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Cirque du Soleil is bringing its big top back to Portland.
The company announced today that its internationally acclaimed production of Alegría will have a local run from June 16 to July 17 at the Portland Expo Center.
One of Cirque’s most popular touring shows to date, Alegría was created in 1994 by directors Franco Dragone and Gilles Ste-Croix, and features a Grammy-nominated soundtrack. It takes its name from the Spanish word for “joy,” and is described as a “power struggle at play between the old order and a new movement yearning for hope and renewal.”
While that nebulous account doesn’t promise much in the way of plot, Cirque fans know the story is not the point. You’re buying tickets to witness some of the best acrobats on earth and admire their surreal, beautiful costumes.
Alegría was originally scheduled to open in Portland last year, but was shelved due to ongoing concerns about the pandemic. Cirque also had to cancel its scheduled production of Volta in 2020, which means we haven’t had a show of this magnitude roll through in at least three years.
Alegría was actually revamped in 2019, so even if you’ve seen it before the company promises that audiences are in for a new experience. Ticket sales for Cirque Club members begin today, and seats will become available to the general public on Feb. 21.