Los Angeles CA (August 8, 2024) – Duel Reality from The 7 Fingers, also known as Les 7 doigts de la main, making their Center Theatre Group debut, features their signature electrifying and endearing mix of circus, theatre, illusion, music, and dance.
The circus troupe's latest piece is an acrobatic, dynamic tour-de-force for all ages inspired by the star-crossed tale of Romeo and Juliet performed for a limited 15-performance engagement from Thursday, September 12 to Sunday, September 22, 2024. Tickets and information are available at CenterTheatreGroup.org.
Duel Reality asks the audience to imagine a world where star-crossed lovers are circus stars, and their love story unfolds through graceful and death-defying acrobatics. In an epic, cirque-infused performance that dazzles the senses and stirs the heart, the two feuding families engage in a battle of skill, each competition more daring than the last – while the pair of star-crossed lovers struggles to escape the showdown. They are fierce players, but do they care who wins or loses if playing the game can bring them closer together?
With direction by Shana Carroll, co-founding artistic director of The 7 Fingers and co-designer of the first segment of the Sochi Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony, Duel Reality delivers a thrilling adventure for all ages with romance, integrity -- and deceit -- through death-defying acrobatics. The audience chooses a side and lives through the battle of these two feuding families in this one-act extravaganza. The show received a Seoul Arts Award in 2023.
Duel Reality then is an elaborate and fast-paced mashup of Shakespeare's most famous love story and the intense world of competitive team sports. Exhilaration and danger provide a thrilling backdrop to The 7 Fingers' one-of-a-kind daredevil theatrical extravaganza. Duel Reality was originally produced and created with Virgin Voyages, produced by The 7 Fingers with commissioning partner ArtsEmerson (Boston).
The 7 Fingers are represented on Broadway right now with The New York Times Critics' Pick Water for Elephants and are renowned for their Tony Award-winning work on the 2013 revival of Pippin.
Elodie Marriott of the Edinburgh Festival Magazine wrote, “Round after round, the opposing sides exhibit their abilities with hula hoops and diabolos, showcasing their incredible strength and balance. The stakes are high, with the cast climbing eye-wateringly tall poles and pausing for applause, before dropping swiftly headfirst, coming to an abrupt stop less than an inch away from the floor. Duel Reality is a spectacle that will truly astonish all who experience it.”
Jasmine Arden-Brown wrote in BroadwayBaby.com, “what sets it apart is the company’s mesmerizing use of big emotions to tell the basics of a story … [and] It holds all the electricity of a big sporting match where the passions run high. The soundtrack is exhilarating, the performers are charismatic, and the stunts had my hands rushing to cover my mouth every minute or so.”
Carla Rick in The Berkeley Beacon wrote, “Audiences can expect neon hues with a variety of music and performance styles—a hula-hoop stunt done to jazz, a sultry dance with slow, romantic music, a seesaw duel set to an intense score … this acrobatics show is not to be missed. Trust in the 7 Fingers to shock and awe you while simultaneously taking you on an unforgettable emotional journey.”
The Edinburgh One4review wrote “***** Never was a story of more ‘wow’ than of Juliet and her Romeo. Duel Reality is a striking portrayal of hope. As performers shed their divisive colors, they unite, reminding us that we are all the same underneath. The finale is a poignant reminder that we are more than what divides us.”
The cast includes Daniela Corradi, Adam Fullick, Gerardo Gutiérrez, Michelle Hernandez, Marco Ingaramo, Miliève Modin-Brisebois, Einar Kling Odencrants, Anton Erik Persson, Santiago Rivera, Ashleigh Roper, and Arata Urawa.
The production features music directed and composed by Colin Gagné with excerpts from Sergei Prokofiev's Dance of the Knights, and lyrics from William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.
The production also features lighting design by Alexander Nichols, costume design by Camille Thibault-Bédard, with production direction by Maude St-Pierre. With technical work by Simon Carrière and Audrey Belzile with acrobatic coaching from Francisco Cruz.
Tickets for DUEL REALITY are available through CenterTheatreGroup.org, Audience Services at (213) 972-4400, or in person at the Center Theatre Group Box Offices (at the Ahmanson Theatre) at The Music Center, 135 N. Grand Avenue in Downtown L.A. 90012.
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The 7 Fingers 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 7 Fingers tell stories using death-defying acrobatics with a life-affirming theatricality. 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 e, and our humanity. Their shows tour the globe and bring audiences to their feet wherever they go.
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.
In 2018, The 7 Fingers opened their very own Centre of Creation and Production. Situated in the heart of Montreal’s downtown theater district, the new center houses all of the company’s activities, departments, and dreams under one roof.
Center Theatre Group, one of the nation’s preeminent arts and cultural organizations, is Los Angeles’ leading not-for-profit theatre company, which, under the leadership of Artistic Director Snehal Desai, Managing Director / CEO Meghan Pressman, and Producing Director Douglas C. Baker, programs the Mark Taper Forum and the Ahmanson Theatre at The Music Center in Downtown Los Angeles, and the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City. Center Theatre Group is one of the country’s leading producers of ambitious new works through commissions and world premiere productions and a leader in interactive community engagement and education programs that reach across generations, demographics, and circumstances to serve Los Angeles. Founded in 1967, Center Theatre Group has produced more than 700 productions across its three stages, including such iconic shows as “Zoot Suit;” “Angels in America;” “The Kentucky Cycle;” “Biloxi Blues;” “Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992;” “Children of a Lesser God;” “Curtains;” “The Drowsy Chaperone;” “9 to 5: The Musical;” and “Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo.” CenterTheatreGroup.org
Calendar Listing For DUEL REALITY
Venue: Ahmanson Theatre, 135 North Grand Avenue, Los Angeles CA 90012
Dates: Wednesday, September 11 to Sunday, September 22, 2024
Schedule: Tuesday through Friday evenings at 8:00 p.m.;
Saturdays at 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.
Sundays at 1:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m
Tickets: Prices — begin at $25
Website — CenterTheatreGroup.org
Phone — Audience Services at (213) 628-2772
In-person — Center Theatre Group Box Office (at the Ahmanson Theatre)
at The Music Center, 135 N. Grand Avenue in Downtown L.A. 90012
Groups —centertheatregroup.org/tickets/groups-and-corporate-offers
Access: Center Theatre Group offers many services to accommodate persons requiring mobility, vision, and hearing access. For more information, please visit CenterTheatreGroup.org/Access.
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