Zumanity (zoo-manity) was a resident cabaret-style show by Cirque du Soleil at the New York-New York Hotel and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip, in the theatre previously occupied by Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance. The production was unveiled on September 20, 2003 (previews began on August 14, 2003), and its last performance was on March 14, 2020. It was announced on November 16, 2020, that the show would be closing permanently. It is the first "adult-themed" Cirque du Soleil show, billed as "the sensual side of Cirque du Soleil" or "another side of Cirque du Soleil". Created by René Richard Cyr and Dominic Champagne, Zumanity is a departure from the standard Cirque format. Intended for mature adult audiences only, it was centered on erotic song, dance, acrobatics, and comedy.
The inspiration for Zumanity came from multiple sources. Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberté was offered the chance to create two new shows in Las Vegas, and wanted something completely new and original rather than multiple similar shows that would cannibalize off of each other's sales and audiences. Another reason was that the New York-New York Hotel and Casino wanted to make their entertainment appear more "trendy", and liked the concept of a more adult Cirque du Soleil performance.
Laliberté admits that the biggest reason to produce Zumanity was the opportunity to create something with edgier subject matter. He was interested in the idea of creating a show that explored human sexuality something at complete odds with the other, more family-oriented Cirque du Soleil shows. "Our previous shows have all been family-oriented and politically correct, which is great," Laliberté said, "but we're human beings, we won't hide it. We're a bunch of happy campers. We like to live new experiences. Zumanity deals with some of those experiences."
On February 22, 2022, Cirque du Soleil announced that a new show, Mad Apple, would replace the Zumanity show at New York-New York Hotel and Casino, which opened on May 26, 2022.
Costumes
Thierry Mugler designed the costumes for Zumanity; he created the costumes to enhance the sensual atmosphere and heightened sexuality of the production. Many of the costumes are highly colorful, yet some are minimal to an extreme. Fur, feathers, leather, lace, fishnet stockings, velvet dresses, tiny corsets, cone bras, and plastic accessories were primary materials utilized to create the costumes' provocative appeal. Jonel's costume, for example, is made of stretch vinyl and is airbrushed to create a semi-nude effect; her bright red wig is made of expanded foam. Faun has fur on his pants made of toothbrush bristles, human hair, and yak fur. Molinier's long velvet dress was created by using a stencil and net onto which black silicone was applied. Though some characters are made to look entirely nude, the sex organs are fake pieces. Zumanity had Cirque's most expensive and elaborate costumes, the Rose Boy's g-string alone costing $75,000.
For a great selection of character costumes and concept art, see Le Grand Chapiteau - Zumanity - Personages
The Human Zoo
The lobby was designed in European style, with an emphasis on curves. A long lighting fixture on the ceiling appeared to be made of strips of golden silk. One wall was lined with what appeared to be a burgundy, padded headboard, along which were peepholes that originally were conceived to show clips of erotic vintage films, but eventually showed promotional posters of the show. There was a large window filled with blue swirls, and a glowing, golden fixture in the wall that appeared to resemble labia. Another framed window appearing to feature branches or vines showcased the "Amsterdam Room," which had a performer in it, dancing and teasing the guests in the lobby to whom patrons could talk via a phone built into the wall. The lamps were elegant and attached to the wall by arms that appeared porous. There was a small nook with a couch you could lie on, usually with a performer. The grand staircase leading to the balconies also appeared to be made of vines, or even nerves, possibly symbolizing the sense of touch.
The theatre had 3 bars, or Eroticafés -- two on the ground floor, and one upstairs -- serving sushi and various drinks, the signature being the Zumanitini: 1 oz. Vodka Citron, 1/2 oz. Cherry Pucker, and a splash of Triple Sec, Sweet and Sour, and cranberry. Next to one bar was a small stage made up to look like a bedroom, where there was always a cast member beckoning to the guests from the bed. The restrooms were unique in that you would hear whispering and teasing in each stall. Unlike other shows, Zumanity had multiple performers roaming the lobby, always ready to playfully flirt and take photos.
Entering the theatre itself, you'd find yourself in a cabaret, smaller and more intimate than the other resident Cirque du Soleil Las Vegas shows. The stage appeared to be a marble parquet with elegant, red curtains and two spiral staircases on either side. Above the stage was a bridge from which the band played, that could move up and down. Many chandeliers hung around the stage, and the walls were lined with dimly lit lamps. The carpet featured naked women in a style resembling a Renaissance or Baroque painting. Around the back sides of the stage were barstools, and around the front circle of the stage were loveseats -- special options on top of the normal theatre seating.
When the curtains opened, a giant structure called "The Wave" was exposed. These were two massive, wavey screens whereon images could be projected. The screens could be moved into various positions.
The shop contained all sorts of novelties, from Zumanitini glasses to chocolate soap bars. Naturally, one could also find various adult-themed items.
The Show: 2003 - 2005
Animation "Through a series of scene transitions, this comedic quartet supplies the counterpoint to all that is erotic and provocative about ZUMANITY. In a show filled with serious sexual tension, Spymonkey is a reminder of the importance of having a laugh at ourselves and having fun in the bedroom!" Spymonkey was composed of Toby Park, Petra Massey, Aitor Basauri Barruetabena, and Stephan Kreiss Eliot Douglass plays a jazzy cabaret tune on the piano as the Molinier stands by with a cigarette. Zumans descend the spiral staircases to walk among the audience, with some stripping on stage. Luciene and Licemar Medeiros, twin sisters in showy French maid outfits, brush up against audience members in the aisles as they feed them strawberries. Antonio Drija, Zumanity's resident Gigolo, flirts with audience members, passes out calling cards, and takes polaroids. The Puritans, Spymonkey dressed up as Quakers, take to the stage protesting the show's obscenities, while ironically being a bit sexual themselves. Welcome, "Hello boys, hello girls" "Half-lit cigarette, empty martini glass, all these chicks lined up in a row on a street with no name in a city that never sleeps." The Puritans are booted off stage. Joey Arias, our "Mistress of Seduction" madame, emcee, and drag artist, sings a jazzy tune in her sensuous, smokey voice reminiscent of Billie Holiday. She then welcomes and warms the audience up for the coming show with laughs and very personal questions for the guests. Warnings, "Rules of the House" Lonnie Gordon, acclaimed dance, pop, and R&B singer, takes the stage, singing a song that highlights some things about the effects of the show that may surprise audiences, and what is prohibited. Eventually, Corinne Zarzour, Zumanity's rock diva, would join her. Extravaganza “Blaring horns and hammering drums announce the beginning of the fanfare. One by one the cast makes its fashionable entrance, parading down the catwalk in costumes every bit as vibrant, bold, and diverse as their spectrum of talents and personalities. It’s an incandescent introduction to the colorful cast of performers who will guide the audience on their journey into the world of ZUMANITY.” Wind and Wassa "We summon the spirits of passion and hope." "All at once a storm sweeps over the stage as Marcela [de la Vega Luna], Queen of the Wind, summons the spirits in a fevered flamenco dance. With smoldering intensity, her hypnotic trance stirs the soul, arouses the imagination and prepares the senses for an uninhibited transformation." "Marcela awakens the unbridled passion in Wassa [Coulibaly]. Exploding into a vigorous African dance, her arms, legs and torso take on a primal energy of their own, flying erratically and erotically in rhythm to the intoxicating tribal pulse." Water Bowl "Do you remember that first hint of something delicious and strange? Of water on parched lips? Or that very first glass of champagne? Do you remember how, in one magical moment, everything changed?" "Abandoning their innocence, contortionists Gyula [Gyulnara Karaeva] and Bolormaa [Zorigtkhuyag] bathe in inhibition and taste love for the first time. Fluidly they glide through the water striking a sensual array of inconceivable poses to explore the limits of physicality, sexuality and creativity all at once." Cirque's Amaluna would also showcase a water bowl act years later in 2012. Hoops "Oh, innocence: so fleeting, so fragile. One day the sweet young thing, the next thing you know, you're soaking wet and lying naked in a hotel room in Vegas. Story of my life: 'what goes around, comes around.'" "Julia [Kolosova] brings to life the school girl fantasy. She gyrates and swivels as she guides her hoops up and down her lithe frame, ultimately engulfing her body. Then, without warning, the dream takes flight as she soars through the air performing daring feats of aerial choreography." Julia hula hooped in midair while swinging around the theatre. The Rose Boy "I've been looking at all these beautiful, sexy, wonderful women up on stage tonight, and I know some of you are wondering, 'Where's the beef?' Does anybody want some roses?" "Alex [Castro] peels away the tough exterior to expose his weakness... for the ladies. He tantalizes and teases the audience by revealing his chiseled body bit by bit in a sinfully seductive striptease." Pom Poms Spymonkey comes out entirely nude (the privates were prosthetics) and teases the audience by covering themselves only by pom poms, which they remove to give quick flashes of their bodies. At one point, one of the members crawls over the audience's seats with his privates getting entangled in guests' hair. Body2Body "These days I live for the elicit tingle of skin on skin, the taste of sweat, and the pungent scent of passion. How about you? Are there parts of your lover's body you've left unexplored, untouched, untasted? Well, my only question is, "What are you waiting for?'" "Sara [Joel] and Stéphan [Choinière] entwine in a tantric, hand-balancing duet that underscores the beauty of sex. Featuring a breath-taking array of Kama Sutra-inspired maneuvers, their act portrays the discovery of a lover’s body with dramatic strength, flexibility and trust." The artists maneuver their bodies into various shapes, making living, human sculptures. Body2Body can be related to hand-2-hand, although it is done quite differently. The performers use their entire bodies to lift each other, and the act has high emphasis on choreography. Expressions and Dislocation Expressions: Interlude into Dislocation where the Fauna [Jesse Villa] breakdances on the stage to the percussion accompaniment of Larry Aberman. Dislocation: "Limber Lothario, Moukhtar [Gusengadzhiev], performs on command for his sadomasochistic sirens, who derive pleasure from watching him squirm. Redefining flexibility, his elastic body bends, twists, and contorts into nature-defying positions that inspire both 'awes' and 'ows.'" Dance on TV