Arts and Entertainment

Cirque Éloize's 'Hotel' to make its Penn State premiere Oct. 3 at Eisenhower

Production is Center for the Performing Art's third co-commission with the troupe

The Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State co-commissioned “Hotel,” Cirque Éloize’s 25th anniversary and 15th original production. Credit: © Pierre Manning—Shoot Studio. All Rights Reserved.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Montreal’s Cirque Éloize will welcome audience members into a timeless hotel, a meeting place for strangers from all walks of life, when it performs its new contemporary circus production, “Hotel,” at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 3, in Eisenhower Auditorium.

The Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State co-commissioned “Hotel,” which features a cast of 12 artists who perform a variety of circus acts. Some of the performers also play musical instruments in the 85-minute production, which is presented without intermission.

“Hotel,” the troupe’s 25th anniversary production, brims with stories. From the overwhelmed maître d’hôtel, to the mischievous maid to the devoted handyman and his inseparable dog, Carpette, the hotel’s staff members are witnesses to an ever-changing collection of humans.

“‘Hotel’ is a glamorous Art Deco world,” wrote director Emmanuel Guillaume, “where circus, dance, music and song come together around these human stories — just like life, but even more colorful and vivid.”

Carried by the voice of the client on the top floor — who comments, testifies and tells the story — the audience will encounter lovers who still don’t know they’re meant to be, improbable travelers, and a celebrity who reveals the depth of her being.

Musical director, composer and arranger Eloi Painchaud said he took inspiration for the original music of “Hotel” from the rooming house, with a French restaurant, where he grew up.

“The thrumming gypsy guitar, the piano that seems to have a life of its own, and the incandescent brass section, they sketch out the humanity that brings the music of this hotel alive,” he wrote.

For more information, visit the Center for the Performing Arts online or call 814-863-0255.

Cirque Éloize made its Center for the Performing Arts debut in 1995. The company will be performing for the sixth time at Eisenhower. Including “Hotel,” the Center for the Performing Arts has co-commissioned three Cirque Éloize productions.

See a list of Center for the Performing Arts investors who helped make the co-commissioning possible.

In addition to the Center for the Performing Arts, the co-commissioners of “Hotel” are Les Productions Neuvart Inc., Les Nuits de Fourvière, Foxwoods Resort Casino, Place des Arts–Montréal, Gouvernement du Québec, Conseil des arts de Montréal, Conseil des arts du Canada, Le Volcan–Scéne Nationale du Havre, Hancher Auditorium, Central–La Louvière, Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Festspielhaus St. Pölten and Pittsburgh Cultural Trust.

TIAA sponsors the presentation at Eisenhower.

Artistic Viewpoints — an informal moderated discussion featuring Jeannot Painchaud, Cirque Éloize president and chief creative officer, and Natasha Drouin-Beauregard, “Hotel” production manager — will be offered one hour before the performance and is free for ticket holders. Artistic Viewpoints regularly fills to capacity, so seating is available on a first-arrival basis.

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Last Updated September 4, 2018

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