Paramour (Cirque du Soleil)
Paramour | |
---|---|
Toruk (2015) | |
Succeeded by | Luzia (2016) |
Official website |
Paramour was
During previews, Paramour got off to a strong start and grossed over $1 million in its first six shows.[3]
The show was directed by French director-choreographer Philippe Decouflé, who was also the director of the cinema themed Cirque du Soleil show Iris.[2] The rest of the creative team was also the same as for Iris apart from the assistant directors, composer and sound designer. Scenes from Iris, such as aerial straps performed by the Atherton twins (who also performed in Iris), were incorporated into Paramour.[2]
The show closed on Broadway on 16 April 2017 after 31 previews and 366 performances. Despite average box office sales, Cirque was allegedly paid $23 million to terminate its contract early,[4] in order to vacate the Lyric and allow for the necessary renovations for the show's successor, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child which had a sold out track record since opening on the West End.[5][6]
Paramour reopened in April 2019 in Hamburg, Germany.[7]
Music
The show's original Broadway cast recording was released on 16 Aug 2016, on digital format and on streaming services.[8]
Track titles, as they appear in order on the official soundtrack, are:
- The Hollywood Wiz
- Ginger Top
- Something More
- AJ's Blues
- The Muse
- Serenade from a Window
- The Honeymoon Days of Fame
- Cleopatra
- Egyptian Gift
- Help a Girl Choose
- The Dream
- Revenge Fantasies
- Love Triangle
- Writer's Block
- Everything (The Lovers Theme)
- Nyc Rooftops
- Reel Love
- Everything (Reprise)
Critical reception
Charles Isherwood of The New York Times wrote "The athletic circus acts that are laced throughout the show provide the real entertainment, and make the surrounding book scenes and songs feel even more bogus and synthetic," and "There’s no denying the breathtaking magic of seeing bodies swim through the air with such apparent weightlessness. Too bad the musical surrounding them feels just as weightless, and far more forgettable."[1]
Maren Wade of Las Vegas Weekly wrote "I think what made Paramour truly special was the unique element of the acrobatics in a more real-life setting. It felt like one minute I was watching a big Broadway show, but all of a sudden these crazy acrobatics would happen in scenes and scenarios where they were least expected," adding "I loved the show and would highly recommend it to anyone who is a Broadway and Cirque fan."[9]
References
- ^ a b Isherwood, Charles (May 25, 2016). "Review: 'Paramour' Brings Cirque du Soleil to Broadway". The New York Times.
- ^ a b c Paulson, Michael (April 13, 2016). "After Two New York Flops, Cirque du Soleil Bets Big on Broadway". The New York Times.
- ^ Paulson, Michael (April 25, 2016). "Cirque du Soleil's 'Paramour' Has Strong Start in Broadway Grosses". The New York Times.
- ^ "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child smashing records even before opening". The Sydney Morning Herald. April 15, 2018.
- ^ Cox, Gordon (December 1, 2016). "Cirque du Soleil's 'Paramour' to Move Out When Theater Closes for Renovations".
- ^ "Paramour Ends Broadway Run April 16 - Playbill". Playbill. April 16, 2017.
- ^ Wild, Stephi (May 22, 2018). "Cirque du Soleil Will Bring Hit Broadway Show PARAMOUR to Hamburg Germany". BroadwayWorld.
- ^ "Cirque du Soleil Paramour Original Broadway Cast". itunes.apple.com.
- ^ Wade, Maren (May 28, 2016). "Confessions of a Showgirl: A showgirl's review of Cirque's 'Paramour' on Broadway". Las Vegas Weekly.
- New York Observer.