New Victory Theater to Celebrate Cambodian Circus Arts With Phare Circus' WHITE GOLD

This holiday season, the New Victory Theater will present an acrobatics-packed ensemble performance celebrating Cambodian tradition with Phare Circus' White Gold, a culturally significant production that honors Cambodia's artistic identity. Running from December 8 through December 30 at Stage 42, White Gold mixes 1,200-year-old circus arts including teeterboard, juggling, and tumbling with mesmerizing dance and hypnotic live instrumentals to celebrate the healing power of community. 

Inspired by Herman Hesse's book Siddhartha, an allegory of the Buddha's life, White Gold follows a young man through a symbolic journey of abundance, competition, greed, and generosity centered around the ever-present rice grain. It's a transporting treasure for the whole family! 

Due to necessary renovations at the historic New Victory Theater, all performances of White Gold will be presented at Stage 42 (422 W 42nd Street).  More information about this short-term change can be found here.

“The New Victory Theater is so proud to be a part of Phare Circus' endeavor to recognize and celebrate contemporary Cambodian artists,” said Mary Rose Lloyd, New 42 Artistic Director. “White Gold is an incredibly transportive, inspiring production, and we can't wait to welcome families to enjoy the holiday season alongside this stellar cast and crew.”  

Phare was founded in 1994 by nine young Cambodian refugees who sought to rebuild, preserve, and promote Cambodia's cultural heritage following the Khmer Rouge regime and ensuing civil war. Currently, over 1,200 students receive free education and extensive training in theater, music, dance and modern circus arts through Phare, benefiting from powerful social and cultural engagement programs while learning the intrinsic power of artistic expression. 

"I never thought that I'd become a professional circus artist,” said White Gold ensemble member Viban KONG. “But juggling and performing gravity-defying acts for Phare Circus has not only brought me joy and fulfillment, it has also helped me make a living. It has become my passport to the world.”

White Gold runs 60 minutes with no intermission and is recommended for everyone 5 and up.

Tickets start at $29 and are available at the New Victory Box Office (209 W 42nd Street) leading up to the performance as well as at the Stage 42 Box Office (422 W 42nd Street) starting two hours before curtain time on performance days. For box office hours, please visit NewVictory.org/BoxOffice. Tickets can also be purchased online at NewVictory.org and via phone by calling 646.223.3010.

The show on stage is just one part of the visitor experience! For 45 minutes before and 20 minutes after every show, the lobby of Stage 42 features free do-together activities in which families can try new performance skills or explore the show's themes. Whether they are wild, wallflowers or somewhere in between, New Victory will guide children through fun family engagement inspired by the show.

 

White Gold is staged by Artistic Coach Bonthoeun Houn in collaboration with Agathe Olivier and Molly Saudek, featuring costume design by Dary Tha, lighting design by Mano Sun, musical composition by Chantha Nong, scenic painting by Sereysokun Heng, and juggling and choreography by Julien Clement. The show is produced and stage-managed by Xavier Gobin. 

 

Powered by New 42, the New Victory Theater is supported, in part, with public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council; the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature; the National Endowment for the Arts; as well as the New 42 Board of Directors, and our dedicated foundation, corporate and individual donors.

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About New Victory Theater

 

The New Victory opens new worlds to young people and families through extraordinary performances, education and engagement programs. Bringing kids to the arts and the arts to kids since 1995, this nonprofit theater has become a standard-bearer of quality performing arts for young audiences in the United States. Reflecting and serving the multicultural city it calls home, The New Victory is committed to arts access for all communities of New York to experience and engage with the exemplary international shows on its stages. A global leader in arts education, youth development and audience engagement, the New Victory Theater has been honored by the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities with the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award, by Americans for the Arts with a national Arts Education Award, and by the Drama Desk for "providing enchanting, sophisticated children's theater that appeals to the child in all of us, and for nurturing a love of theater in young people."

 

About New 42

 

Under the leadership of President & CEO Russell Granet, New 42 is a cultural nonprofit whose mission is to make extraordinary performing arts a vital part of everyone's life from the earliest years onward. Driven by a deep commitment to performing arts access, New 42 connects people to world-class performances, essential education and employment programs, and creative communities that push culture forward. Through New Victory and New 42 Studios, the nonprofit serves artists, educators and New Yorkers of all ages with invaluable arts engagement and resources in and beyond the performing arts. Together with our supporters, New 42 opens new perspectives, incubates new works and creates new opportunities to move us all.

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