ZARKANA Returns to Radio City Music Hall, Now thru 9/2

Zarkana, the surreal acrobatic spectacle by Cirque du Soleil, returns to New York this month, beginning performances tonight, June 6, 2012 at the legendary Radio City Music Hall for a limited engagement through Sunday, September 2 only. Zarkana is written and directed by François Girard.

Zarkana, which Time Magazine proclaimed “the show of the summer in the showplace of the nation,” was seen by more than 500,000 people in its triumphant 2011 premiere season at Radio City Music Hall. The show will return to New York following a history-making engagement at Moscow’s Kremlin State Palace Theatre that began this week. Zarkana also performed in a highly-successful engagement in Madrid prior to Moscow.

Zarkana is an acrobatic spectacle that blends circus arts with the surreal to create a world where physical virtuosity rubs shoulders with the bizarre. Zarkana is a visual vortex set in a slightly twisted fantasy universe where, little by little, chaos and craziness give way to festivity and love regained. The diverse cast of more than 75 International Artists transports the audience into a fantastical and suspenseful world, blurring the boundaries between the real and imaginary.

One of Quebec’s most highly regarded creators, François Girard is equally at ease in cinema (Silk, The Red Violin), opera, visual arts and theatre and has earned an enviable international reputation over the years. A keen music lover, he is particularly known for the hybrid worlds he creates in which music plays a predominant role. His works are recognized for their great musicality, both in terms of sound and image. This is second creation for Cirque du Soleil, following ZED.

Tickets range from $59 to $125 with a limited number of prime and premium tickets available. To purchase tickets, visit cirquedusoleil.com/zarkana or ticketmaster.com or call 1-866-858-0008 .

From a group of 20 street performers at its beginnings in 1984, Cirque du Soleil is now a major Quebec-based organization providing high-quality artistic entertainment. The company has 5,000 employees, including more than 1,500 performing artists from close to 50 different countries. Cirque du Soleil has brought wonder and delight to more than 100 million spectators in nearly 300 cities on six continents. For more information, please visit www.cirquedusoleil.com.