Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2022 | 1:45 p.m.
Today at the faux Brooklyn Bridge in front of the New York-New York hotel and casino, Cirque du Soleil is set to announce its latest Las Vegas show that will fill the void left by its shuttered “Zumanity” production. And it’ll be a New York City-themed party for the Big Apple-themed resort on the south Strip.
“Mad Apple” is scheduled to open on May 26 at the 1,150-seat theater at New York-New York that has been mostly empty since Cirque closed “Zumanity” in 2020. The new production will celebrate the city of New York through Cirque’s trademark acrobatics, as well as heavy doses of comedy and music.
Producer Simon Painter, whose company The Works Entertainment was acquired by Cirque in 2019, is at the creative helm of “Mad Apple,” and although the description of the new show sounds similar to other innovative variety shows currently running on the Strip, he maintains that it will definitely feel like Cirque du Soleil. The opening will push the company’s resident show count on the Strip back up to six.
Simon Painter
“It’s still a Cirque du Soleil show because it features fantastic and incredible acrobatics that will really wow the audience. I think the differentiation is where we’ll have stand-up comedy, the type you don’t see at Cirque or other shows, and it will be in this much more intimate showroom where the audience will be closer to the action than any other Cirque show,” Painter said. “I suppose it’s variety in a sense because there is strong music, wonderful acrobatics, strong comedy and a little magic thrown in for good measure, and some mayhem I suppose, but the DNA is still Cirque.”
The rotating cast will feature six acts every night, and among the performers are comedian Brad Williams, rapper Chris Turner, and musical director and lead vocalist Xharlie Black, who is the great-nephew of Nat King Cole. Neil Dorward is co-creator and director.
Williams, who will essentially serve as the host of “Mad Apple,” said audiences should expect a fast-paced spectacular.
“It’s great for people who have ADD,” he said. “If you don’t like something, wait five minutes because there’s going to be a completely different type of unreal, awesome performance coming next.”
“It’s a fun night out and a celebration, a great place to come have a drink and enjoy some incredible entertainment inspired by the greatest performers in the history of New York,” Painter said.
Designed for audiences of all ages, “Mad Apple” is 80 minutes and will perform ten shows a week starting with previews on May 12. Opening night is May 26 and tickets start at $59 and are on sale at madapplelv.com.
