Zumanity (zoo-manity) was a resident cabaret-style show by Cirque du Soleil at the New York-New York Hotel & Casino on the Las Vegas Strip, placed into the theatre previously occupied by Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance (musical).

Created by René Richard Cyr and Dominic Champagne, Zumanity is a departure from the standard Cirque format.

Intended to be for mature adult audiences only, this show is centered on erotic song, dance, acrobatics, and comedy.

[1] Laliberté admits that the biggest reason to produce this show was the chance to create something with riskier subject matter.

"Our previous shows have all been family-oriented and politically correct, which is great," Laliberté said, "but we're human beings, we won't hide it.

Fur, feathers, leather, lace, fishnet stockings, velvet dresses, tiny corsets, cone bras, and plastic accessories were primary materials utilized to create the costumes' provocative appeal.

Molinier's long velvet dress was created by using a stencil and net onto which black silicone was applied.

For a great selection of character costumes and concept art, see Le Grand Chapiteau - Zumanity - Personages The lobby was created in European style, with an emphasis on curves.

A long lighting fixture on the ceiling looked to be made of many strips of golden silk.

There was a large window filled with blue swirls, and a glowing, golden fixture in the wall that seemed to resemble a labia.

Another window with a frame that looked like branches or vines showcased the "Amsterdam Room," which had one of the performers in it, dancing and teasing the guests in the lobby.

The grand staircase leading to the balconies also looked to be made of vines, or even nerves possibly symbolizing the sense of touch.

Different from the other shows, Zumanity had multiple performers roaming the lobby, always ready to playfully flirt and take photos.

Entering the theatre itself, you'd find yourself in a cabaret, smaller and more intimate than the other resident Cirque du Soleil Las Vegas shows.

The stage looked to be a marble parquet, with elegant, red curtains and two spiral staircases on either side.

The carpet featured naked women in a style that looked similar to a Renaissance or Baroque painting.

Tissus was changed into a solo act and the Rose Boy evolved into Magnum, mostly the same routine but the dancer became a secret agent.

The studio album for Zumanity was released on March 22, 2005, under Cirque du Soleil's music label.

Four other work-in-progress songs were released on Zumanity's website in 2003, all completely different from anything used in the show, although one of them was quite clearly an early version of Wind.

Meditation - featuring René Bazinet, who played Jesko in Cirque's Saltimbanco and performed the monologue for the show's Rideau song 14.