Zumanity was a game-changer when it opened at New York-New York in 2003. Cirque du Soleil’s mélange of Dionysian dynamics and sensual acrobatics drew inspiration from burlesque and cabaret but burst through tradition with a modern take on adult entertainment. No other Cirque show had relied as much on the physiques of its cast as their physicality or blended risk-taking with the risqué.
No other Cirque show has a drag queen hostess, a swinger couple and the voluptuous Botero Sisters to guide guests through the proceedings either.
The acts are unforgettable: Two women experience attraction while swimming in a water bowl, a biker tests the limits of testosterone while swinging from a chain, an African queen gives full release to her inhibitions during a tribal dance and two martial artists find magnetism in motion during combat that turns carnal.
While some acts have been with Zumanity since the beginning, others have been added. It wouldn’t quite be the same show, though, without a dislocation artist demonstrating the limits the human body is capable of, which requires a workout cast member Araz Hamzayev ably demonstrates on Cirque du Soleil’s YouTube channel.
New York-New York, 7 & 9:30 p.m. Fri.-Tues. (dark Feb. 2, 9:30 p.m show only Feb. 3 & 18), starting at $69 plus tax and fee, $125 plus tax and fee for duo sofas (sold in pairs only), 18+. 866.606.7111
