Pasadena Playhouse to Launch CIRQUE-A-PALOOZA Festival, 7/19

The Pasadena Playhouse announces a new summer festival, CIRQUE-A- PALOOZA, which will feature variety shows along with hilarious, visually stunning and breathtaking Cirque-style specialty acts that will perform on The Playhouse Mainstage and the Carrie Hamilton Theatre. The CIRQUE-A-PALOOZA festival will launch on July 19 and perform through August 11, 2013.

CIRQUE-A-PALOOZA brings together a diverse group of global performers for the pleasure of the local community. These artists celebrate inclusion of all, through raw, atomic physical performance, circus skills and variety arts.

"These performers have been doing their jaw-dropping, beautiful and electrifying work in massive arenas around the world and I could not be more proud to help bring them to our community's intimate Pasadena Playhouse," said Playhouse Executive Director Elizabeth Doran. "This festival atmosphere will allow unprecedented access to, and appreciation of, these world- class artists. The Playhouse has a long history of being at the center of creating and promoting classic and new theater for American audiences. This festival is yet another example of how The Playhouse is pushing to further that legacy of artist development and community engagement."

Stefan Haves, who has worked with Cirque du Soleil since 2006 as a Comic Act Designer, will serve as co-producer and host for the CIRQUE-A-PALOOZA summer festival. He is also a Cirque du Soleil casting partner specializing in clowns and characters and is a master teacher for Cirque du Soleil. Haves has been a guest lecturer and served as a director at universities nationwide including Tisch School for the Arts (NYU's New Studio on Broadway).

"CIRQUE-A-PALOOZA examines, explores, and revels in such arcane art forms as pantomime, clown, object manipulation," stated Haves. "With the passing of Marcel Marceau, an entire generation cannot enjoy an interpretive, simple art-form of story-telling which is the basis of all theatre. With most known clowns or comics relegated to a two dimensional, pre-recorded structure, today's audience has no exposure to the great vaudevillians and live humorists, satirists, and physical comedians of yesterday and those who revere this art-form today. These CIRQUE-A-PALOOZA performers have learned to dance, sing, fly on a trapeze, balance high above the ground, juggle objects, and some have the guts to entertain with a red nose, an empty stage relying on their own mortality, ingenuity, and the trust of a kind audience."

A rotating roster of performers and acts will highlight the CIRQUE-A-PALOOZA Variety Shows so that audiences can return again and again to enjoy a brand new production every day.

The CIRQUE-A-PALOOZA festival will kick-off with two special early presentations:

Friday, July 19 and Saturday, July 20
8:00 p.m. on The Pasadena Playhouse Mainstage
Justin Willman - Tricked Out
Renowned magician who is "making magic cool again" (L.A. Times) has amazed audiences on "The Ellen Degeneres Show" "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" and the White House now makes his debut at CIRQUE-A-PALOOZA.

Saturday, July 27
8:00 p.m. on The Pasadena Playhouse Mainstage
Frank Ferrante - An Evening With Groucho
Award-winning actor/director Frank Ferrante brings his one-man show to The Playhouse for a one-night-only presentation. The Chicago Tribune called An Evening With Groucho "nothing short of masterful."

CIRQUE-A-PALOOZA will then launch its daily performances on Wednesday, July 31 with specialty acts presented in the Carrie Hamilton Theatre (including afternoon performances on weekends) followed by a Mainstage Variety Show each evening. Confirmed acts to date include: The Magic Castle Night and Brookledge East (a collection of some of the most famous magicians of The Magic Castle); Benedikt Negro (world-renowned mime and star of Cirque du Soleil's O in Las Vegas); Joe Orrach (his one man show In My Corner is an autobiographical blend of tap dancing and boxing); Randy Minkler (touring clown "Godfrey Daniel" who is the face of Seattle's Moisture Festival); Scot Neary (pancake juggler); Brett Loudermilk (sword swallower); Tanba Tamba (comedic magician); Mat Plendl (world's greatest hula-hoop artist); Grand Guignolers (melodramic Dell'arte storytelling); Moonie (improvisational clown and magician); and many more to be announced. Additional family- friendly activities will be hosted throughout the festival, in conjunction with The Playhouse's Cirque at The Playhouse summer camp and training program that begins on July 15.

In addition to individual event tickets, Festival Passes are being offered with unlimited access to all CIRQUE-A-PALOOZA performances; VIP Festival Passes are also available. A VIP Festival Pass, in addition to receiving access to all Festival performances in Row D premium seating will offer pre-show meet and greets with CIRQUE-A-PALOOZA performers. Festival Passholders must RSVP at least 24 hours in advance for any planned attendance to secure seating. All Festival Passholders will also be provided early entry into the theatre. Currently, only the July 19, 20 and 27 performances as well as Festival/VIP Festival Passes are available for purchase. Once the full CIRQUE-A-PALOOZA schedule is confirmed all other individual events will be available for single ticket purchase and Festival Pass reservations.