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Fascination Issue 006
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Fascination! Newsletter
Issue #6 - February 2002
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Bonjour! And welcome to our sixth issue, where we pick up
exactly where we left off last with our examination of classic Cirque
du Soleil shows. There's also plenty of interesting news and rumor
items to share with you. So, lets get started quickly, shall we?
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Contents:
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* News & Rumors
* Tour/Show Information
* This Month in Cirque History
* Birthday Wishes
* Cirque TV
* Introduction - The Fantasy Continues!
* Feature: "Reinventing Réinventé (Again)" (By: Jen Waldman)
* Feature: "A Nouvelle Expérience" (By: Ricky Russo)
* Feature: "Fascination!" (By: Ricky Russo)
* Feature: "Reinventing Circus Music (Part 2)" (By: Paul Roberts)
* DVD Review -- Inside La Nouba (By: Keith Johnson)
* The Cirque Connection:
"Under the Grand Chapiteau" (By: Paul Roberts)
* Quick Facts
* Parting Quote
* Next Issue
* Subscription Information
* Copyright & Disclaimers
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NEWS, RUMORS & TOUR INFORMATION
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News
------
Alegría's North American Tour, Part Deux:
Now that the Quidam rumors have come true for starry-eyed fans,
one has to wonder when/if Cirque's self-proclaimed "signature
show" will return to U.S. soil? Last month, Fascination!
reported that possibility. Now we have a date -- June 30th,
2002. The Place -- Denver, Colorado, as previously reported.
Other stops on this tour have yet to be determined, but it
appears 2002 will be one exciting year for fans of Cirque in the
United States!
Mystère CD Not For Sale?:
It appears the original 1994 Mystère show CD (RCA Victor -62686)
is no longer being sold by Cirque du Soleil. It is not available
through their online store at www.cirquestore.com, nor is it
available through their La Nouba boutique in Orlando, Florida.
Fans can, however, continue to purchase the CD through other
vendors like Amazon.com and the "Mystère Live in Las Vegas" CD
(RCA 68596) is still available.
Alegría DVD:
Ever since Alegría premiered on Bravo, the Film and Arts
network, in November, fans of the Cirque show wondered when the
90-minute presentation would be available on DVD/VHS. While
there is no concrete release date at this time, there have been
rumblings that in the Spring of 2002 this most celebrated show
will be released to home markets.
Le Reve - A Bumpy Ride:
In issues past, we reported that Steve Wynn, creator of the
Mirage, Treasure Island (home of Mystère) and the Bellagio (home
of "O") was in the process of designing and building his newest
mega-resort: "Le Reve", which is a French word meaning "The
Dream". Wynn, who purchased the Desert Inn property on the Las
Vegas strip to build on, has run into a few kinks - his
neighbors. While he and those who border his property continue
to battle it out, Le Reve is still on schedule to be completed
by 2004 (taking about 36 months to complete). "Le Reve" will
have two theaters, one of which is reportedly being built for
Franco Dragone, former Cirque du Soleil visionary. We will keep
you up to date on the development of this new Vegas hotel as
well as the new production by Franco Dragone as the information
becomes available.
Les Voilà in Seattle?
After leaving Dralion, many fans lost track of the exceptional
comedic duoknown as Les Voilà. Well, we found them, and the two
(Johnny Filion and Soizick Hébert), will begin performing in
Teatro Zinzanni, A sort of theatrical diner presentation in
Seattle, Washington, beginning April Fools Day (4/1/02). For
further information on what Teatro Zinzanni is, check out:
<http://dreams.zinzanni.org/ >.
Win a trip to see Quidam!:
With a frequency of 107.9 on the FM dial, WLNK in Charlotte,
North Carolina has a contest for its listeners: Win a trip to
Quidam! To enter: <http://www.1079thelink.com/station_pages/
contest_form_4.jhtml>. But you must hurry! Prizes are to be
awarded from February 8th through March 10th! Don't miss your
chance to WIN tickets to Quidam!
Singers changing for Dralion:
For the past month, Frank Irving, who sang the male role in
Dralion (he is the second), has left the show. His female
partner, Agnès Sohier, has been singing all songs during this
transition period. Frank's replacement is currently in studio
and will be premiering soon.
Casting Update:
Life in a circus is seldom the same from day to day. People
come and go making change a constant. To all the wonderful
artists, singers, musicians and dancers who have joined Cirque
du Soleil in the last couple of months, we welcome you. For
those fans who have wondered who has replaced those artists in
more specialty acts, those fine folks are listed below:
Alegría:
Nathalie Noel (Soprano Singer)
Julien Pasada (High Wire)
Pauliina Räsänen (Solo Trapeze)
Time Emiliano Sumeo (Fire/Knife Dance)
Dralion:
Igor Arefieu Jr (Aerial Pas de deux)
Colette Morrow (Aerial Pas de deux)
Philippe Aymard (Clown Act)
Colin Wesley Gee (Clown Act)
La Nouba:
Odessa Thornhill (Soul Singer)
Isabeau Proulx Lemire (Counter Tenor Singer)
Denise Guay (Character)
Mystère:
Bernard Marchand (Keyboardist)
Devin Streator (Keyboardist)
"O":
Otgo Waller (Contortion)
Fumiko Okuno (Synchronized Swimming)
Patrick Joseph Bogart (Russian Swing)
Marie Marceau (Ancient Music)
Quidam:
Nathalie Harris (Cloud Swing)
Sébastien Thériault (Keyboardist)
Saltimbanco:
Olga Sidorova (Solo Trapeze)
James Clowney (Character)
Cedric Casanova (Character)
Rumors
--------
Ex-Quidam Alums Returning?
Three names keep popping up whenever the new Quidam North
American Tour is mentioned: Isabelle Chassé (Aerial Contortion
in Silk), Chris Lashua (German Wheel) and Karl Bauman
(Character). It was earlier reported by Paul Roberts
(Fascination! Senior Staff Writer) to the Cirque du Soleil chat
list on Yahoo! Groups that both Isabelle Chassé and Chris Lashua
will rejoin the Quidam production beginning with its first stop
in Miami and will tour for a short period of time thereafter.
The enigma, Karl Bauman, who was part of the original Quidam
cast, has been hired as a character/ dancer for the show,
according to Cirque casting. The next few weeks will tell for
sure.
New Quidam CD in the Works?:
A couple of issues back we reported on a rumor that Cirque was
going to release sometime in the future another compilation CD,
now we hear another new Quidam CD is in the works. The new CD is
to have such tracks as the Banquine act and the Diabolo's act.
Many of the other tracks have rumored to have also been re-
arranged. Fans... keep your eyes peeled for this one!
John/Olga in Cirque 2002?:
Many rumors are circulating about Cirque 2002, tentatively
entitled "ROM" in homage to its Gypsy theme. It has been
suggested that John Gilkey, who made his character famous in the
North American Tour of Quidam and the Quidam DVD, is returning
to the Cirque with their new production. And, Olga Parchinko,
the limber Russian in Quidam is also rumored to have joined the
new production. As the information becomes available we'll
report it.
Elena Lev.... in Quidam?:
It has been suggested that Elena Lev, famous for her hoop
manipulation act in Alegría, has made the move to Quidam,
Cirque's 1996 production. It is unknown whether she will stay
for the full length of Quidam's new North American Tour (it has
been suggested that 3-months is all), nor do we know for certain
how long that tour will last. Stay tuned! Quidam premiers in
Miami, Florida, the first stop on the new North American Tour,
on February 7, 2002.
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TOUR/SHOW INFORMATION
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[Touring Shows]
Alegría:
* Up Next: Singapore 2/28/02 - 3/24/02.
* Other Stops:
- Denver, Colorado: 6/20/02
Cirque 2002:
* Montréal: 4/24/02 - 6/2/02
* Québec: 6/27/02 - 7/14/02
* Other Confirmed Stops:
- Toronto: Summer 2002
- San Jose: Fall 2002
- San Francisco: Fall 2002
Dralion:
* Houston: 1/17/02 - 2/17/02
* Los Angeles: 3/7/02 - 3/24/02
* San Diego: 4/19/02 - 5/12/02
* Seattle: Summer 2002
* Other Stops: Unscheduled.
Quidam:
* New North American Tour!
* Miami, Florida: 2/7/02 - 3/10/02
* Charlotte, North Carolina: 3/29/02 - 4/14/02
* Other Stops:
- Pittsburg, PA.: Spring 2002
Saltimbanco:
* Amsterdam: 2/14/02 - 4/6/02
* Barcelona: 4/26/02 - 5/26/02
* Other Stops:
- Vienna: 7/10/02 - 8/4/02
- Brussels: Fall 2002
- Madrid: 10/31/02 - 12/01/02
[Resident Shows]
La Nouba:
* Two shows Nightly - Thursday through Monday.
* Times: 6:00pm and 9:00pm
* Location: Walt Disney World, Orlando.
* No performances on Tuesday or Wednesday.
* Other than its normal off nights, "La Nouba" is
scheduled to be dark on these dates in 2002:
- February 3rd through February 6th
- April 1st through 4th
- May 28th through June 12th
- July 22nd through July 25th
- September 9th through 12th
- October 21st through 24th
- December 3rd through 11th
Mystère:
* Two shows Nightly - Wednesday through Sunday.
* Times: 7:30pm and 10:30pm
* Location: Treasure Island, Las Vegas.
* No performances on Monday or Tuesday.
* Other than its normal off nights, "Mystère" is
scheduled to be dark on these dates in 2002:
- February 3rd through February 6th
- April 7th through April 10th
- June 5th through 9th
- August 4th through 7th
- October 6th through 9th
- December 4th through 17th
"O":
* Two shows Nightly - Friday through Tuesday.
* Times: 7:30pm and 10:30pm.
* Location: Bellagio, Las Vegas.
* No performances on Wednesday or Thursday.
* Other than its normal off nights, "O" is
scheduled to be dark on these dates in 2002:
- February 18th through 19th
- April 29th through 30th
- June 19th through 27th
- August 12th through 13th
- October 14th through 15th
- December 4th through 19th
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THIS MONTH IN CIRQUE HISTORY
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* February 03, 2000 -- Dralion opened San Francisco, California
* February 07, 2002 -- Quidam opened Miami, Florida
* February 09, 2001 -- Saltimbanco opened Fukuoka, Japan
* February 14, 2001 -- Dralion opened Miami, Florida
* February 14, 2002 -- Saltimbanco opened Amsterdam
* February 22, 2000 -- Alegría: Le Film CD Released
* February 25, 2001 -- Quidam opened Manchester
* February 28, 2002 -- Alegría opened Singapore
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BIRTHDAY WISHES!
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* February 11, 1980 -- Olga Pikhienko (Hand Balance/Quidam)
* February 22, 1969 -- Nicky Dewhurst (Clown/Mystère)
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CIRQUE TV
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From time to time, patrons of Cirque du Soleil can find their amazing
performances on television. To find out when and where Cirque du
Soleil will be on TV, follow the schedule below:
Bravo
=======
* February 20th (Wednesday)
8:00pm -- Nouvelle Expérience
11:00pm -- Nouvelle Expérience
* February 21st (Thursday)
5:00pm -- Nouvelle Expérience
* February 24th (Sunday)
10:00pm -- Nouvelle Expérience
* February 25th (Monday)
1:00am -- Nouvelle Expérience
For further information on when Cirque du Soleil will appear on TV,
check www.bravotv.com, www.aande.com, www.discovery.com and
www.starzencore.com. These schedules could change at any time.
=======================================================================
INTRODUCTION - THE FANTASY CONTINUES!
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Cirque's "Baroque Odyssey" was begun in 1981 by a collection of street
artists with a dream: "to promote circus arts and street performers."
These artists turned their dream into an exciting union: "Club des
Talons Hauts, Inc." ("The High-Heels Club"). Later, as their notoriety
grew, they caught the attention of the Québec government who
commissioned them to create a special performance to celebrate the
450th anniversary of the province. They accepted. In 1984, all their
hard work, determination and stamina turned their dream into reality,
creating one of the most sought after and highly praised circus
troupes in the world: Cirque du Soleil.
Since then Cirque has created twelve different shows - Le Cirque du
Soleil (1984/1985), Le Magie Continue (1986), Le Cirque Réinventé
(1987-1989), Nouvelle Expérience (1990-1992), Fascination (1992),
Saltimbanco (1992-Present), Mystère (1993-Present), Alegría (1994-
Present), Quidam (1996-Present), "O" (1998-Present), La Nouba (1998-
Present), and Dralion (1999-Present). With each new performance comes
a new level of intrigue. Many fans were introduced to Cirque du Soleil
in their later years missing out on their infant, yet equally as
interesting past. This issue concludes our journey into the Classic
Cirque shows continuing with Le Cirque Réinventé, Nouvelle Expérience
and concluding with Fascination.
"All that's left is for you to open up your hearts and let your
imagination soar into the world of magic." - Guy Laliberté (1986).
=======================================================================
FEATURE: "REINVENTING RÉINVENTÉ (AGAIN)" (By: Jen Waldman)
=======================================================================
1989: The year the author of this article started 6th grade, the year
the local McDonald's moved across the street...the year Denis Lacombe
did NOT appear in Le Cirque Réinventé. All right, so maybe only one of
these is really worthy of note. (Not 6th grade, I hated 6th grade.)
For many people, Denis Lacombe's crazy conducting was a signature act
of Cirque, and its departure was sorely missed. But by replacing some
older, well-known acts with new performances, Cirque was already
showing its willingness to reinvent itself-- even on the road.
The show began with the now-familiar but always magical Opening with
the Everypeople and the Queen of the Night (Angela Laurier). Michel
Barette was picked from the Everypeople to become the Ringmaster, the
children cavorted, and then--
Four acrobat balanced precariously on the Chairs, not seeming to mind
that the tower of chairs grew higher and higher. An old favorite, and
most welcome once again.
The tightrope duo left the show, so now Fil de Fer was a solo act
performed by a lovely young lady called Pasqualina. Her tightrope act
was very prop-heavy--she made use of everything from hoops to
umbrellas!
Next came an act called Acrobatic Dance, which had a strong base in
rhythmic gymnastics. Two girls danced, "flared to the beats of their
hearts" as the program said, all the while using ribbons to illustrate
pretty patterns in the air.
Another new-to-Réinventé act was the Rola Bola, performed by four
young Chinese men. This Rola Bola act involved Acrobatics with Dishes;
as the performers maintained their balance, sometimes in nerve-
wracking positions, they also flipped bowls onto the tops of their
heads. The world's restaurants should have waiters that dexterous!
The Bicycles were back, only Luc Tremblay stepped (wheeled?) down as
the soloist. He was replaced by Angelo T. Ballan, who was equally
proficient in the art of trick cycling.
Eric Varelas and Amelie Demay were on hand once again to perform their
Handbalancing skills to the Tango beat. Apparently they fought a lot
over the creative aspects of the act, but you would never guess it
from their harmony onstage.
Juggling was now performed by Frederic Zipperlin. This act included
some manipulation/contact juggling, as one of his feats was to
maneuver five balls into one line on his back.
The Penguin Stompers (Korean Plank) were on hand to spread the mayhem
and madness that occurs when you put yuppie penguins on a teeterboard.
Antarctic scientists really ought to look into this.
The British duo of Watson and Williams were gone, and in their place
was a traditional trapeze act performed by five acrobats in pink and
blue costumes. Aside from the costumes, it sounds like a forerunner to
the Trapeze act in Nouvelle Expérience.
Now you're probably wondering about the Clowns, since Denis Lacombe
and Toniatuh Morales had left. Benny le Grand, the wonderful old clown
who would later join Mystère, was once again on hand to bother the
Ringmaster and harass the audience. He was joined by Balthazar, who
would join La Nouba. These two spread cheer, sarcasm, and madcap
tomfoolery all around. Presumably, Balthazar was a competent
replacement for Lacombe and Morales.
As the show came to an end (oh, darn) the Ringmaster became a plain
old Everyman again, and thought that perhaps the spectacle he'd just
witnessed was a dream. But then...why was he still holding that tall
blue hat?
In 1990, Le Cirque Réinventé became the first Cirque show to travel
off the continent of North America. In 1992, it became the first and
only Cirque show to include animal acts when it paired up with
Switzerland's Cirque Knie for a 60-stop tour.
By the way, the local McDonald's got a playplace. I survived 6th
grade and graduated college. And Cirque du Soleil produced thirteen
successful shows and has another in the works. As long as Cirque keeps
reinventing, the everypeople will keep watching. And perhaps we'll
feel as though we too could soar through the air in a pink and blue
costume. Or perhaps some of us will wear the tall blue hat.
=======================================================================
FEATURE: "A NOUVELLE EXPÉRIENCE" (By: Ricky Russo)
=======================================================================
"Replace Lions with Magic and Tigers with Fantasy and the
Circus is redefined."
Something new was always on the horizon for Cirque du Soleil, and
company founder and president, Guy Laliberté, was always looking for
new Experiences and new ideas. In 1988 Cirque du Soleil completed
their initial five-year plan, a time-limit they bestowed upon
themselves to establish their brand of magic and dreams, with Le
Cirque Réinventé. By the end of that year, they accomplished their
dreams and much, much more by taking their art into the United States
and flourishing. The troupe evolved from street performers to an
international cultural enterprise engaging audiences throughout the
North American continent. The last year for Le Cirque Réinventé (1989)
opened up a new door for the circus troupe. The 1989 performance was
"more theatrical, more acrobatic and more colorful than ever," said
Cirque President Guy Laliberté. And he was ever right.
But, what he did not know then was how well his company would continue
to grow. In June of 1989, Franco Dragone, Michel Crete, Dominique
Lemieux, René Dupéré, Gilles Ste-Croix, Luc Lafortune and Deborah
Brown began an adventure of creation and imagination. For months they
toiled in Montréal creating an all- new spectacle. This show, as yet
unnamed, featured new artists, a new theme and would be the biggest
most theatrical piece yet produced by the troupe. When they had
completed their work, they found they had a new Expérience to show the
masses; and thus, Nouvelle Expérience was born.
The show began its run in Montréal in May of 1990, and took off on a
19-month whirlwind tour of the North American continent. By the end of
1991, Nouvelle Expérience had been to dozens of cities in which 1.3
million people saw the show. But the end of 1991 did not see the final
curtain fall. Beginning November 1992 and lasting a year, Cirque du
Soleil and Steve Wynn's Mirage Resorts signed a contract. That
agreement placed a Blue and Yellow big top on the grounds of the
Mirage Resort where the show was staged until November 1993.
In a protected corner of the universe, in a kingdom all their own,
exist a group of creatures called the "Flounes" or Angels (Cécile
Ardail, Christophe Lelarge, Patrice Wojciechowski, David Lebel and
Isabelle Chassé). These characters, cloaked in browns and ochre's, are
child-like; inquisitive, curious and full of energy. Life comes to
their world and spreads like a virus, which they look upon candidly.
They are sometimes called "Nasty Clowns" due to their unrefined
emotional states, and yet they are central to the strings that make up
the universal tapestry.
The world of the "Flounes" is invaded by characters in red - the
Devils, who are the spirit of disobedience - and many other creatures.
At the forefront of the chaos is Madame Corporation (France La Bonté),
Queen of the "Flounes". She is the epitome of control reigning supreme
over the universe. With her is the Grant Chamberlain (Brian Dewhurst)
who is the Ringmistresses' right-hand man. Together they control the
destinies of all, the Corporation (the house troupe in blue), and
conjure the fantastical displays of dreams, wants and needs.
Along for the journey is a man dressed in a suit who represents any
one of us - Mr. or Ms. Everybody (David Shiner). He shows us our most
profound fears and searches for authenticity and sincerity. Using
humor he asks many questions but the answers are hard to deal with.
The world is full of illusion and lies; of emotions - love, hate,
conflict and joy. He too is a trespasser in this world of the
"Flounes" as he Experiences these emotions and learns about life.
These emotions and dreams are played out in a series of wonderful acts
and performances, each permeated by masterful music from René Dupéré
and wonderfully prepared costumes in ochre, orange, turquoise and
purple by Dominique Lemieux:
* Contortion: Four beautiful young ladies dressed in pink bend
themselves about. They are part of Cirque's very own Contortion
team consisting of Nadine Louis-Binette, Isabelle Chassé,
Laurence Racine-Choinière, and Jinny Jacinto. The song
accompanying their performance is "Méandres".
* Korean Plank: At the crack of a whip, the house troupe
(dressed in blue and known as Corporation) are on the move.
"Bascule" accompanies their adventure from one plank to the
next.
* Solo Trapèze: A wonderfully lit and choreographed piece by
Anne Lepage. The music sets the emotions of this piece. First,
is "Fixe", an emotional set played on Cello by Robert Stanley. A
loneliness seems to fill the universe. But then, as Ms. Lepage
reaches her perch atop the big top, "Ballant" fills the air, and
she begins her long swing into the void. Once her lesson is
complete she descends to the stage, and with it "Baleines"
begins to play.
* Fil de Fer: Moving across the void of space on a tightrope is
not easy, but Isabelle Brisset (1990) and Nicky Dewhurst (1991)
make it look easy. Even the Grand Chamberlain (Brian Dewhurst)
gets in on the act.
* Aerial Straps: Vladimir Kehkaial realizes one of humanities
greatest dreams: flight. Taking the straps by his arms, he
swings to and fro like a bird. Its no wonder the song
accompanying his performance is then so titled "L'oiseau"
(which is French for "The Bird").
* Trapèze Volant: A team of four fresh from France prepare to
challenge the sky with their skills! Performed by Didier Antione
(1990), Cécile Ardail, Christophe Lelarge, Jean-Francois
Rogement, Patrice Wojciechowski, and Amélie Major (1991). The
music here is "Sanza"
* Antipodisme - (The Umbrella Foot Juggling Act): Like the
nationality represented here, "Suite Chinose" fills the big top
with a little Chinese flair. Wang Hong (1990) and Xu Hui Man
(1991) use their talents to wow the audience by first
manipulating an umbrella on their feet, then Manipulating
another person!
* Russian Bar/Trampoline: Once again Mme Corporation and her
team fill the stage to perform the Russian Bar, a flexible
slender padded plank. With two holders (at each end of the bar)
resting the apparatus upon their shoulders, the rest of the team
amaze by jumping up on them. The act is permeated by the
zaniness of the Trampoline, played by a variety of the
characters living in this realm and choreographed to the tune:
"Éclipse".
* Balancing on Chairs: Watch Vassiliy Demenchoukov (and his
assistant Viktoria Demenchoukova) build what Cirque calls a
"tower of Babel" and watch him balance upon it. Performed to the
infectious tune: "Havi Vahlia".
Each performance is linked together by one long narrative. The
"Flounes" keep the narrative going for the most part, but they too
have help in the form of David Shiner, a one-of-a-kind master clown.
During most of the spectacle, we see him trying on different emotions,
hoping to find what it is he is looking for. However, there is one
moment he is allowed to shine - during his infamously funny Film Scene
Act. Here, he is the director of a clichéd movie and needs help from
the audience. Four people from the audience will "star" in this film -
the Heroine, the Hero, the love-betrayed killer, and the stagehand.
Watching him "direct" the audience members in the scene is enormously
funny! For a good idea, seek out the newly released Nouvelle
Expérience DVD/VHS [VHS Catalog: #07210 (UPC 0-43396-07210-7), DVD
Catalog: #07074 (UPC 0-43396-07074-5), Run Time: 85 Minutes.]
By the end of our Nouvelle Expérience, the "Flounes", the Fallen
Angels, the Devils and all of the Human Race must learn to live
together, to come together in harmony and celebrate life. Ultimately,
that's the message behind Nouvelle Expérience. And that message is
conveyed in the dance at the end; that we must all wake up and save
the world. As explained by Debora Brown on the "Baroque Odyssey" DVD
re-release:
Coming Together.
All the World.
To Fight.
We are Ready to Die.
For the Earth.
The Fight.
Around the World.
There is Suicide.
So Wake Up.
Now!
The Crying.
All Over the World.
The Urgence
To Wake up.
Now!
In retrospect, the contrast between what came before (Le Cirque
Réinventé) and this was so stark that many fans, including myself, say
that Nouvelle Expérience was the defining moment of their
sophistication. Everything that came after Nouvelle Expérience had an
evolving sense of theatrics, daring and creativity. Thus, Nouvelle
Expérience began the "second" chapter of Cirque du Soleil.
=======================================================================
FEATURE: "FASCINATION!" (By: Ricky Russo)
=======================================================================
"Welcome to our big top full of dreams," exclaimed Guy Laliberté in
1988, after the smashing success of Le Cirque Réinventé. He repeated
his welcome four years later, only this time not in French or English
but in Japanese.
In 1992, Cirque du Soleil first visited the Land of the Rising Sun --
Japan. For the first time since Le Cirque Réinventé ventured to London
to perform with Circus Knie, a Cirque du Soleil show was to be
Experienced outside of North America. The show was a limited
engagement beginning in May of 1992 and concluding that September
1992, running exactly 118 times across nine Japanese cities. Like some
of the older Cirque shows (1984/1985), Fascination! remains one of the
most illusive; hopefully, we can shed a little light on such a
colorful world.
Fascination is a combination of Le Cirque Réinventé (1987 - 1989) and
Nouvelle Expérience (1990 - 1992), consisting of many of the acts
featured in both. But that's where the likeness ends. The costumes
were re-imagined and made brighter and more colorful. The casts of
each were also merged, and the show itself had a different direction.
The crew responsible for the show had old and new names alike --
Director: by Roger Parent, Director of Creation: Gilles Ste Croix,
Choreography: Catherine Archambault and Allison Brierly, Sceneography:
Michael Crete, Composer: Rene Dupéré and Benoît Jutras, Clown Act
Creation: Wayne Hronek, Lighting: Luc Lafortune, Costumes: Dominique
Lemieux.
As for theme, the show (like Le Cirque Réinventé) begins with the
Prologue. Masked people - Ordinary People - dressed in their ordinary
everyday clothes. They mill about, uncertain where they are. Are they
dreaming? Are they still in reality? Or somewhere in between?
Regardless of where they find themselves, these people begin
responding to a mysterious urge deep inside of themselves, a playful
urge - full of folly. Then, out of a billowing white cloud the Queen
of the Night (Michelle Rawlake) and the King of Fools (Stéphane
Drouard) emerges, with their child-like helpers. They wave their hands
(full of magic) and transform the Ordinary People in their dull
ordinary gray clothes into whimsical, colorful acrobats. Color and
movement fill the air as the Transformation (the second step in the
opening of Fascination) is complete - dreams and fantasy can now be
played out!
Many familiar faces fill the stage as the show continues through the
acts and performances. Take a look at this list and see if you
recognize any names that still appear in Cirque today! (I'm betting
you will...):
* Les Chaises (The Chairs):
From Le Cirque Réinventé. Cai Qiming, Gong Zengli, Huang Le, Liu
Yunlong, Liu Yong, Meng Shan, Sha Yan, Liu Yuntao, Yao Jingmei.
* Contortion:
From Nouvelle Expérience. The four nimble girls from Nouvelle
Expérience are joined by 2 others making the performance six
strong: Katia Arnaoutova, Nadine Louis- Binette, Isabelle
Chassé, Julie Choquette, Jinny Jacinto, and Laurence Racine.
* Fil de Fer:
From Nouvelle Expérience. Now here's an interesting
collaboration between shows! Ayin De Sela and Nicky Dewhurst
play with Brian Dewhurst, our Chef de Piste. But what is more
exciting is that Sally Dewhurst (His Wife) also gets in on the
act completing the family circle.
* Trapèze Solo:
From Nouvelle Expérience. Performed by Rebecca Perez.
* Korean Plank (Penguins):
From Le Cirque Réinventé. Those wacky, waddling penguins are at
it again! They are: Bogdan Zajac, André St-Jean, Eligiusz
Skoczylas, Marie-Andrée Richard, Zdzislaw Pelka, Ryszard
Ostrowski, David Lebel, Francois Ducharme, Oleg Kantemirov,
Stacey Bilodeau, and Bruce Bilodeau.
* Hand to Hand:
From Le Cirque Réinventé. Amélie Demay and Eric Varelas, two
veteran Cirque performers.
* Trapèze Volant (Flying Trapeze):
From Nouvelle Expérience. Didier Antoine, Cécile Ardail, Tatiana
Arnaoutova-Lissovtseva, Alexandre Arnaoutov, Lionel Hassin,
Philippe Chartrand, Amélie Major, and Jean-Francois Rogemont.
* Flying Man:
From Nouvelle Expérience. Performed by Dimitri Arnaoutov.
* Rhythmic Gymnastics:
An interesting new addition that would later be featured in some
form in Saltimbanco, performed by six excitingly energetic young
ladies: Vessela Ianakieva, Filipa Filipova, Albena Loukanova,
Kristina Pavlova, Lana Sotirova, and Elena Zaharieva.
* Bicycles:
From Le Cirque Réinventé. Irna Arnaoutova, Caroline Franc, Luc
Tremblay, Barbara Gosselin, and Chris Lashua.
And, in-between, through and sometimes those who would get in the way
of acts are the clowns. Fascination had a handful of them, and they
were just as colorful as the rest of the performers (colorful in more
ways than one).
The Chef de Piste, or Ring Master, was a whimsical haracter torn
between the themes of the shows that make up Fascination. He is
costumed as he would appear in Le Cirque Réinventé (in blue with a
hat), but played by Brian Dewhurst, the right-hand man of Madame
Corporation in Nouvelle Expérience, instead of Michael Barette. Even
so, he takes part in the Fil de Fer performance with his son like
before, with his wife adding an even higher comedic value to the show.
There were others to add comedic value to Fascination, mostly the 4
characters/clowns wandering about from time to time. Francois Dupuis,
a large but energetic baby. Fans know him best from Mystère. There was
also Balthazar, just kind of hanging around. Fans know him best from
La Nouba (He also appeared in Le Cirque Réinventé). Two other
clowns/characters appeared in the show as well. They are known as Miss
Steak (a vivacious woman with one mission - to wear outrageous
clothes). Her companion, Daniel Le Bateleur, was a normal enough man
with a fetish for bugs (He even appeared on stage as a big red tick or
flea!)
Unfortunately, the troupe of color had to leave and by show's end the
entire ensemble appears for the grand finale of Fascination - the
Charivari, or Hullabaloo in English. And what an uproar the artists
create as the performers return back into Everyday People again, only
much wiser than before. For they, like the spectators, now know that
joy comes from within. With a flash of folly...
Fascination was the combination of many fine artists, musicians
(Including Marc Solis, Bernard Marchand, Mario Venditti, Francois
Myrand, Lucie Cauchon, and Elise Duguay) and those who conjured. In
the end Fascination was never enjoyed by US audiences and, unless the
production was filmed, never will. And, not surprisingly, there are
many fans who have not even heard of the show. Hopefully, with these
few known facts, a new light has been shed on a production so colorful
it could only be witnessed in the Land of the Rising Sun.
=======================================================================
FEATURE: "REINVENTING CIRCUS MUSIC (PART 2)" (By: Paul Roberts)
=======================================================================
When the brain trust that created Cirque du Soleil put their heads
together, I'm sure they felt that a different blend of music could
enhance their new circus. Even though the more recent shows exhibit a
maturity in the musical themes, there are some early songs that I
think reveal what was yet to come. With the release of the "La Magie
Continue" video, I was delighted to hear some early music that was new
to me.
In the early days, lucky patrons were graced with the composers
playing in the live bands. In the "La Magie Continue", you can see
René Dupéré playing keyboards and Benoît Jutras playing keys in the
"We Reinvent the Circus" band.
Some of my favorite "La Magie Continue" songs include the
accompaniment for the "mechanical ballerina" Equilibriste act and the
trapeze act. The Equilibriste accompaniment features a toy-box chime
melody with saxophone providing occasional harmonic enhancements. The
trapeze song includes a memorable "oh yo oh" pop song-like melody line
that sticks in my mind after each listening. And...could that
possibly be René singing?
From the show "Cirque Réinventé", which used a lot of the music from
the self-titled Cirque du Soleil CD, I enjoy listening to "Tango." As
the title reveals, the rhythm is a tango that accompanied the
female/male hand-to-hand act. The usage of a flute revealed that even
back then, René thrived on using various woodwind instruments to
compliment the acts' mood.
"Entracte" is one of Benoît's first Cirque du Soleil compositions and
features Martine Brisson on several operatic vocal lines. As I
mentioned in Part 1, Martine and Benoît are mother and father to ex-
"Quidam" star Audrey Brisson-Jutras. This classical music-laced song
previews Benoît's future talent as the composer for "Mystère" (when
the show went through a revision), "Quidam", "O", "La Nouba", "Alegría
le Film", and the IMAX feature "Journey of Man." He is currently
working on a solo album that will also feature Audrey.
The show "Nouvelle Expérience" represented a huge turning point for
Cirque du Soleil, as the name indicates. This appears to be a segue
from the old CdS to the new CdS. The use of synthesizers continued to
be an essential part, but René began experimenting with traditional
orchestra instruments such as the cello. In the subtle songs "Fixe"
and "L'oiseau" the cello played the prominent role of the themes. The
future of Cirque du Soleil full orchestrations had found its genesis.
"Havi Vahlia" is a cute little ditty that features present "O"
performer, Cécile Ardail, on vocals. The 2/4 time signature with
accordion and trombone give it a traditional circus feel, but the act
that it accompanied was anything but traditional: Vasily Demenchukov's
chair balancing act, that he now performs in La Nouba. As far as I
know, "Havi Vahlia" was the first Cirque du Soleil song to include
actual lyrics (imaginary language?) instead of the prior use of "ohs,"
"yos," "oohs," "ahs," and "la la-la de dahs." Also contributing "ooh-
ah" vocals on four songs was future "Saltimbanco" chanteuse, Francine
Poitras.
"Éclipse" remains one of my favorites and I even recently heard the
song featured during the pre-show of a Cincinnati Bengals and
Cleveland Browns football game. A revised version of "Éclipse"
accompanied a "three ring circus" act that included the Russian Bar,
Trampoline, and High Bar. This energetic piece has an underlying
sequencer line that subliminally carries throughout the song.
And finally, about a month ago, I found myself fast-forward-viewing
through some video tapes of older television shows and came across a
wonderful show called "Northern Exposure"-circa 1993. On one of the
episodes an unusual circus came to the Alaskan town. I kept only the
circus portion of the show because of the music playing in the
background. I felt for sure that I would never find out who was the
artist. When I pressed play and turned up the volume, I nearly cried
as I heard the "Nouvelle Expérience" song "Bolero." Little did I know
way back then that not only would I find out the artist, but that the
artist would become such an influential part of my life.
Many aspects of Cirque du Soleil make their shows very special, and
evident even in the early years, the music set Cirque du Soleil apart,
above from other circuses.
=======================================================================
DVD REVIEW -- INSIDE LA NOUBA (By: Keith Johnson)
=======================================================================
"Inside La Nouba - From Conception to Perception - With Special Added
Features" was the one new DVD we didn't review last month, as we
hadn't received it yet. It's being distributed by Cirque themselves
and isn't part of their deal with Columbia/ TriStar (which re-released
their back catalog a few months ago). It's dated year 2000, though it
has no catalog number (neither did its precurser video), and is sold
only in the Cirque boutiques and CirqueStore on-line for US $35.00.
Initial reports of the DVD being manufactured by Cirque in-house with
added content were promising. Surely they would take advantage of
DVD's extra features. This would be more than just an old program
slapped onto a new format, wouldn't it? Well, yes, but not much more.
Firstly, let's start with what's right. The 45-minute program takes a
great in-depth look at the making of "La Nouba", interviewing all the
creators and giving an excellent (if short) overview of most of the
acts. This is an approach we'd like to see taken for much-wished-for
programs covering "Mystère" and "O". The show is very high quality
(in both production and picture and audio quality) and very
entertaining, no question.
But it looks like the program has just been slapped onto DVD with
little forethought. Some quibbles are minor - the soundtrack, for
example, is simply the 2-channel stereo mix from the video (which is
acceptable, as the Columbia/TriStar videos are also presented that
way). The "Added Feature" is another copy of the making-of "In The
Heart Of The Dralion" 20-minute featurette - nice, but I would have
preferred the yet-to-appear-on-DVD "Full Circle-The Making of
Quidam.". "In the Heart" is already on the "Dralion" DVD, while "Full
Circle" was sadly left off the "Quidam" disc. That, in addition to
"Quidam's" still-touring status, would make the program a more logical
choice to me. Or, better yet, include both!
Then we get into the major disappointments. The sleeve art promises
"A Look At Costumes." But this is merely a 1:00 slide show of 9
costume sketches by Dominique Lemieux, with a clipping from the video
to show how they actually turned out. No interview with the creator,
no behind-the-scenes shots of seamstresses. And only 60 seconds long.
One would assume Cirque believed most of their sales for this disc
would come from Walt Disney World visitors who had just seen the show.
If this was their belief, it's hard to understand why they didn't make
the DVD more "internationally-friendly." The soundtrack is presented
in the requisite English and French, but that's it - no subtitles in
other languages. This is especially confusing, since there are
numerous languages available (though sparingly used) on the "Quidam"
DVD. But here there is no German, no Spanish, no Portuguese,
Japanese, Chinese or Thai. International visitors who might want to
understand Franco The Director are out of luck. Not that it would
matter anyway, the DVD is coded for Region 1 (North and South America)
only, and would be unplayable on DVD players sold in other parts of
the world. So by design and regulation, this DVD is meant only for
those in *North* America, a head-scratcher for those who appreciate
Cirque's multi-cultural esthetic.
I mentioned in my previous review about synergy - promoting one
product within another. Here, at least, Cirque has followed through -
pictures of all 12 soundtrack albums appear on the flip side of the
inlay card. And there is DVD-ROM content, but it's only a Weblink to
the standard Cirque du Soleil website, not to special La Nouba content
as expected.
The final problem with this DVD is its price - US $35.00. There are a
total of 65 minutes of programming, for a list price of $10.00 above
all the other DVD's in Cirque's catalog. This is the highest cost-
per-program-minute of any of the DVD's next to "Journey of Man" (43
minutes of total programming for US $25.00 list). And only 46 minutes
of it are unique to this disc.
Having this show finally available on DVD is a good step forward. But
I hope Cirque will take a step back and consider filling out their
next in-house release more thoroughly, and bringing more value to the
eager Cirque consumer.
=======================================================================
THE CIRQUE CONNECTION:
"UNDER THE GRAND CHAPITEAU" (By: Paul Roberts)
=======================================================================
Whenever I make plans to Expérience a Cirque du Soleil show with my
daughter or other guests, I also plan on providing a surprise or two.
When we saw "Dralion" in Minneapolis, I arranged to meet a performer,
and for our trip to Chicago I surprised her with a viewing of "Journey
of Man." This trip, however, also provided a nice surprise for
myself. A few weeks prior to the trip, I had been made aware of
"Under the Big Top" at the Museum of Science and Industry. This
exhibit had been described as being a history of the circus throughout
the ages.
The gargantuan posters that hung around the museum's rotunda featured
mostly Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey, so I expected to find
very little from Cirque du Soleil. But when we entered the exhibit
area, the first thing I noticed happened to be Cirque du Soleil's
Madame Corporations' costume from "Nouvelle Expérience." Every corner
we turned, we discovered that the majority of artifacts and videos
featured Tara and my beloved Cirque du Soleil artists.
The donations from Cirque du Soleil included:
From "La Magie Continue" and "Réinventé the Circus":
Contortionist Angela Laurier's balancing mouthpiece. She grasps this
apparatus with her jaw as her body slithers in painstaking poses. Luc
Trembley's monocycle, (tall unicycle) he rides while juggling. Ex-set
designer Michele Crête-designed "King of Fools" outfit, worn by one of
the main dancing characters. A large video screen featured both of
Denis LaCombe's acts: the self-inflicting, pie-smashing, wind-up
clown; and one of the all-time Cirque bests: the "1812 Overture"
trampoline conductor.
From "Nouvelle Expérience":
Vasily Demenchukov's stacked chairs, that for some reason were
exhibited upside down complete with the cake and candles that he
carries while balancing on the chairs. Vasily currently performs this
wonderful act in "La Nouba." Cécile Ardail's floune costume (she
currently performs in "O"). Madame Corporation's costume, which
looked deflated without the wide girth of the Madame inside. Chocolat
the Clown's octave-range hand-bells.
From "Saltimbanco":
Jennyfer Clement's Chinese Poles outfit. Jenny currently performs in
"Mystère", but I had never seen her name with a 'Y' as spelled on the
placard. A Dominique Lemieux-signed "Saltimbanco" Chinese Poles
costume watercolor sketch, which I would love hanging over my
fireplace mantel. A mid-sized Taiko drum.
From "Alegría":
Saxophonist Ali Labelle's white outfit with the "hair-fountain" wig.
"Le vieil oiseau" mask, which is the fast track Old Bird character and
happens to be the mask that Renè Bazinet wore in the "Alegría le Film"
movie.
From "Quidam":
A very tiny, but to scale model of the stage and overhead tracking. I
will soon be seeing the full-scale version of this.
From an unknown show:
Sheet music to René Dupéré's song "Fumabule."
Throughout the exhibit, televisions had been set up showing videos of
acts and interviews, including the following Cirque
performers/trainers/musicians:
Nathalie Bollinger from "Mystère" and Rob Bollinger from "O" talked
about being married, but in different shows in the same town: Las
Vegas.
Brian, Nicky, and Sally Dewhurst from about every show, talked about
family and also about living in Las Vegas.
Alain Gauthier from "Réinventé the Circus", talked about the life of
dangerous performing.
Wayne Hronek, who I believe to be the original Benny LaGrand from
"Mystère." In the "A Baroque Odyssey" video, Wayne says, while
getting a mold made of his face, "I can't believe I allowed them to
make a double before contract negotiations."
Contortionist Jinny Jacinto, from "Nouvelle Expérience" and
"Saltimbanco", talked about the life of a teenager in a circus.
Marco and Paulo Lorodor from "Mystère", also known as the Alexis
Brothers, talked about having a permanent residence in Las Vegas. A
month earlier, I had witnessed Marco doing the "Pee Wee Herman" dance
in the foyer near the "Mystère" theatre. His laughing audience
consisted of the High Bar performers and myself.
Eligiusz Skoczylas from "Mystère", talked about his love of performing
in a Cirque du Soleil show.
A René Dupéré interview from the "A Baroque Odyssey" video about
combining modern-day synthesizers with sixteenth century-influenced
themes.
Cirque was also credited for providing an unusual rear-projection
video display designed by Wyn Geleynse (not familiar with this name)
that showed a tight-rope walker being projected on a clear plastic
sheet above a rope.
We returned several times throughout the day and spent nearly two
hours total at the Under The Big Top display. We also watched trapeze
demonstrations, where two young girls had just started training. I
wondered when I might see them in a future Cirque du Soleil
performance: "I knew them when..."
=======================================================================
QUICK FACTS
=======================================================================
In researching for the articles for the past couple of issues we ran
across many facts and figures. We'd love to share some of those with
you now...
* There were only 90,000 copies of the 1988 Le Cirque
Réinventé programs printed according to Cirque.
* Cirque du Soleil was funded by the Canadian Government
for most of its early years.
- In 1984, 97% of its budget was government money.
- In 1985, that amount dropped to only 50%.
- In 1986, 27% of Cirque's budget was government.
- In 1987, that number slipped to just 15%.
- In 1988, again that number slipped to 10%.
* Let's compare that to Cirque's operating Budget through
the first few years (all Figures in Canadian Dollars):
- 1984: $1,328,658
- 1985: $2,332,867
- 1986: $4,000,000
- 1987: $5,400,000
- 1988: $6,000,000
- 1989: $10,000,000
- 1990: $15,000,000
* In 1987, 320 tons of equipment had to be transported.
That took 12 tractor-trailers that were 48 feet long! But,
two years later (1989), 450 tons of equipment had to
be transported at a rate of 58 vehicles!
* In 1987, The big top measured 130 feet in diameter,
weighing 18,145 kilos (or about 40,000 pounds). It took
44 hours to set it up and occupied 8,750 square meters
(or about 28,707 square feet) of space. In 1989, it took
30 hours to set up, but only 14 to take it all down!
* Performances through the early years:
- 1984: 50 Performances
- 1985: 160 Performances
- 1986: 208 Performances
- 1987: 276 Performances
- 1988: 312 Performances
* Spectators Statistics:
- 1984: 30,000
- 1985: 140,000
- 1986: 230,000
- 1987: 282,000
- 1988: 502,000
* Number of Employees:
- 1984: 45 employees
- 1985: 72 employees
- 1986: 77 employees
- 1987: 120 employees
- 1988: 150 employees
* During the last year of Le Cirque Réinventé, Cirque
served 300 meals a day.
=======================================================================
PARTING QUOTE
=======================================================================
"The Range of Possibilities are always open..."
- Guy Laliberté (1988)
=======================================================================
NEXT ISSUE...
=======================================================================
Our journey through Classic Cirque has come to a close. Yet, we will
continue our adventure through Cirque shows by examining Quidam next.
Quidam was created in 1996 and toured the North American continent for
three years. Recently, it finished up a three year tour of Europe, and
as luck would have it... Quidam is returning to the United States this
month. In celebration of its return, two staff members (Ricky Russo
and Paul Roberts) are making the journey to Miami to take in the
show... and they will recant their tale next issue! Also, a look
at the show from the original North American Tour to today's Quidam.
All that and wallpaper too? That's next issue!
Thank you for reading!
Have a comment, question or concern? Simply email the Fascination!
Newsletter staff at either richasi@azlance.com or through the
Yahoo Groups email address: CirqueFasincation-owner@yahoogroups.com.
We are anxious to hear any and all comments!
=======================================================================
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
=======================================================================
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=======================================================================
COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMER
=======================================================================
"Fascination! Newsletter" Copyright (c) 2002 Ricky Russo, published by
Vortex/RGR Productions, a subsidiary of Communicore Enterprises. No
portion of this newsletter can be reproduced, published in any form or
forum, quoted or translated without the consent of the "Fascination!
Newsletter". By sending us correspondence, you give us permission
(unless otherwise noted) to use the submission as we see fit, without
remuneration. All submissions become the property of the "Fascination!
Newsletter". "Fascination! Newsletter" is not affiliated in any way
with Cirque du Soleil. Cirque du Soleil and all its creations are
Copyright (c) and are registered trademarks (TM) of Cirque du Soleil,
Inc., and Créations Méandres, Inc. All Rights Reserved. No copyright
infringement intended.
{Issue 6a: August 01, 2002}
