Cirque Éloize, combination of acrobatics with Wild Wild West, coming to Riverside

The Cirque Éloize team will bring its 11th original creation, Saloon – A Musical Acrobatic Adventure, to the Fox Performing Arts Center in Riverside, Calif., for two shows only on Saturday, Feb. 18 at 2 p.m. (1 p.m. doors) and 8 p.m. (7 p.m. doors). 

Tickets are on sale now and available at the Fox Performing Arts Center Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster.com, riversidelive.com, or charge by phone at 800-745-3000.

Inspired by the rich legacy of the Wild West, Saloon transports audiences to a dusty gathering place. Swing open the Saloon doors and rustle up some fun for the entire family with this musical and acrobatic adventure. The stage fizzes and thrums with infectious energy and phenomenal physical feats as 11 top-level cast members perform for a music-packed theatrical thrill-ride. Prepare to be blown away by a chase worthy of the greatest Westerns.

“The show was inspired by our thriving power, the same strength that has motivated us for nearly 25 years. We borrow from the world of the Wild West, which we have so much in common with: a fundamental commitment to moving forward, toughness and the survival instinct, a tendency for irreverence and a sharing sense of community,” says Jeannot Painchaud, President and Artistic Director of Cirque Éloize and Creative Director of Saloon. 

This creation also marks the first collaboration between Cirque Éloize and the show’s musical director, celebrated Canadian composer Eloi Painchaud (Louis Cyr, La guerre des tuques 3D). Staying close to the musical roots of the artistic director and musical director, who happen to be cousins, Saloon mixes country extracts (Patsy Cline and Johnny Cash) with more festive, folk-inspired compositions. There are four musicians and singers on stage, and all the artists sing or play instruments.

Saloon director Emmanuel Guillaume has put together an acrobatic comedy with 11 top-level, multidisciplinary artists performing with exuberance and humour: “Saloon is an invitation to the party, a fertile ground for emotions where everything is permitted. It’s also a meeting of different art forms that were already part of the rich heritage of this mythical place back then,” he said.