Cirque Mechanics to Bring Steampunk-Inspired PEDAL PUNK to Pepperdine

Step right up and marvel at the daredevil antics and mechanical wonders of Pedal Punk, Cirque Mechanics' steampunk-inspired show at Pepperdine University's Smothers Theatre at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, January 13.

Tickets, starting at $20 for adults and youth 17 and under, and $10 for full-time Pepperdine students, are available now by calling (310) 506-4522 or visiting arts.pepperdine.edu. More information about Cirque Mechanics at www.cirquemechanics.com.

From the inventive Cirque Mechanics comes Pedal Punk, "a glorious evening of man (and woman) meets machine...exceptional for the wit, whimsy and wonder underlying each of the cleverly choreographed routines" (Omaha World-Herald).

The story follows a zany bike shop mechanic as he repairs more than broken bicycles, creating wondrous machines that come to life. At the center of the action is The Gantry Bike, a giant playground on wheels, on which a cast of acrobats, clowns, contortionists, trampolinists, aerialists, BMX bike tricksters, jugglers, and unicyclists wow the crowd with their spectacular routines.

Creative Director and Cirque Mechanics Founder Chris Lashua spent most of his career on a BMX bike and inside a German Wheel. The synergy between man and machine, the hallmark of Cirque Mechanics, is magnificently exposed in Pedal Punk. It is that synergy that The New York Times called "exceptional, evocative, eye-catching and grossly entertaining...in a word, excellent."

Cirque Mechanics, although inspired by modern circus, finds its roots in the mechanical and its heart in the stories of American ingenuity. The shows, rooted in realism, display a raw quality, rarely found in modern circus, that makes their message timeless and relevant. The stories are wrapped in circus acrobatics, mechanical wonders, and a bit of clowning around.

Cirque Mechanics' first show, Birdhouse Factory, was produced in partnership with the Circus Center of San Francisco and the Pickle Family Circus, where it opened to stellar reviews. Birdhouse Factory went on to tour the US, with a critically acclaimed run at Broadway's New Victory Theater in New York City. After this success, Cirque Mechanics quickly established itself as a premiere American circus, with its unique approach to performance, inspiring storytelling, and innovative mechanical staging. Spectacle Magazine hailed it as "the greatest contribution to the American circus since Cirque du Soleil". Cirque Mechanics launched their second production, Boom Town in October of 2010, presented in partnership with the Broadway Center for the Performing Arts in Tacoma, Washington.

The Lisa Smith Wengler Center for the Arts at Pepperdine University provides high-quality activities for over 50,000 people from 808 zip codes annually through performances, rehearsals, museum exhibitions, and master classes. Located on Pepperdine's breathtaking Malibu campus overlooking the Pacific, the center serves as a hub for the arts, uniquely linking professional guest artists with Pepperdine students as well as patrons from surrounding Southern California communities. Facilities include the 450-seat Smothers Theatre, the 118-seat Raitt Recital Hall, the "black box" Helen E. Lindhurst Theatre, and the Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art.

IF YOU GO:

WHEN: Friday, January 13, 2017 at 7:30 p.m.

WHERE: Smothers Theatre, Pepperdine University, 24255 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, CA

TICKETS: (310) 506-4522 or arts.pepperdine.edu

PRICES: $20-$40 for adults; $20 for youth 17 and under; $10 for Pepperdine students

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