'Toruk - The First Flight'

History and magic are being made at the Allentown PPL Center, beginning Dec. 4 through Dec. 6.

For the first time in entertainment history, the world-renown performance group Cirque du Soleil will be appearing in Allentown to make the U.S. premiere of "Toruk - The First Flight," a multimedia fusion combining cutting-edge visuals, puppetry and stagecraft to depict an enthralling prequel to the highest grossing film of all time: James Cameron's "Avatar."

Surpassing all odds, Cameron and the directors of Cirque du Soleil (Michael Lemieux and Victor Pilon) have created a spectacular stage show for all audiences - not just those who are already fans of the "Circus of the Sun."

"For people who have never before seen Cirque du Soleil, the show's going to be something completely unique for them. And for people who have seen Cirque du Soleil perform before, it's going to be a very different production for them as well," says Laura Silverman, a public relations representative of Cirque.

"We're really blending the lines of entertainment."

Silverman was happy to expound on the production's broad palette.

"And on the flip side, this is definitely a great show for families, because it follows a story, and it's an easy story to follow."

Pilon, Cirque du Soleil director, also acknowledges the many technological advances that have been made in order to pull off what is expected to be the most intricate Cirque performance the world has ever seen.

"It's the language of film applied to the performing arts," says Pilon.

Likewise, director Lemieux commented on the rig of no less than 40 large-scale projectors that bring to life the Na'vi scenery and the fauna of Cameron's world of Pandora on set.

"Set changes, which sometimes occur in the wink of an eye, are not mechanical, but optical," says Lemieux.

These projectors, which depict the highly detailed Pandora scenery in lieu of a physical set, are capable of covering approximately 20,000 square feet with enchanting animations that stretch into the crowd for total immersion in the storyline. If you're wondering, that's more than five times the size of a standard IMAX screen.

Like the many technological leaps that Cirque du Soleil has made over the sculpting of this production, several character changes have also been included to ensure the most groundbreaking Cirque du Soleil performance to date.

The addition of "The Storyteller," an English-speaking narrator shrouded in an air of mystery and an intricately woven Na'vi cloak, is also the first of its kind employed in the shaping of a Cirque performance.

In addition, intricate costumes and makeup have been carefully assembled to manipulate the illusion of the authentic physical appearance of Cameron's Na'vi people, while enormous, detailed puppets manned by Cirque performers bring to life the many magical creatures of this fictional world.

Don't miss your chance to become a part of entertainment history. Whether you're a film fan, circus fan, or just a fan of good entertainment, "Toruk - The First Flight" will leave you saying, as the Na'vi say, "Kin awngal Torukit!" (We need Toruk!)

For more information visit http://pplcenter.com/events/toruk-the-first-flight.