Ready for a dark spin on a childhood experience? LA’s Cirque Berzerk opens today. It promises to be the grungier and more sinister version of your typical circus. The 35-member troupe will tell the story of a misunderstood girl who gets lured into the cabaret of the underworld through the art of acrobats, aerialists, contortionists, cabaret dancers, punk rock clowns, fire dancers, and psychedelic vaudvillian tomfoolerists. People have called it everything from “a circus on acid” and “French burlesque meets Sweeney Todd” to “P.T. Barnum‘s worst nightmare.” Here’s what critics have been saying: “The sort of phantasmagoric spectacle Tim Burton would dream up if he quit filmmaking to join the circus.” -Los Angeles Times “They gave us Sexy, Scary, Funny and Absinthe…What else does one need, really?” -LA City Beat “This is no Barnum and Bailey’s.” — Metromix How did this twisted circus come about? Last year, Cirque Berzerk co-founders (and husband and wife team) Suzanne Bernel and Kevin Bourque invested their entire life’s savings into the show. Just on great word-of-mouth and a tremendous PR, Cirque Berzerk came out of nowhere to sell out last summer’s entire run. Critics and fans raved about it. The Los Angeles Times named it one of “L.A.’s 10 weirdest events of 2008. I love their wicked promos.
Cirque Berzerk runs for three weekends starting today June 18 and ending Sunday July 5. It takes place at the Los Angeles State Historic Park, 1245 N. Spring Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012. Tickets are now on sale! For more information, see www.cirqueberzerk.com Via If It’s Hip, It’s Here More at LAist