Photo by Jennifer Mesk Photography
The Altamont Theatre will host Shozo: A Family Circus Theater Experience with Tim Arem on Sunday, September 24, at 2 p.m. Doors open at 1:30 p.m. “Through the music, costumes, puppetry, dance and magic,” creator and star of Shozo, Arem says, “[the audience] will be taken on a magical journey into the Japanese culture.”
Arem says Shozo has been described as Cirque du Soleil meets Bill Nye The Science Guy. Arem portrays a silent character making new and cool discoveries throughout the performance.
“Shozo” doesn’t have any meaning one would find in the dictionary, but Arem says he likes for it to mean using your imagination. “I just like the sound of the word basically,” he says.
Arem has performed the show in Tokyo and Los Angeles, and he’s adding some new material specifically for the Asheville performance.
Having portrayed characters such as Ronald McDonald, Mac Tonight and Striker, the mascot of World Cup Soccer, Arem has a successful background in live performance. One of his distinctive and original characters is T-Bone, a persona Arem created to get children excited about physical activity.
Through his lifelong fascination with Japan combined with his extensive history in live performance, Arem hopes audiences of Shozo will be taken on an adventure into a world they have not experienced before.
Arem says his favorite quote about Shozo comes from an entertainer friend who has attended shows and performed for more than 30 years. “I’ve not seen 80 percent of what you did in your show in any performances I’ve seen.”
The Altamont Theatre is located at 18 Church Street in downtown Asheville. To learn more or to purchase tickets for upcoming performances, visit thealtamonttheatre.com.
