying acts have joined “Drawn to Life,” the Cirque du Soleil-Disney show at Walt Disney World, and Florida residents can buy discount tickets for a limited time to check out the changes.
An all-new acrobatic act, additional aerial artists and a ‘flying guitarist” are now part of the spectacular, which is performed Wednesday-Sunday at Disney Springs. The changes, and a spring discount on certain tickets, were announced Monday morning.
Only one act — a pair of stiltwalkers — has left the production, said Ann Paladie, director of public relations for Cirque du Soleil. The new additions primarily enhance existing scenes in “Drawn to Life,” which tells a sentimental and hopeful story of a little girl who uses animation to honor her late father, who was a Disney animator. By paying tribute to him, the legacy of Disney animation and the company’s beloved characters and movies also are honored.
The stiltwalkers have been replaced by a pair of performers performing what is known as “Icarian Games” — a series of acrobatic feats in which performers use their legs and feet to toss fellow acrobats in the air for flips, somersaults and other dramatic visuals. That act, featuring a pair of Ethiopian acrobats, salutes “Disney’s animated forests — and the mysterious creatures that inhabit them,” according to the announcement.
Aerialists in flying hoops will perform during an act known as “Dream of Colors” which already features a pair of trapeze artists on a suspended wheel. Because the wheel is at the back of the stage, the addition of the aerial hoops will bring the show closer to the audience during that scene, Paladie said.
The “Dream of Colors” act is an homage to ink and paint animation artists; the trapeze artists appear to “paint” colors while they perform.
Finally, the show-opening rhythmic gymnastics act, will be augmented with a guitarist who soars above the acrobats as they flip through the air.
New musical compositions will be incorporated into the show with the additional acts, as well.
Cirque du Soleil shows generally change over time, in a “natural evolution,” Paladie said, often by adding and replacing various acts within them. In this case, the creative team “found the opportunities to add additional layers,” she said.
By layering the additional performers, the show will remain the same length: about 90 minutes without intermission.
In addition, increasing the number of available performers has a positive practical side for the production, Paladie said. Should one act be unavailable to perform on a particular night, the show can proceed with the other performers.
The changes come just a few months after the first anniversary of “Drawn to Life,” which opened in mid-November 2021 in the distinctive white tentlike structure that had been home to Cirque du Soleil’s “La Nouba” for nearly 20 years.
{ SOURCE: Orlando Sentinel }
