Cirque Du Soleil Turns Its Attention to Cracking New York Fter Years of Treating New York Somewhat Beacon Theatre in 2010

Lifestyle FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2015 A bright yellow monumental sculpture by artist Deborah Kass dominates a hill in Brooklyn Bridge Park, Wednesday in New York. — AP photos bright yellow monumental sculpture Stella and other artists. She first created “OY” as a installed near the East River spells “YO” spoof on Ed Ruscha’s word painting “OOF”. Awhen viewed from Manhattan and “OY” Depending on where you stand, the sculpture ref- Huge YO/OY sculpture in from Brooklyn. Reminiscent of Robert Indiana’s erences the popular Yiddish expression “OY” and LOVE sculpture, the playful aluminum work is the the colloquial greeting “YO.” The sculpture was creation of artist Deborah Kass. It went up this week commissioned by Brooklyn developer Two Trees Brooklyn references urban slang in Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Main Street Lawn. Management Company. It will remain in the park Kass also finds inspiration in Andy Warhol, Frank through August 2016. — AP Cirque du Soleil turns its attention to cracking New York fter years of treating New York somewhat Beacon Theatre in 2010. Annaleigh Ashford, a But unlike Las Vegas - where eight Cirque warily, like a dangerous high-wire act, Tony Award winner currently onstage in the shows are running - the company has never ACirque du Soleil is ready to flip over the play “Sylvia,” was in the cast of “Banana Shpeel” really had a permanent foothold in New York, Big Apple. The Montreal-based circus company and sensed quickly that it wasn’t a great match even though its shows are tourist-friendly spec- is planning for two traveling shows to land in for the city. tacles not depending on dialogue, star or story. the city next fall, as well as a new one this “The genre of circus is traditionally not one of The first step Cirque took for a new New York spring, “Paramour,” which Cirque has specifically storytelling. It’s more abstract. And New York strategy was to open an office in the city about Beatles ‘Love Me designed for a Broadway theater. “For us, New City is a city that has built a theater community - 18 months ago led by Scott Zeiger, a co-founder York is an underdeveloped market and it’s sur- a world of theater - on very specific, very clear of BASE Entertainment. He quickly understood prising because it’s still the world capital of storytelling,” she said. “Storytelling is not their that New York was special and so he built Do’ drummer entertainment,” said Daniel Lamarre, president first concern. And it’s our first concern here.” “Paramour” to be different. In Vegas, shows and chief executive officer of Cirque. Other Cirque shows that have come through the compete with gambling, shopping and food. dies at 85 “We are a strong player worldwide with a city in recent years include “Totem” at Citi Field, “You’re there for the spectacle, you’re there for worldwide brand and we have spent a lot of “Zarkana” for two summers at Radio City Music the excitement, you’re there to see something ndy White, the Scottish drummer who time developing the Las Vegas market and not Hall from 2012-13, the winter show “Wintuk” at you can’t see anywhere else,” he said.—AP famously replaced the newly hired Ringo enough focus on developing the New York mar- Madison Square Garden from 2007 to 2010 and AStarr on the Beatles’ song “Love Me Do” ket,” he said. Lamarre promised three complete- “OVO” on Randall’s Island in 2010. has died at age 85, the BBC reported on ly different shows: In addition to “Paramour,” Wednesday, citing his family. White, a session there will be the eccentric and dreamy big top musician who had played swing, jazz and show “Kurios” and the new arena show “Toruk,” Scottish pipe and drum music before turning to inspired by James Cameron’s movie “Avatar,” rock and roll, died Monday after suffering a which he described as “a live, multimedia spec- stroke, the news agency said. The musician later tacle.” said he was paid 5 British pounds for three “Our challenge is always to be on the edge hours of work in 1962 with the Beatles, then a and always come with distinctive types of shows relatively new band, the BBC said. that will always surprise our fans,” he said. “I His work was featured on the US version of think we’ve been good lately in pushing the the single for “Love Me Do” and also on “PS I boundaries of creativity and also of technology.” Love You.” He is one of several musicians “Paramour” at the Lyric Theatre marks the first dubbed “Fifth Beatles,” meaning they were time Cirque has gone directly after the involved in the band but were not the four Broadway market, with show creators hoping to famous members who defined the group: John give the production more story than traditional Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison or Cirque offerings. Starr. On “Love Me Do,” White played drums and Starr played the tambourine. White later Spotty program played drums on Tom Jones’ 1965 hit “It’s Not Cirque du Soleil hasn’t always had roaring Unusual,” and toured with Marlene Dietrich, success in the city. The female-centric Burt Bacharach and Rod Stewart, the BBC said. “Amaluna” - the Diane Palus-led melding of In New Jersey, he taught drumming and Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” with jaw-dropping worked with pipe and drum bands, which fea- circus tricks - was well-attended in 2014 at Citi ture bagpipes and a corps of drummers, the Field. But “Banana Shpeel” - a disappointingly BBC said. He was married to the voiceover spotty program of acrobatics, juggling, dance This undated image released by The Publicity Office shows a scene from Cirque du Soleil’s actress Thea Ruth, the BBC said. — Reuters and mostly tiresome slapstick - flopped at the ‘Toruk,’ inspired by James Cameron’s movie ‘Avatar.’.

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