Montreal tests new Cirque show Amaluna

Women are at the heart of Cirque du Soleils newest production, Amaluna, premiering in Montreal before it travels to other Canadian cities.

The world-famous Cirque has 12shows touring the world and nine permanent productions in cities likeLas Vegas, Los Angeles and Orlando.

Still, creators like to test new shows before a hometown audience, because they feel Montrealers are veterans when it comes tohigh-flying spectacle.

"People in Montreal are now experts in Cirque du Soleil....and because the expectations are very, very high, we have no choice but to come with new material, new content," Cirque CEO Daniel Lamarre told CBC News.

The challenge is to always find a fresh approach to material and that comes with risk. In recent years for instance,the Cirque'sMichael Jackson Immortal World Tour met with mixed reviews and its Banana Shpeel folded in less than a year.

Amaluna Ama means mother and Luna (moon) is symbol of femininity started with the question of what the world would be like if it were run by women.

Itfeatures strong women of historyand literature, from the Amazons to Shakespeares Juliet and Miranda, as well asQueen Prospera, who directs her daughters coming-of-age ceremony in a rite that honours femininity, renewal, rebirth and balance.

Cirque hired Diane Paulus to direct. The New York-based theatre and opera directorhas drawn attention for her productions, including her Magic Flute for the Canadian Opera Company and Porgy and Bess on Broadway.

"All her new shows she was producing were really on the edge. And the challenge at Cirque du Soleil is always to maintain creativity and we like to have someone from outside, like her, to come and challenge our internal team to do something new...We have to get people surprised every time it's becoming tougher and tougher for us," Lamarre said.

Paulus is working with a largely female cast and has loaded her script with Greek and Roman goddesses as well as Shakespearean heroines. Theyre still swinging high on wires, but one young contortionist also swims in a giant fishbowl, conjuring life in the womb.

"The symbol for me of womanhood is regeneration, the idea of giving birth, the imagery of the moon, of water, the idea that women can bring new life to the planet," Paulus said.

Amaluna, Cirque du Soleil's 32nd production since 1984, runs in Montreal until July 15. It opens in Quebec City on July 25, in Toronto on Sept. 5 and in Vancouver on Nov. 23.