A rendering of Wintuk

Illustration courtesy of Cirque du Soleil

The Lion King designer Michael Curry talks with Richard Blackburn, director of Cirque du Soleil’s new show, Wintuk.

Michael Curry: This is the first time Cirque has created a show for a specific venue: Madison Square Garden. Have any unique obstacles cropped up?

Richard Blackburn: The Garden was not designed with Cirque in mind, so there are definitely new challenges. The height limitations—the theater has a 23-foot ceiling—have had a huge impact on this production. It’s much more panoramic than vertical. Aerial work is not possible, but it’s made us think in new directions. We’re incorporating different kinds of acrobatics that marry well with some very complex puppetry. But there are positives, too. The Garden’s stage is removable, so we were able to lower it about five feet and build a trench that hides 14 puppeteers.

Curry: The puppeteers aren’t visible?

Blackburn: No, and this was a conscious decision. It’s done so well that way in Lion King, there’s no point in trying to emulate it.Curry: One thing I’ve discovered is that Broadway audiences are very accepting of puppetry. I think Wintuk will likely appeal to both adults and children.

Blackburn: This has been another first—our first show aimed at a family audience. To be honest, The Lion King is the challenge we’ve put on our plate. New Yorkers have access to such high-caliber puppetry, it really raised the bar. The question is: How can we not only live up to Lion King, but present something new?Curry: Cirque shows are usually veiled in abstraction, but there’s also a more definite story line with Wintuk, right?

Blackburn: Yes, it’s about an 11-year-old boy who is trying to find out what has happened to the snow. He travels to faraway lands and encounters a lot of fantastical creatures, like the giant lampposts that move the narrative along. It’s not a musical, but there are musical keys—little “songettes”— that serve as reference points for the audience. We want it abstract but still with a story that’s up front.

Curry: A boy searching for snow—is this a parable about global warming?

Blackburn: It’s in the background, but it’s not in-your-face environmentalism. This is not a morality play.

Wintuk opens at Madison Square Garden Nov 6 (cirquedusoleil.com). The Lion King continues its tenth- anniversary season at the Minskoff Theatre; see Theater.