IRIS, A Journey Through the World of Cinema by Cirque du Soleil Premieres Sunday, September 25 Exclusively at Kodak Theatre

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Cirque du Soleil and CIM Group present tonight the world premiere of IRIS, a new major resident production created exclusively for the Kodak Theatre at the Hollywood & Highland Center, home of the Academy Awards®, on September 25. Proudly presented by Sun Life Financial, IRIS is written and directed by French stage and film director, artistic director, dancer and choreographer Philippe Decoufle.

To view the multimedia assets associated with this release, please click: http://www.multivu.com/mnr/51998-cirque-du-soleil-iris

About the show

A poetic phantasmagoria inspired by the world of cinema, IRIS presents an imaginary journey through the evolution of cinema – from the foundations of the art form to the bustle of the soundstage – through optical effects and film genres. IRIS transposes into a language of dance and acrobatics all of cinema's splendor, inventiveness and, above all, its sense of wonder.

When the two young heroes – Buster and Scarlett – find themselves plunged into the joyful chaos of a film set, their escapades transport the spectator into a kaleidoscope of movement, moods and images supported by an orchestral score.

IRIS conjures up a place between motion and picture, light and sound that shifts constantly between reality and make-believe, to explore the limitless possibilities of cinema. By combining dance, acrobatics, live video, film footage and interactive projections, the show illustrates both the mechanics of cinema and its extraordinary power to deceive the eye.

About Philippe Decoufle

Cooperation with others is essential to Philippe Decoufle's process. In 1983 he gathered together a group of artists and artisans who have been with him ever since as members of his dance company DCA, which has created scores of playful and fantastic productions that represent a veritable revival in contemporary dance.

In 1992 Philippe created the magnificent opening and closing ceremonies of the Albertville Olympic Games. Watched by two billion viewers, this work earned him an international reputation. Philippe Decoufle also created the show Desirs that has been running at the Crazy Horse Saloon in Paris since 2009. IRIS is his first show with Cirque du Soleil.

The creative team

Along with Philippe Decoufle, the creative team consists of the following distinctive talents:

Tickets information

Tickets range from $43 to $133 (VIP tickets are available at $253). Tickets can be purchased on line at www.cirquedusoleil.com/IRIS or by calling 1-877-943-IRIS.

For parties of 12 or more, contact Cirque du Soleil group sales by calling 877-504-7164.

For Preferred Seating and other American Express® Cardmember benefits, please visit www.cirquedusoleil.com/amex.

Sponsors

Sun Life Financial is the presenting sponsor of IRIS. Infiniti and American Express are the official sponsors of this new production.

About Cirque du Soleil

From a group of 20 street performers at its beginnings in 1984, Cirque du Soleil is now a major Quebec-based organization providing high-quality artistic entertainment. The company has 5,000 employees, including more than 1,500 performing artists from close to 50 different countries. Cirque du Soleil has brought wonder and delight to more than 100 million spectators in nearly 300 cities on six continents.

For more information, visit www.cirquedusoleil.com.

To find out more about the One Drop Foundation, visit www.onedrop.org.

About KODAK Theatre

Kodak Theatre is the crown jewel of the Hollywood & Highland Center, a retail, dining and entertainment venue located in the heart of historic Hollywood. The theatre opened in November 2001 and soon became known to more than one billion people across the globe as the first permanent home of the Academy Awards®. Kodak Theatre was designed by the internationally-renowned Rockwell Group to be as glamorous as its onstage artists and celebrity guests, yet capable of serving the enormous technical needs of a live worldwide television broadcast on Oscar® night.

For more information visit: http://www.kodaktheatre.com

About Sun Life Financial

Sun Life Financial is a leading international financial services organization providing a diverse range of protection and wealth accumulation products and services to individuals and corporate customers. Chartered in 1865, Sun Life Financial and its partners today have operations in key markets worldwide, including Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, India, China and Bermuda. In the United States and elsewhere, insurance products are offered by members of the Sun Life Financial group that are insurance companies. Sun Life Financial Inc., the holding company for the Sun Life Financial group of companies, is a public company. It is not an insurance company and does not offer insurance products for sale in the United States or elsewhere, and does not guarantee the obligations of its insurance company subsidiaries. Product offerings may not be available in all states and may vary depending on state laws and regulations. As of June 30, 2011, the Sun Life Financial group of companies had total assets under management of $492 billion. For more information, please visit www.sunlife.com.  Sun Life Financial Inc. trades on the Toronto (TSX), New York (NYSE) and Philippine (PSE) stock exchanges under the ticker symbol SLF.

SOURCE Cirque du Soleil