Press Release

TOTEM, a fascinating journey into the evolution of mankind

Los Angeles: Opens October 11^th at the Port of Los Angeles
Irvine: Opens November 21^st at the Orange County Great Park Festival Site
Santa Monica: Opens January 17, 2014 at the Santa Monica Pier

Exclusive Pre-sale Window starting May 29 for Cirque Club members
General on-sale starting June 14, 2013

Los Angeles, CA – May 28, 2013 - Cirque du Soleil is pleased to announce the return of its trademark blue-and-yellow big top in the Greater Los Angeles Area this fall with an all-new awe-inspiring production. TOTEM, a fascinating acrobatic journey into the evolution of mankind, will be visiting the Port of Los Angeles, Irvine and Santa Monica.

As of May 29, 2013, pre-sale tickets will be available online exclusively to Cirque Club members. Cirque Club membership is free and benefits includes access to advance tickets, special offers and exclusive behind the scenes information. To join, visit www.cirqueclub.com.

Tickets will be available to the general public startingJune 14, 2013 at www.cirquedusoleil.com/totem.

About TOTEM
Since its Montreal World Premiere in April 2010, more than 2 million people across Canada, The Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States have been mesmerized by the TOTEM experience that The San Francisco Chronicle described as “whimsically seductive and the most enjoyable show to come along from Cirque du Soleil in quite awhile” and The New York Times referred to as “What’s the next level after impressed? Amazed? Awe-struck? Whatever it is, that emotion arrives often in TOTEM. This is one very sharp show. TOTEM is thrilling”. In May 2013, TOTEM won a Drama Desk Award in New York City for Outstanding Unique Theatrical Experience.

Written and directed by world-renown multidisciplinary artist Robert Lepage, TOTEM traces the fascinating journey of the human species from its original amphibian state to its ultimate desire to fly. The characters evolve on a stage evoking a giant turtle, the symbol of origin for many ancient civilizations.

Inspired by many founding myths,TOTEM illustrates, through a visual and acrobatic language, the evolutionary progress of species. Somewhere between science and legend TOTEM explores the ties that bind Man to other species, his dreams and his infinite potential.

Robert Lepage is the director Cirque du Soleil’s KÀ, and Peter Gabriel’s Secret World Tour. Immediately following the opening of TOTEM in 2010, Lepage directed the recent Wagner Ring Cycle at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. “The Blue Dragon,” co-written with Marie Michaud, the sequel to Lepage’s “The Dragon’s Trilogy” will be performed at Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Next Wave Festival this September. 

For more information, visit www.cirquedusoleil.com/totem 
Stay connected with TOTEM on Twitter: @Cirque #TOTEM
Follow TOTEM and Cirque du Soleil on: Facebook / Instagram / YouTube / Tumblr / Google +

Sponsors
Cirque du Soleil gratefully acknowledges the official sponsors of the TOTEM 2013 North American tour: Infiniti, CGI, XEROX, and its presenting sponsor Visa Signature.

About Cirque du Soleil
From a group of 20 street performers at its beginnings in 1984, Cirque du Soleil is a major Québec-based organization providing high-quality artistic entertainment. The company has 5,000 employees, including more than 1,300 artists from more than 50 different countries.

Cirque du Soleil has brought wonder and delight to more than 100 million spectators in more than 300 cities in over forty countries on six continents.

For more information about Cirque du Soleil, visit www.cirquedusoleil.com.

Media Contact:
Tim Choy - Davidson & Choy Publicity
323-954-7510
t.choy@dcpublicity.com

*For more information and pictures, visit the Cirque du Soleil online Press Room at cirquedusoleil.com/press