This ain’t your grandma’s circus

“Nomade”

Starring Cirque Eloize

Directed by Daniele Finzi Pasca

Byham Theatre

Quebec’s… “Nomade”

Starring Cirque Eloize

Directed by Daniele Finzi Pasca

Byham Theatre

Quebec’s Cirque Eloize, a young circus company, makes its Pittsburgh debut with the production of Nomade, which combines sweetly human and astonishingly superhuman experiences of song, dance, music, juggling and acrobatic feats.

Directed by Daniele Finzi Pasca of the Teatro Sunil theater company, this circus production brings humans (who are the only animals wandering on this stage) to new terrain. The nomads engage in gypsy rituals, bickering and laughing while interacting and playing in communities that act as carnival pit stops.

Nomade depicts wanderers who travel through their own memories and dreams. The travelers begin their journeys at daybreak and end at a riotous wedding by evening. At this time, as night falls and stars fill the sky, there are endless possibilities for the nomads — the night is young and the spirit is alive in these explorers.

Cirque Eloize focuses on the intimate relationships and movements between the characters, and, although this is a carnival event, the production is more down to earth than Cirque du Soleil or other similar productions that are shown in Las Vegas and Walt Disney World.

A Los Angeles Times review describes “intimate, low-tech charm … very much about humans — very peculiar humans, but humans all the same … By the end you feel you know them all. People like you — just a little more flexible.”

The cast dresses in costumes that resemble old-fashioned swimsuits. At first this concept seems obscure, but after the finale the costume choice is understandable. Benoit Landry supplements the pre-recorded music with an upright piano that contributes to the action in unexpected ways.

Although Cirque Eloize is young (existing for only a decade), it is in high demand throughout the world. The company has staged more than 1,500 shows in 200 cities and 20 countries worldwide. With Nomade, Cirque Eloize invites audiences on a sensual journey along the pathways of the imagination.

Cirque Eloize, in Nomade, will perform tonight at the Byham Theater. Show starts at 7 p.m. with tickets priced from $19.50 to $32.50. For tickets and information, call (412) 456-6666.