Banana Shpeel

Banana Shpeel was a touring stage show created by Cirque du Soleil which premiered on November 19, 2009, at the Chicago Theater.

Prominent Broadway actors Michael Longoria and Annaleigh Ashford were written out of the production, along with original composer Laurence O'Keefe.

[8] Neil Genzlinger of The New York Times wrote, "Should I feel guilty that, for me, the most satisfying moment of Cirque du Soleil’s Banana Shpeel came when a clown was riddled with mock machine-gun fire?".

[10] Despite the show receiving a poor critical reception, Cirque insisted on continuing to showcase Banana Shpeel around the country, announcing that it would embark on a national tour later that year, starting in Toronto.

The company's president and chief executive, Daniel Lamarre, insisted that Cirque received no pressure from the Beacon Theatre and had voluntarily closed the show for a re-staging.

After receiving negative reviews during the Chicago run, the show underwent rework, which included the replacement of Côté and Price with previous Cirque du Soleil composer Simon Carpentier.

However, during Cirque du Soleil's 30th Anniversary Concert, one song from the show was performed, revealing the name of the track used in the contortion number: "The Snake Dance".

The promotional posters of Banana Shpeel. Left: The modified artwork removing Ashford, Passer, Wilson. Right: The original artwork.