Displaying items by tag: Acrobats

From Australia to Spain, talent from around the world—including a Chicago theater favorite—comes to The Goodman for its 2026/2027 Season opening production. Performed by Montreal's multidisciplinary creative collective, The 7 Fingers, Tony Award-nominated former trapezist Shana Carroll (Broadway's Water For Elephants) debuts her new work, The Attic: Things I've Seen While Lying on My Back. Written by Carroll—who also directs and choreographs the production—the company of circus artists features Chicago's Tyler Meredith (Inherit the Wind) with acrobats Fran Alvarez, Melvin Diggs, Eduardo De Azevedo Grillo, Kalani June, Anna Kichtchenko, Nancy Luna, Santiago Rivera Laugerud, Alexandra Royer and Lucy Tan. The Goodman premieres The 7 Fingers' The Attic: Things I've Seen While Lying on My Back in the 856-seat Albert Theatre September 5 – October 4. Opening Night is September 15. For tickets ($34 - $139; on sale June 26), call 312.443.3800 or purchase online at GoodmanTheatre.org/Attic. The Goodman is grateful for the support of the sponsors of The Attic: Perelman Performing Arts Center | PAC NYC (Commissioning Partner), Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, Allstate Insurance Company, JP Morgan Chase, The Elizabeth Morse Charitable Trust, Northern Trust, Abbot Fund, Katten, PNC and Winston & Strawn LLP.

From the primal vista of her childhood bedroom springs Shana Carroll's wildly imaginative, ground-breaking memoir that takes theater to new heights. Inspired by Carroll's mesmerizing life story, a company of fearless performers transforms memory into daring aerial feats that are as moving as they are breathtaking. In the air, on the floor and from the heart, The 7 Fingers brings its "thrillingly modern brand of circus" (Time Out New York) to The Goodman in this moving new work that embraces the fear and courage of being human.  

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Shana Carroll is Cofounding Artistic Director of the The 7 Fingers. Since its inception in 2002, Shana has directed, written and choreographed a dozen or so of their touring and/or resident shows, including Passengers, Cuisine and Confessions, Sequence 8 and Traces. Shana's collaborations extend beyond The 7 Fingers proper, and in 2024 was Co-choreographer and Circus Designer for Water For Elephants on Broadway, for which she received the Chita Rivera award for Best Choreography, as well as a Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circles nominations in the same category. Other notable works include: Director and Creator of Cirque du Soleil's Crystal; Acrobatic Designer and Choreographer of Cirque du Soleil's shows Iris (Los Angeles) and Paramour (Broadway); Circus Designer and Co-creator of the immersive night club experience Queen of the Night (New York City); Co-choreographer of the Medieval Segment of the Sochi Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony; Director and Choreographer of Cirque du Soleil's performance at the 84th Academy Awards. In 2023, Shana was honored as a Compagne des Arts et des Lettres du Québec, from the Conseils des Arts et Lettres du Québec, as a recognition for her contribution to Quebec culture. A former trapeze artist of 20 years, a Cirque du Soleil soloist, and an alumni of Montreal's National Circus School, Shana first got her start in San Francisco's Pickle Family Circus.  She is originally from Berkeley, California. 

Tyler Meredith makes her The 7 Fingers debut in The Attic. Chicago credits include: Inherit the Wind, The Penelopiad, The Cherry Orchard, Twilight Bowl, Graveyard Shift/New Stages (Goodman Theatre); Little Women (Northlight Theatre); Campaigns, Inc. (Timeline Theatre); Translations, Eurydice, Mystery of Love and Sex (Writers Theatre); The Tempest, A Midsummer Night's Dream (Chicago Shakespeare Theater); A Christmas Carol (Drury Lane Theatre); The Columnist (American Blues Theater). Regional credits include: The 39 Steps (Indiana Repertory Theatre/Syracuse Stage); Barefoot in the Park (Peninsula Players Theater); A Phoenix Too Frequent (American Players Theatre); At The Wedding, Miss Bennet: Christmas At Pemberley, My Father's War (TheatreSquared). TV/Film credits include Chicago Fire. Tyler is a graduate of Interlochen Arts Academy, School at Steppenwolf and the University of Illinois-Chicago. 

Company of The 7 Fingers'
The Attic
Things I've Seen While Lying on My Back
Written, Directed and Choreographed by Shana Carroll 

Cast...Fran Alvarez, Melvin Diggs, Eduardo De Azevedo Grillo, Kalani June, Anna Kichtchenko, Nancy Luna, Tyler Meredith, Santiago Rivera Laugerud, Alexandra Royer, Lucy Tan

Creative Team

Producer...Tina Diab 
Executive Producer...David Dower 
Co-Producer...Théâtre St-Denis, Montréal, QC   
Musical Director/Composer...Colin Gagné 
Scenic Designer...Ana Cappelluto 
Costume Designer...Marie Chantale Vaillancourt 
Lighting Designer...Alexander Nichols 
Projection Designer...Johnny Ranger 
Production Manager...Emanuelle Kirouac 
Director of Touring and Special Events...Kevin Bissonnette 
Associate Director...Louis Joyal 
Production Stage Manager and Tour Manager...Christelle Vitupier 
Technical Director...Delphine Quenneville 
Projection Project Manager...Dominique Hawry 
Head Rigger...Max Jouanneau 
Head of Sound...Jean-Félix Des Rochers-Lamarche 
Head of Lighting...Lorianne Foisy 
Head Carpenter...Benoît Rouillard 
Scenic Painting...Marie-Claude Pion 
Scenography Assistant...Jiyeon Lee 
Video Assistant...Nadia Agrebi 
Costume Assistant...Pascale Bassani 
Production Assistant...Louise Vicet 
Line Producer...Adam Belcuore 

Casting by Louis Bourgaut. Additional Casting by Lauren Port, CSA. 

ENHANCED AND ACCESSIBLE PERFORMANCES
Visit GoodmanTheatre.org/Access for more information about The Goodman's accessibility efforts. 

ASL-Interpreted...September 25 at 7:30pm – An ASL interpreter signs the action/text as played. 
Audio-Described...September 26 at 2pm; Touch Tour; 12:30pm – Action audibly enhanced via headset. 
Spanish-Subtitled...September 26 at 7:30pm – Spanish-translated dialogue via LED sign. 
Open-Captioned...September 27 at 2pm – LED sign presents dialogue in sync with the performance. 

ABOUT THE 7 FINGERS

The 7 Fingers (Les 7 Doigts) is an arts collective unlike any other. In 2002, the 7 founders set out to redefine circus by stripping down the spectacle to its thrilling essence. 

The contemporary company tells stories using death-defying acrobatics with a life-affirming theatricality that is unique to The 7 Fingers. Since its inception, the company has expanded from its own signature touring shows to creating theatrical experiences as diverse as the very artistic directors themselves: original productions varying from intimate one-man shows to large-scale arena performances, Broadway musicals, artistic collaborations with renowned international artists and companies, production design and direction, special events, Olympic ceremonies, televised performances, fashion, art and music events, immersive experiences and much more.  

Every one of these projects carries The 7 Fingers' unequivocal mark. The company has consistently spread its horizons by mixing genres and exploring new ways to tell stories. Fascinated by the human condition, The 7 Fingers create performances that celebrate our world, our time and our humanity. Their shows tour the globe and bring audiences to their feet wherever they go.  

ABOUT THE GOODMAN

Since 1925, The Goodman has been a theatrical home for artists and a gathering space for Chicagoland, where bold stories spark connection, conversation and change. Now, as it enters its second century, The Goodman builds on that legacy with an eye toward the future. Under the leadership of Walter Artistic Director Susan V. Booth and Executive Director John Collins, the theater continues to champion new work—following hundreds of plays developed and a national reputation for commissioning and premiering original stories by living writers—while reimagining classics and produce large-scale musicals.

But The Goodman's reach today extends beyond its home in the heart of the Loop. From the intimate magic of The Magic Parlour, now in its third year, to the boundary-pushing world of Theater of the Mind—an immersive experience that blurs the lines between science, storytelling and sensation—and from citywide initiatives like 100 Free Acts of Theater to partnerships with artists and companies across Chicago and around the world, The Goodman is expanding what theater can be, and where it can live.

At its core, The Goodman is driven by a belief that a more empathetic, more connected city is built one story at a time. Generation-spanning productions and programs offer theater for a lifetime—from babies and young children to teens, adults and seniors—including Theater for the Very Young (ages 0–5) and the beloved annual A Christmas Carol, which has welcomed audiences for five decades. Education and Engagement programs, led by Clifford Director Jared Bellot and based in the Alice Rapoport Center, use the tools of theater to spark imagination, reflection and belonging—reaching thousands each year, the majority from underserved communities.

With nearly 200 world or American premieres, two Pulitzer Prizes, 22 Tony Awards and nearly 200 Joseph Jefferson Awards, The Goodman remains a defining force in American theater—and the first to produce all 10 plays of August Wilson's American Century Cycle. The theater also frequently serves as a production partner—from national and international companies to Chicago's Off-Loop theaters—to help amplify a wide range of theatrical voices.

Founded by William O. Goodman and his family in memory of playwright Kenneth Sawyer Goodman, the theater carries forward a legacy of artistic ambition and civic generosity. With the help of Mr. Goodman's descendants—Albert Ivar Goodman and his late mother, Edith-Marie Appleton—that spirit continues to shape its future as The Goodman expands its impact across Chicago and beyond. Marsha Cruzan is Chair of the Goodman Theatre Board of Trustees; Diane Landgren is Women's Board President; and Kelli Garcia is president of the Scenemakers Board for Young Professionals.

The Goodman stands on the unceded homelands of the Council of the Three Fires—the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi Nations—and acknowledges the many other Nations for whom this land now called Chicago has long been home, including the Myaamia, Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Sac and Fox, Peoria, Kaskaskia, Wea, Kickapoo, and Mascouten. The Goodman is proud to partner with the Gichigamiin Indigenous Nations Museum (Gichigamiin-Museum.org) and the Center for Native Futures (CenterForNativeFutures.org)—organizations devoted to honoring Indigenous stories, preserving cultural memory, and deepening public understanding.

In the Chicago premiere of Cirque du Soleil’s 38th original production, LUZIA (a combination of two Spanish words, luz (light) and lluvia (rain)) transcends the audiences into a lucid dream, an imaginary world of Mexico. Based on traditional Mexican culture, this Big Top show reflects back on the beautiful country and the rich culture, history and mythology it draws its inspiration from; it’s playful, colorful and romantic.

LUZIA opens with the curious traveler/clown descending onto the stage outfitted with a large golden disk that resembles Aztec calendar; he turns a large key, and everything comes to life. Nature figures prominently in this beautiful spectacle: rain water, desert, animals and enormous insects crawling around during some acts will keep the kids in the audience well entertained. For the first time in Cirque du Soleil’s touring history, water is made an integral part of the show; rain is incorporated into acrobatic and artistic scenes; at one point the rain itself magically turns into silhouettes of plants and animals (set designer Eugenio Caballero). The stream of water culminates in the cenote (a naturally occurring sinkhole the Mayan believed was a sacred gateway to the afterlife) at the center of the stage floor. During visually enticing Aerial Straps act the performer glides across the cenote, flipping his long, wet hair around and interacting with a life-size puppet-jaguar whose movements are so well choreographed, the entire scene looks like a CG (puppet choreography by Max Humphries). Another highlight of the show for me was the contortionist Aleksei Goloborodko’s act, who is believed to be the most flexible person in the world. He first appears folded like a giant tarantula, then stretches into a snake and morphs back again into an insect – mesmerizing!

Guinness World Record holder Rudolf Janecek’s impressive performance (he can simultaneously juggle 7 pins at mind blowing speeds) is a tribute to the art of speed juggling popular in Mexico. Another time-bending act is the Hoop Diving with acrobats wearing bird costumes; the clever use of two treadmills creates the illusion of time speeding up.

A distinct vintage detail abounds throughout the show giving it a classy old Mexico feel. The old movie set is a reminder of simpler times, and the beautiful Adagio number has a romantic 1920’s flare with the three porters hurling a seemingly weightless female flyer above their heads in a graceful dance.

Costume designer Giovanna Buzzi kept the costumes colorful but subdued, with each scene having its own color or combination of colors creating bright yet sophisticated scenery.
As expected from a Cirque du Soleil show, a live band with a singer (Majo Cornejo) provide accompaniment during some acts, performing a total of 15 songs.

In the end, everything comes together: the music, the costumes, the performances. Co-written by Hamelin Finzi and director Daniele Finzi Pasca, LUZIA is a magical journey to the heart of Mexico. Highly recommended!

For more show information or to purchase tickets, click HERE.

Cirque du Soleil
LUZIAis Cirque du Soleil’s 38th original production since 1984, and its 17th show presented under the Big Top. The company has brought wonder and delight to more than 160 million spectators in more than 400 cities on six continents. Cirque du Soleil has close to 4,000 employees, including 1,300 performing artists from close to 50 different countries.
For more information about Cirque du Soleil, visit www.cirquedusoleil.com.

One might be unsure of what to expect from a show featuring 65 horses and 48 artists, but the mystical grandeur of Odysseo by Cavalia leaves one feeling awe and in disbelief of the athletic feats and performance they have just witnessed. Set to live musical performances of a band and live singers, Odysseo takes the audience on a journey through different lands, cultures, seasons, and across land, water and air to display the astonishing talents of the horses, riders and acrobats. Hailed as “The Best Show Ever”, Cavalia is a performance like no other seen in the past. 

Sitting under a Big Top as large as a football field, everyone is anxious to see the first horses enter the scene, and once that happens the crowd is giddy with delight as they gallop across the stage. It is wonderful to be in the presence of such beautiful horses and one can’t help but feel lucky enough to be near them and imagine brushing their beautiful manes. An incredible amount of talent is demonstrated through each routine. The horses also display their personalities through their interactions together, sometimes even picking on each other in the middle of the act as if to say, “Hey! That’s where I’m supposed to stand!” 

Some of the most daring parts of the show establish the bond between the artists and horses. This bond is very apparent throughout each act as they work together to perform many stunts and dances in unison. Riders often appear hanging from the side, underneath, or standing on top of a galloping horse. The timing alone is so crucial for the stunts and the trust between the horse and performer is palpable. 

The acrobatic feats of the performers is one, no, two steps beyond what one might have seen from other troupes. Angel-like Aerialists are kept grounded via their flowing aerial silks to horses and riders below who are guiding them in a circle while they float, spin and wrap themselves in a dance that could only be done in the air. Phenomenal acrobats flip across the stage, across each other, and often on top of each other forming human steeples and pyramids that look like one person is entirely supporting at the bottom of the steeple. Performers wearing spring-legs are human kangaroos often jumping as high and as far as the horses. The strength and agility of the performers during the act "Carosello" is breathtaking, the piece completely unique to Cavalia. Incorporating a spinning carousel suspended from the top of the set, acrobats are dancing together on the moving poles demonstrating immense strength and teamwork that is disguised with graceful, flowing moves, sometimes looking effortless.

The set by Guillaume Lord is magnificent and plays like a main character throughout the show. The depth that is created through use of video screens, lighting, and a stage that slopes down from the height of three stories, creates a vast landscape that is used to tell stories with a cinema-like quality. Horses and riders arrive from distant mountains and are most stunning in the act "Travellers". Water is brought to the set through creating rain and a pond that helps highlight the very talented prancing horse, accentuating the performance of acrobats and the stunts riders perform on the galloping horses. The large screens display video creating a layered backdrop and the use of lighting helps to fashion different textures on the ground that takes us to many different landscapes, producing a mystical world where horses, riders and acrobats live in harmony while creating art. 

Under the Artistic Direction of Normand Latourelle and the Direction of Wayne Fowkes, Odysseo by Cavalia will transform your expectations of shows of similar caliber. It is an inimitable experience that gives the audience the opportunity to enjoy a spectacular performance like no other that demonstrates agility and grace through cooperation and trust. It is a must see along with anything that Cavalia creates in the future. 

The horses in Cavalia are used from all parts of the world including Spain, France, Germany, Australia, The United States and Canada with breeds ranging from Arabian, Appaloosa, Lustitano and Holsteiner to name a few. Well cared for, a 20-person team comprised of trainers, veterinarians, groomers and health technicians travel with the show. To stay in tip-top shape, the horses go through a daily stretching and gymnastic routine daily. And no need to worry as the horses are well fed, receiving eight healthy meals per day with special treats (carrots and apples) given to each on Sunday evenings. In fact, each horse has a diet based on its individual needs. 

The human performers are also well-traveled, coming from Italy, Brazil, the United States, Russia, France, Guinea, Poland, Canada and Ukraine as nine languages are spoken at Odysseo.

Visually stimulating, adventurous, spectacular and one of the most original shows to come through Chicago in years, Cavalia is a family-friendly show that people will be talking about for some time. 

Odysseo by Cavalia will be performing under the Big Top located in the South Lot of Soldier Field through April 23rd (now extended to June 3rd). Tickets are available at www.cavalia.com or calling 866.999.8111. Special pricing and packages are available or groups.