MSC Unveils Two New Cirque Shows

(PRESS RELEASE)_Geneva, Switzerland (October 17, 2019) — MSC Cruises revealed today details of the two brand-new and original Cirque du Soleil at Sea shows coming exclusively to MSC Grandiosa. In COSMOS, Journey to the unbelievable, guests will experience a breathtaking voyage across the galaxy with a brave astronaut on a quest for self-discovery. Audiences of EXENTRICKS, Expect the unexpected, will be caught off guard at every turn in this high-spirited spectacle.

Each Cirque du Soleil at Sea show is an original, never-before-seen production, and Cirque du Soleil is constantly pushing their creative boundaries, reinventing their processes, challenging the status quo and exploring new territories to create inspiring experiences to delight MSC Cruises guests. 

Andrea Gangale, Senior Vice President Product Development & Guest Experience, MSC Cruises said, “When we set out to work with Cirque du Soleil, our objective with this exclusive partnership was to take our onboard entertainment to yet another level and to deliver to our guests even more best-in-class entertainment. As the delivery of the third MSC Cruises ship featuring Cirque du Soleil at Sea approaches, each new show that we launch is ever more unique and original, giving our guests a breathtaking and memorable entertainment experience.”

Yasmine Khalil, Chief Executive Producer Cirque du Soleil & President 45 DEGREES commented, “For each new MSC Meraviglia class ship, we aim to deliver new and innovative content which further enriches the Cirque du Soleil at Sea portfolio. With these two entirely new productions, COSMOS and EXENTRICKS, we debut a never-before-seen performance, the “Ginger Rope” while also bringing more interactivity and, for the first time, call on audience participation. These will certainly be two must-see shows, exclusively on MSC Grandiosa.”

The new acrobatic performance ‘Ginger Rope’ in COSMOS sees three artists use a unique acrobatic apparatus developed specifically for the show. Aerialists will fly gracefully in orbit on the rotating stage on moving ropes embodying rings around the planets. Combining an exhilarating blend of flips and spins all around the Ginger Ropes, MSC Cruises guests will lift off into the fantastic world of COSMOS!

For the first time for any Cirque du Soleil at Sea show, EXENTRICKS will put guests in the center of the show with audience participation playing a vital role in the story, bringing MSC Cruises guests closer to the artists than ever before. As they interact with these extravagant and fun characters, guests will enjoy edge-of-your-seat acrobatics.

ABOUT THE TWO NEW SHOWS

cOSMOS - Journey to the unbelievable: Reach for the stars alongside the young explorer as he connects with his spirit of adventure, traveling through the stars and his childhood memories before landing on the realization that sometimes you need to travel far to come home. The co-pilots on this fantastic voyage are a galaxy of illuminating characters who are every bit spaced-out and other-worldly as they are kind and friendly. 

---

​COSMOS explores the feeling of traveling at night on the high seas on a majestic cruise ship. Imagine you’re on the open sea and you look up to gaze at the stars. The view is both mind-boggling and mesmerizing. The vastness of the sky is as fathomless as the deep blue ocean underneath.

EXENTRICKS - Expect the Unexpected: Led by a colorful cast of quirky characters, it’s all hands-on deck as you could very well be invited to jump right into the action! The excitement begins as a stylish and orderly extravaganza before suddenly careering off course into a hilarious pageant when the star performer is suddenly unable to continue. Scrambling to find a replacement, the Master of Ceremonies holds auditions. Experience action and a world of wonderous theatrics, surprising acrobatics, and a wave of mischief that promises to bring out the eccentric side in everyone. 

EXENTRICKS is inspired by the essence of the circus arts with big colorful characters brimming with style, personality and amazing abilities. The strength of the characters and the energy of the show are inspired in part by high-voltage, pop-culture fashion.

CUTTING-EDGE ENTERTAINMENT VENUE

The Carousel Lounge is a purpose-built entertainment venue holding just over 400 guests each show, one of the most intimate venues for any Cirque du Soleil produced shows. This venue was specially designed to meet the needs of the artists as well as bringing guests closer to a spectacular display of acrobatic flair and artistic finesse.

State-of-the-art technology is added to each new ship, designed specifically to accommodate each show. On MSC Grandiosa, the addition of 80 kinetic LED spheres offer a change to the atmosphere of the Carousel Lounge at specific moments during the shows and to create a large array of visual effects. The moving LED lights are spread across the space to provide depth and a visual background for the audience sitting across the room.

The 360° stage is where the lounge derives its name as it rotates like a carousel with special rigging for impressive aerial acrobatics. For MSC Grandiosa, the design team was looking for a way to bring more focus on solo ground acts, the solution came as a new 6.5 ft. lift in the center of the existing turn table to raise the performance above the stage floor. This new lift will be used during the juggling act for COSMOS and the contortion act on EXENTRICKS.

BOOKING INFORMATION

The new shows form part of MSC Cruises’ long-term partnership with Cirque du Soleil, the world-leader in live entertainment, to offer a truly unique onboard entertainment experience not rivaled anywhere else at sea. The partnership totals eight original shows to be created exclusively for MSC Cruises’ Meraviglia generation ships. MSC Meraviglia hosts VIAGGIO and SONOR and MSC Bellissima is home to SYMA and VARÉLIA. These new shows, COSMOS and EXENTRICKS, will launch on MSC Grandiosa in November. Work is already underway for MSC Virtuosa’s two shows ahead of her launch in October 2020.

Cirque du Soleil at Sea can be booked before the cruise with a special online discount or booked once on board. Guests can either book to enjoy a three-course menu of palate-pleasing dishes served before the show ($39). Or savor a specialty cocktail ($17) and enjoy the pre-show that begins 30 minutes before the start of the Cirque du Soleil at Sea performance.