Zarkana is written and directed by acclaimed film and theatre director François Girard ("The Red Violin," "Silk") and was created especially for the landmark theatre. (Radio City Music Hall, which housed the Tony Awards for several years, was unavailable for the 2011 awards show because of the arrival of Zarkana; the 2012 Tonys will again be held at the Beacon.)

The theatrical event returns to New York following an engagement at Moscow's Kremlin State Palace Theatre, which concluded April 8.

Zarkana, according to Cirque notes, "is an acrobatic spectacle that blends circus arts with the surreal to create a world where physical virtuosity rubs shoulders with the bizarre. Zarkana is a visual vortex set in a slightly twisted fantasy universe where, little by little, chaos and craziness give way to festivity and love regained. The diverse cast of more than 75 international artists transports the audience into a fantastical and suspenseful world, blurring the boundaries between the real and imaginary."

The name Zarkana is a fusion of the words "bizarre" and "arcana" (arcana means "mystery" or "secret"). The twisted fictional world of Zarkana "is an elusive destination that is fantastic yet bizarre." The name refers to "the irresistibly odd and delightfully strange aura of this place and its inhabitants."

The performance schedule for Zarkana is Tuesdays-Fridays at 8 PM, Saturdays at 2 PM and 8 PM, Sundays at 2 PM and 7 PM and Wednesday matinees at 2 PM. Radio City Music Hall at 50th Street and Sixth Avenue. For more information and tickets, call (866) 858-0008 or visit CirqueDuSoleil.com/Zarkana.