Cirque du Soleil brings the Grand Chapiteau to life with their opening night of Kooza.

 

Kooza debuted Friday night under the Grand Chapiteau (Big Top) at the University of Phoenix Stadium. With 2,600 spectators seated and ready for the opening night, the two and a half hour-long show started at 8 pm with a 30-minute intermission that included cupcakes and champagne for all, courtesy of opening night.

Stilts and tightropes, costumes and clowns, this show has it all. It combines acrobatics and an art form known as "clowning to create a performance that is sure to please even the most apprehensive crowd. Kooza tells a story of a young boy who feels that he's alone in the world and is trying to find his place. He runs into a number of characters along the way and, with their help, he gains more confidence.

Actors run up and down the aisles, grabbing audience members and pulling them on stage as volunteers and poking fun at as many people as they can. One of the audience volunteers "disappeared" during her brave on-stage appearance, only to reappear later in the show, receiving a round of applause from everyone in the Big Top.  Contortionists, hula hoopers, trapeze artists and tumbling were a few of the many acts that had audience members dropping their jaws. There were two men in a barely-there caged wheel that challenged each other to flips and glides while audience members covered their eyes every time the men were thrust through the air.

Tickets are on sale for specific performances until July 15th, and Kooza offers four different times that the show can be viewed, depending on the day. Prices range from $40-$143, and the can be purchased here.