International production ‘Fuerza Bruta’ bound for Las Vegas Strip

Suddenly, production-show competition on the Strip is in tents.

The international show “Fuerza Bruta” is arriving at Excalibur on Feb. 9, a six-month engagement. The production will perform in a tent on the property’s northwest corner of the Strip and Reno Avenue.

“Fuerza Bruta will run 10 shows weekly at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., Wednesdays through Sundays, dark Mondays and Tuesdays. Tickets are $72.50 (not including fees); the onsale date is to be announced.

The new-to-Vegas production joins the long-running hit “Absinthe” at Caesars Palace, and the incoming “Celestia” at Stratosphere as acrobatics-tinged shows playing in tents on the Strip next year.

According to a news release formally announcing the production, “Fuerza Bruta” incorporates music and ample “kinetic” aerial imagery. The show debuted in Buenos Aires in 2003 by its creator and artistic director, Diqui James, and longtime musical director and composer Gaby Kerpel. The touring production has played to more than 6 million people in 34 countries and 58 cities over 15 years.

The show plays in the round, a 360-degree venue with performers working close to the crowd. Aerial effects are performed above a Lucite (or, translucent plastic) pool and also while surrounded by Mylar (thin, durable polyester film used in photography and insulation). Celebrities who have visited the New York production have included Beyoncé, Justin Bieber, Jim Carrey, Bradley Cooper, Leonardo DiCaprio, John Legend, Madonna, Jimmy Page, Kanye West and Usher, who recorded the music video for his hit song “Scream” at the show, while he was a special guest performer in the NYC show.

“Fuerza Bruta” seems to remind of Cirque du Soliel by its artistic tenor, and is also loosely connected to the performance company for its production team. The show is co-produced by international operators Ozono Producciones, Fuerza Bruta and EMM Williams Productions, which is the principal promoter for Cirque, among other big production shows in South America and Lebanon.

Excalibur President and Chief Operating Officer Ann Hoff said in a statement, “On behalf of our employees, I’d like to welcome our new entertainment partners. ‘Fuerza Bruta’ has performed to extraordinary acclaim around the world and we believe they will quickly become a mainstay on the Strip. We know Las Vegas audiences will fall in love with the spectacular production that must be seen to be believed.”

The show joins the ongoing productions “Tournament of Kings,” Australian Bee Gees and “Thunder from Down Under,” and the incoming production of Dutch magic star Hans Klok, at the ExCal in 2019. “Fuerza Bruta” has received some positive coverage from major media outlets, with The New York Times calling the show “a physical and visual extravaganza,” and the Chicago Tribune extolling the “dazzling display of bravura and skill.”

John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His PodKats podcast is posted on the R-J website. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on Twitter, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.