When Smokey Robinson and the Miracles sang the words “Ain’t too much sadder than the tears of a clown,” back in 1967, it wasn’t in reference to Cirque du Soleil’s Corteo — the avant-garde acrobatic production centered around a clown funeral.
More than fifty acrobats, musicians, singers, and actors bring Corteo to heavenly heights as the story of a clown who imagines his own funeral against the backdrop of a carnival unfolding. Corteo juggles the light and dark by questioning — and accepting — one’s own mortality through simple and surrealist staging, with oversized beds, chandeliers, and hand-painted curtains inspired by the Eiffel Tower.
Cirque du Soleil Corteo’s 0pening night begins at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 10 at Little Caesars Arena; 2645 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-471-7000; 313presents.com; Tickets are $65+.
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This article appears in Jan 2-8, 2019.