Here comes the sun.
Cirque du Soleil is back in town this month, two years after bringing the fantastical Corteo to Redmond’s Marymoor Park. This year’s show, Kooza, is based around a “circus in a box” theme; expect dazzling costumes, top-notch acrobatics, inspired clowning and the company’s trademark visual surprises. The show is set to run June 3–July 2 in a real big-top set-up, again, in Marymoor Park. Tickets are pricey — $50 to $125 — but worth the splurge, especially if you have kids old enough to appreciate the performers’ mastery of their respective arts. If you go, leave more time than you think you’ll need to get to your seat on time — the high volume of traffic means that getting into the park will take some time —and bring money for parking (I learned this the hard way last time). Tickets are on sale now, 800-450-1480.
Guys and dolls.
Pacific Northwest Ballet ends its 2009–10 season with George Balanchine’s comic ballet Coppélia. Its accessible score by French composer Léo Delibes, humorous story about an all-too-lifelike mechanical doll (and the young man who loves her), and relatively short running time make this a great introduction to the ballet for kids. If you buy tickets for a matinee performance, show up an hour early for crafts and dance classes for families. Kids are also encouraged to bring a doll with them to matinees. The ballet is onstage at McCaw Hall in Seattle June 3–13. Tickets are $25–$160, with $15 tickets to all Thursday and Friday performances for patrons younger than 25. PNB also participates in the Teen Tix program, which allows youth ages 13–19 to buy rush tickets to any available performance for $5. 206-441-2424.
