Tickets on Sale Beginning Saturday, December 19

(Amherst, MA – December 14, 2009) Get ready for the all new CIRQUE DREAMS ILLUMINATION from the creators of the groundbreaking hit and only show of its kind to ever perform on Broadway CIRQUE DREAMS Jungle Fantasy.  Hailed as, “Dazzling!  A reason to stand up and cheer”, by the New York Daily News, CIRQUE DREAMS ILLUMINATION will ignite Amherst when it performs at the Mullins Center on Sunday, February 7 at 8:00 p.m. for one performances only. 

Journey with fascination into the depths of a city that ignites with illumination when Cirque Dreams imagination, suspense and theatrical innovation turns EVERDAY ORDINARY…INTO BRIGHT AND EXTRAORDINARY!  Audiences of all ages will marvel as city dwellers reinvent familiar objects, balance on wires, leap tall buildings and redefine the risks of flight in a story filled with astounding occurrences.  One of a kind artists populate the streets of this magical metropolis and breathe energy into its landscape with urban acrobatics and never before seen phenomenal thrills of disbelief.  Cirque Dreams critically acclaimed dazzling costumes come alive to the sounds of jazz, ballroom, pop and more in this original score.  CIRQUE DREAMS ILLUMINATION will surely live up to the Cirque Dreams brand of notoriety proclaimed “The grandest circus spectacle east of Vegas” by New York Magazine.

CIRQUE DREAMS ILLUMINATION is affordably priced from $42 to $62 with discounts available for children, seniors, UMass Amherst faculty, students, and staff. Tickets are available at the Mullins Center box office, all Ticketmaster locations, www.ticketmaster.com or via phone at 800-745-3000. Group discounts for 10 or more are available by calling 413-545-3332. 

Created and directed by Neil Goldberg, Cirque Dreams Illumination is the latest brainchild of Goldberg's theatrical imagination and the Cirque Dreams brand of entertainment, creators of international performance, touring and Broadway sensations Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy, Cirque Dreams Holidaze, Cirque Dreams Pandemonia, Cirque Dreams Coobrila, Cirque Ingenieux and the first show of its kind at sea…Cirque Dreams & Dinner on board the Norwegian Cruise Line EPIC.  Over 50 million fans have attended a Cirque Dreams show throughout the U.S. and abroad in the past 5 years. 

“Cirque Dreams Illumination” is the company's 14th production since originating in 1993.  “The Cirque Dreams brand of quality, originality and value combined with Broadway theatrics and international circus artistry continues to transcend imagination and appeal to audiences of all ages” says Goldberg.  Critics and audiences alike have praised Cirque Dreams shows as “A whiz-bang family friendly spectacle” (LA Times), “Pure talent on a stage” (New Yorker) and “Executed to perfection.” (Chicago Sun Times).

For more information, visit: www.cirqueproductions.com

The Mullins Center (www.mullinscenter.com) is a 10,500-seat, multipurpose facility located on the University of Massachusetts Amherst campus. The venue is home to UMass Basketball and Hockey and hosts various concerts, family shows, ice shows and theatrical performances. The Mullins Center offers multiple function rooms, an adjoining community ice rink complete with three regulation racquetball courts.

Global Spectrum (www.global-spectrum.com) is the fastest growing firm in the public assembly facility management field with more than 85 facilities throughout the United States and Canada. The Philadelphia-based company is part of one of the world's largest sports and entertainment companies, Comcast-Spectacor, which also owns the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League, the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association, Flyers Skate Zone, a series of community ice skating rinks, Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia, a regional sports programming network, Ovations Food Services, a food and beverage services provider, New Era Tickets, a full-service ticketing and marketing product for public assembly facilities, and Front Row Marketing Services, a commercial rights sales company and 3601 Creative Group, a full-service in-house advertising agency. In a partnership with Disson Skating, Comcast-Spectacor annually produces 10 nationally televised figure skating spectaculars on NBC.

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Press information and hi-res photos available at:  www.cirqueproductions.com/illuminationmarketing/photos

Contact: Scott Sasenbury
               Mullins Center, Director of Marketing
               Phone: 413-545-3337
               Email: ssasenbury@admin.umass.edu