Performances

Saltimbanco – Cirque du Soleil

From May 10 to May 13, 2012
8:30pm -> 11:30pm
From May 12 to May 13, 2012
4:30pm -> 7:30pm
From May 18 to May 19, 2012
8:30pm -> 11:30pm
From May 19 to May 20, 2012
4:30pm -> 7:30pm
Forum de Beyrouth

After a first sold out week,Cirque du Soleil added 4 extra shows of Saltimbanco on May 18,19 & 20 so make sure you get your tickets for this once in a lifetime opportunity.

Created in 1992, Saltimbanco was the first show in which Cirque du Soleil would narrow its focus to tell a very specific and themed story. Franco Dragone was inspired by the way multiculturalism shaped the nature and direction of Cirque du Soleil and wanted the theme of this new show to be one of “cosmopolitan urbanism”. Laliberté stated, “For me, Saltimbanco is a message of peace. In the 1990s, immigration was an issue, the mixing of cultures in cities, and Saltimbanco reflects that mix, with all of its personalities and colours. It’s the challenge we have in today’s world: respecting each other, living and working together, despite our differences.”

Idealistic or not, Saltimbanco, whose title comes from the Italian phrase “Saltare in Banco”, which literally means “To jump on a bench”, was well-received. Featuring 47 artists, the cast has been assembled from the citizens of 15 different countries. This is, to date, the longest-running show that Cirque du Soleil has ever produced. It has run for 15 years and has toured North and South America, Europe, South Africa, Japan and the Pacific Rim.

With Saltimbanco finished and touring in the United States and Canada, Cirque du Soleil toured Japan in the summer of 1992 at the behest of the Fuji Television Network. Taking acts from Nouvelle Expérience and Cirque Réinventé they created a show for this tour entitled “Fascination”. Although “Fascination” was never seen outside of Japan, it represented the first time that Cirque had produced a show that took place in an arena rather than a big top. It was also the first that Cirque du Soleil performed outside of North America.

On February 1, 1997, Saltimbanco played its final show at London’s Royal Albert Hall. However, the show was restaged and started the following year for a new three-year tour throughout Asia and the Pacific.

In 2010, an arena version of the retired big-top show toured in arenas across North America, traveling to regions that have never had a Cirque du Soleil show visit, such as Idaho and Newfoundland and Labrador. Furthermore, Cirque du Soleil decided to carry on their tour of Saltimbanco to South Africa and Australia in 2011.

Currently, Saltimbanco is visiting Lebanon for 3 days as part of the its world tour.

Special Feature:35$ to 300$