Park City Institute Presents Cirque Mechanics PEDAL PUNK, 12/30

A clever and delightful spin on the cirque genre, Cirque Mechanics' "Pedal Punk" combines traditional circus elements - acrobatics, aerialists, juggling, contortionists, dancing and clowning - with a story on wheels. The cirque-meets-pedal power romp fills The Eccles Center on Tuesday, December 30. The spectacle begins at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available by calling 435-655-3114 or online at EcclesCenter.org.

"The holidays are the perfect time to reconnect with that kid at heart. And this show is a terrific escape from the stresses of the season. It delights. It entertains and it fills us all - whether we're four or 100 - with joy and wonder," says PCI executive director Teri Orr.

Pedal Punk is the story of a wacky bike shop mechanic, who repairs much more than broken pieces. He creates fantastic machines, which allow escape from a technology-obsessed society to a marvelous world of artistry. This rowdy circus-on-wheels whirls onstage with acrobatic performance inspired by mechanical genius. The centerpiece contraption dreamed up by the company's creator and BMX rider Chris Lashua, the "Gantry Bike," travels the stage via the force of aerial and ground acts. It's a tour de force - quite literally.

Cirque Mechanics was founded in 2004 by seasoned BMX cyclist, circus acrobat and stage performer Lashua. While the company's first show, "Birdhouse Factory" (which dazzled Eccles Center audiences last spring) focused on the industrial, turn-of-the-century American worker, "Pedal Punk" highlights Lashua's fascination with and passion for bicycles and cycling. And the mechanical-meets-ingenuity theme continues to spark wild imagination and praise.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, "The beauty...lies in the generosity with which acts are layered upon each other and the superb integration of circus skills with music, light and choreography. And the glory...is in the excellence of its performers." And the New York Times calls Cirque Mechanics, "exceptional, evocative, eye-catching and grossly entertaining...in a word, excellent."

Park City Institute presents Cirque Mechanics "Pedal Punk" on Tuesday, December 30. This wondrous cirque whirls onto The George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Center for the Performing Arts (1750 Kearns Blvd., Park City) for one night only. Show starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets range from $20 to $69* (20-percent discount for seniors, ½ price tickets for children ages 16 and under; $5 seats are available in the Copper Section for Summit County students (K-12).

Tickets and information are available at The Eccles Center box office, 435-655-3114 or www.ecclescenter.org.

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