Moody and magical ‘Corteo’ brings the strange joy of Cirque du Soleil back to Connecticut

Cirque du Soleil’s “Corteo” tracks the emotional, magical and acrobatic journey of a clown who is given the chance to see the festivities surrounding his own funeral. The title is an Italian word for a joyful procession. The procession happens in a dream world situated between heaven and earth.

“I try to merge theater and story with the circus,” says Daniele Finzi Pasca. The accomplished theater and opera director conceived and directed “Corteo,” the Cirque du Soleil spectacle which brings the internationally acclaimed Canadian circus company back to Connecticut for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic.

The show has five performances from Dec. 15-18 at Hartford’s XL Center.

Pasca calls “Corteo” “a show full of a strange joy. It’s a strange dream with the smell of Italian storytelling.”

The story, the joy and the dream are dramatized with a series of circus acts, from acrobatics to aerial displays (some involving chandeliers) to juggling, clowning and special routines like the Cyr Wheel, light metal hoops which performers spin within.

As with all the shows created by Cirque du Soleil since the company was founded in the mid-1980s, “Corteo” can be poetic, lyrical, moody, funny, magical, showy and spectacular all in one.

Cirque du Soleil is known for crafting new worlds using the extraordinary skills of world-class circus artists. It also features extravagant, ethereal costumes designed by Dominique Lemieux. The set design by Jean Rabasse features a giant turntable to keep the action moving.

Pasca, in a phone interview from Copenhagen last month, says he first entered the circus world 30 years ago and wanted to expose theatergoers to the wonders of circus performance.

“I started as a gymnast many years ago,” he explains. “In the Italian theater tradition of commedia dell’arte, actors are also acrobats. With Cirque du Soleil, I try to find a form to tell stories through circus.”

For “Corteo,” the director specifically wanted to “recreate images close to dreams.”

When the “Corteo” tour was postponed by the pandemic, a phase which also saw the vast Cirque du Soleil empire seeking bankruptcy protection (a situation from which it has since emerged), the performers and creative team dispersed. “We tried to bring back the whole team,” Pasca says, “but it was not possible with everybody. In some ways, though, it’s much better. If we can do an analogy, it’s as if you came in my restaurant and eat the food I prepare, but I may use different ingredients each time.”

“‘Corteo’ is a fantastic experience,” Pasca says. “We have tried to change the format and the structure that people might expect. It’s like a small revolution.”

“Corteo” is one of the Cirque du Soleil shows that began in one of the company’s signature tent venues. The tent shows usually start in Canada then are toured to major cities which can accommodate the tents. The last tent show to play Hartford was “Luzia” on Market Street in the summer of 2019. Other Cirque du Soleil shows begin as arena tours, such as “Toruk — The First Flight,” based on the film “Avatar,” which played the XL Center in 2017. Others are created for long runs in a single location such as Las Vegas or Broadway.

“Corteo” later got adapted from the tent format to the touring arena format, something that doesn’t happen to every tent show.

“When a show finished a long journey in the tent,” Pasca says, “we try to bring it to other places where it couldn’t have gone before. This show is perfect for an arena. It might be better in the arena. It keeps the same feeling.”

While continuing to shape and reshape shows for Cirque du Soleil, Pasca continues to challenge himself by working in other areas of the performing arts. “I continue to do different forms of theater, including opera. For a director, it’s also important to be back on stage sometimes as an actor.”

As for future Cirque du Soleil visions, Pasca demurs. “This is a moment for the circus,” he says, citing the hardships of the past two years. “First we bring back our shows. Then we talk about new ones.”

Cirque du Soleil’s “Corteo” is Dec. 15-18 at the XL Center, 1 Civic Center Plaza, Hartford. Performances are Thursday and Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 3:30 and 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. $44-$145. xlcenter.com.

Reach reporter Christopher Arnott at carnott@courant.com.