Cirque-like shows ‘Celestia’ and ‘Fuerza Bruta’ coming to Las Vegas

Two big tops coming to the Las Vegas Strip will be home to flashy new shows “Celestia” and “Fuerza Bruta,” which may resonate with Cirque du Soleil fans.

“Celestia” tells stories and creates illusions with an international troupe of 32 performers, including acrobats, aerialists and dancers. Live musicians provide the soundtrack for what the production’s website calls “an otherworldly story of love and sacrifice.”

The show has a tentative opening date of Feb. 27. It will be set in a 200,000-square-foot tent set up just north of the Stratosphere and performed eight times a week.

Celestia was created by Sasha Ivanov, a former music director for Cirque du Soleil’s “Kooza,” currently on world tour.

“We’ve put together an incredible cast of performers to tell a timeless and philosophical love story that is at once unique and universal,” Ivanov said in a news release.

The 90-minute show is suitable for all ages.

Performances will be at 7 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, and 7 and 9 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets cost $29-$89.

The second show, “Fuerza Bruta,” Spanish for “brute force,” opened in a tent that will be built at Excalibur. The final show will be performed Sunday, after which the show moves to MGM Cotai in Macau in June.

The show, first staged in Buenos Aires in 2003, has since played to audiences in 34 countries. It’s described as dynamic, immersive and postmodern — and adds audience participation to the movement-driven show.

A New York Times review once described part of the show as featuring “ … a massive shallow pool made of clear Mylar that descends from above, eventually scraping the heads of the taller audience members. Female performers splash and slide around alluringly in the water, like frisky mermaids in a big goldfish bowl.”

“Fuerza Bruta” will be staged 7 and 9:30 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays. General admission tickets cost $72.50.

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