Whether it's summer or winter on Broadway in New York City, you don't expect to get hit with a snowball inside a Broadway theater. You can, however, run that risk if you go to see 'Slava's Snowshow,' which does for winter what swimming pools do for summer. No wonder everyone wants tickets to this unique stage show.
Union Square Theatre is the home of this unusual show, which was conceived by Slava Polunin, a Russian clown and mime who has been active in this demanding art since he turned 17. He founded his theater company in 1979, and he was successful enough to transplant it to England in 1988. After a tour of North America with Cirque du Soleil's 'AlegrÃa' show, 'Slava's Snowshow' has become a worldwide phenomenon, with more than one million viewers under its belt.
The show is a combination of clowning, miming and unusual props, ranging from large balloons pushed into the audience by the clowns to an indoor blizzard that occurs at the end of the performance. Slava himself is a balding clown with a big red nose, and his miming is the most expressive work you could hope to see.
With clowns wandering the aisles of Union Square Theatre among the audience and artificial cobwebs dropping onto the show's viewers, there is nothing predictable about 'Slava's Snowshow.' In fact, if you attend the right show, you might find Shakira or Spike Lee on hand. If indoor snow weren't enough to entice you to get your tickets soon, a chance to glimpse a celebrity in the audience should put you over the top.