TV EXCLUSIVE: Behind the Scenes at ZARKANA from Cirque du Soleil - Sand Painting, Juggling, Mad Swans & More!

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Zarkana, the surreal acrobatic spectacle by Cirque du Soleil, has returned to New York at the legendary Radio City Music Hall for a limited engagement through Sunday, September 2 only. Performances began June 6.

BroadwayWorld was invited to Radio City for an exclusive backstage tour with the cast and creative team.  In our journey, we ventured through the underbelly of the orchestra pit, into arial training central, the depths of the wardobe closet, ladies dressing area and back, catching along the way sand painter extraordinaire Erika Chen, juggling sensation Maria Choodu, wardrobe wizard Randy Handley - keeper of over 1300 Zarkana costumes! - and "mad swan" Dany Rabello for a complete pre-show experience.

Click below to hear from these fascinating characters, and how they make the magic every night.

Zarkana, written and directed by François Girard, 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.

Don't miss Zarkana from Cirque du Soleil, now in its final year at Radio City Music Hall. For tickets, visit cirquedusoleil.com