'Cirque du Soleil: Luzia' by the numbers

Learn fun facts and stats about the world-famous circus company's latest show, which transports audiences to a world inspired by Mexican culture and folklore.

The wonder and awe of the circus comes from the performers who make the most death-defying, unbelievable stunts look easy. But behind the scenes, these artists — plus dozens of unseen creatives, musicians, and workers — are embroiled in just as much action as on stage. To launch Cirque du Soleil: Luzia, the world-famous circus franchise's latest show in NYC through April 27, it truly takes a village.

Or should we say un pueblo. Created and directed by Daniele Finzi Pasca, Luzia is inspired by the folklore and culture of Mexico, and the artists who bring it to life come from all over the world. Learn some fun facts, stats, and secrets of Cirque du Soleil: Luzia, and get tickets to see how all the parts come together into one spectacular production on Randall's Island.

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10 years of Luzia

The first-ever performance of Luzia was nine years ago, on April 21, 2016, in Montreal. However, multiple performers joined the team from the start of Luzia's development in 2015 and have appeared in the show ever since as it tours the world.

124 people from 26 countries

The full Luzia crew includes 47 onstage artists, 7 backstage musicians, and many more backstage crew, dressers, stylists, and other staff. Some work for Cirque and travel with Luzia from place to place, while others are hired locally in each city.

According to the Cirque staff, the diverse backgrounds of the group means there's always different international food being served in the on-site kitchen! Everyone gets a taste of home while they're with the show.

2,600 seats under the Big Top

For reference, that's nearly 700 more seats than the biggest Broadway theatre (the Gershwin, with 1,933). With seats on three sides of the stage, though, the space feels intimate. You're near the action no matter where you sit, especially since the performers move among and interact with the audience.

1 rain curtain

What sets Luzia apart from other Cirque shows is a cascading rain curtain in the middle of the Big Top, which gets turned on to make select acts even more spectacular. During one act, the water falls in formations that resemble flowers, animals, and traditional Mexican designs. These designs are fed into a machine that signals the water to fall in the appropriate patterns — think of it like 3D printing with rain.

Each performance of Luzia uses 10,000 liters (2,671 gallons) of heated water. It's all disinfected and recycled throughout the show's run in a given city — how sustainable!

2 types of hoops

During one act, an artist soars on a trapeze, two others perform hoop tricks on the ground, and the rain curtain turns on halfway through to turn the act into a water show. Blink and you'll miss it, but a sly switch takes place as that happens.

The hoop artists perform with smooth wooden hoops at the start, but when the water comes on, they swap them for rubber hoops with traction, resembling tires, so they don't slip out of the performers' hands when wet.

1,000 costume pieces

Over 1,000 individual clothing items and accessories appear on stage throughout Luzia. All the performers have at least one major showcase and play various supporting characters in other people's acts, so each person wears 5 or 6 different costumes throughout the 2-hour performance. One performer wears a 16-pound dress adorned with 61 flowers!

5,000 marigolds

When you first enter the Big Top, you're greeted by a field of golden flowers — marigolds, a key element of rituals for the Mexican holiday Day of the Dead. It's one of many symbols in Luzia that point to specific elements of Mexican culture and folklore; one other is a large disk at the back of the stage designed to resemble the Aztec calendar.

65 moving trucks

That's how many vehicles it takes to move all the show equipment from one city to another. Once everything arrives, it takes 7 days to set it all up and 3 to take it down before moving Luzia to its next destination.

9 miles of electric cable

That's how much wiring it takes to power all the lights and special effects both during the show and around all areas of the Big Top. It's an impressive feat in itself to keep all that from the audience's view and immerse them in the dreamlike, transportive world of Luzia.

Get Cirque du Soleil: Luzia tickets now.

Photo credit: Cirque du Soleil: Luzia. (Photos courtesy of production)