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Fascination Issue 004
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Fascination! Newsletter
Issue #4 - December 2001
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Good day and Happy Holidays to all. This issue takes on a more
baroque tone with its focus this month: Alegría. Even though the show
has changed from year to year, we'll take you through those changes,
listen to the magical music and dive into the world of Frac, Fleur,
and Giulietta in Alegria: Le Film. There's so much information to
share in this super-issue that we aren't able to add our DVD reviews
and we were unable to "follow-up" with John-Paul Gasparelli. We hope
to be able to catch-up with him in the future. So, now, ladies and
gentlemen: sit back, relax, and enjoy...
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Contents:
============
* News, Rumors & Tour/Show Information
* This Month in Cirque History
* Birthday Wishes
* Cirque TV
* Alegría, Come un Lampo di Vita (By: Ricky Russo)
* Feature: An American in London; Alegría (By: Jen Waldman)
* Feature: The Beau Rivage Engagement (By: Ricky Russo)
* Feature: "Kia Ora, Alegría" (By: Jen Waldman)
* Feature: "There's a Love in me Raging" (By: Paul Roberts)
* "A Beautiful Roaring Scream" - Le Film (By: Kimba Barton)
* Le Film Commentary (By: Keith Johnson)
* Life After the Beau Rivage: Bravo
* How/Where to see "Alegría"
* Parting Quote
* Next Issue
* Subscription Information
* Copyright & Disclaimers
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NEWS, RUMORS & TOUR INFORMATION
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Anything can happen in the world of Cirque du Soleil. This section
highlights the news and rumors that have brought themselves to light
over the past month.
News
------
Dralion wins 3 Emmys!:
Cirque du Soleil and Bravo won Emmys in all the categories it
was nominated in! Dralion, its 12th creation won in these
categories:
* Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special.
* Outstanding Directing for a Variety or Musical.
* Outstanding Costumes for a Variety or Music Program.
Congratulations Cirque du Soleil, Bravo, and the Dralion cast
and crew for a job well done!
Inside La Nouba comes to DVD:
While many fans wish the show "La Nouba" would be released to
DVD/VHS, many fans have discovered the 45-minute video: Inside
La Nouba: From Conception to Perception. By taking audiences
through the show, with all of the acts covered to some degree,
fans are able to relive their experience. On November 19th, fans
finally were able to acquire this release on DVD. The new
release came with a few bonus features:
* Dual English/French language tracks
* Scene Selection
* Making of "Dralion" Documentary
* Costuming, a peek into.
The disc is coded for Region 1 which means only fans in Canada
and the United States (and its territories) can purchase and
view it. This disc is not being produced by Columbia/TriStar and
thus is only available directly from Cirque (or one of its
boutiques). You can order the DVD directly from Cirque du Soleil
at their online store - www.cirquestore.com. List price is
$35.00 DVD (and $25.00 VHS).
Itinerary for Cirque 2002 revealed:
In the Spring of 2002, Cirque du Soleil fans will be treated to
a new spectacle: Cirque 2002. While the show's name and identity
remain speculative, much of the show's early itinerary have been
released. In April, it will make its debut in Montréal. By the
Summer of 2002, the new show will travel to Quebéc and Toronto.
By Fall 2002, the show will move into the United States - first
setting up in San Jose and then moving to San Francisco.
Josh Groban covers Cirque:
This nineteen year-old singer, who has been featured on Ally
McBeal, has covered one of Cirque's most emotional songs: "Let
Me Fall" from Quidam. Using the lyrics from the studio version,
Josh created a rendition as hauntingly emotional as the Quidam
version. Check out Josh Groban on the Christmas episode of Ally
McBeal on 12/10/01 and on 12/15/01 in front of thousands of NFL
spectators as he sings the American National Anthem. For more
information on Josh Groban, visit his web site at:
<www.joshgroban.com>.
Cirque du Soleil at Festival of the Masters:
Booths, pottery, glass, paintings, photos, sculptures.... art!
At the Downtown Disney West Side in Orlando Florida, the 26th
Annual Festival of the Masters took place November 9th, 10th and
11th. So... what does that have to do with Cirque du Soleil
fans? Well, during the event it seems,demonstrations by the
performers of La Nouba were given... did anyone catch them?
Alegría has new trapeze artist:
Tuuli Paulina Rasanen, or Paulina for short, is ready to join
the Alegría cast as a new trapeze artist. She studied her craft
at the National Circus School for 3 years with Victor Fomine,
who also coached Xavier Lamoureux, Caroline Therrin, Petra
Specher, Anna Ward and many other Cirque du Soleil artists.
New Cirque du Soleil Website:
One of the first aspects of the new Cirque du Soleil web site to
be revamped was the Cirque Store at www.cirquestore.com. Now,
the entire Cirque Web site (www.cirquedusoleil.com) is coming
online. Complete with flash animation, exciting character
backgrounds and much, much more! If you haven't seen the new
Cirque du Soleil site, you're missing out on something special.
Rumors
--------
Name of Cirque 2002:
It has been suggested that the working name of the new touring
show is: Rom. On the outside, this sounds very simple and un-
Cirque-like, however, the name "ROM" fits perfectly with the
rumored theme of Cirque 2002: Gypsy. In the Gypsy language, Rom
means "Man". Will this pan out? Fans will have to wait until
March 2002 at the latest when traditionally, the name of the new
tour is released.
Alegría on DVD?:
The show just made its debut on Bravo, the Film and Arts channel
and there is already a whisper that the DVD/VHS release of the
performance is not far behind. By early 2002 we hear, the
DVD/VHS will be released. Stay tuned!
Tour/Show Information
-----------------------
[Touring Shows]
Alegría:
* Begins Perth engagement on December 5, 2001
* Singapore: 2/28/02 - 3/24/01 -- Tickets on Sale!
Dralion:
* Dallas: November 16th - December 9th
* Houston: 1/17/02 - 2/3/01 -- Tickets on Sale!
* Next stop: Pasadena - Spring 2002.
Quidam:
* London: November 22nd - December 30th
* Miami, Florida: February 7, 2002!
* Next Stop: Charlotte - Spring 2002.
Saltimbanco:
* Is currently Dark.
* Next Stop: Europe -- Amsterdam 2/14/02
[Resident Shows]
La Nouba:
* Other than its normal off nights, "La Nouba" is
scheduled to be dark from 12/1/01 - 12/12/01.
Mystère:
* Other than its normal off nights, "Mystère" is
scheduled to be dark from 12/3/01 - 12/18/01.
* Special New Years Eve Engagements planned for
6:30pm and 9:30pm on Monday, December 31st!
"O":
* Other than its normal off nights, "O" is scheduled
to be dark from 12/5/01 - 12/20/01.
* Special New Years Eve Engagements planned for 4:00pm
and 7:00pm!
=======================================================================
THIS MONTH IN CIRQUE HISTORY
=======================================================================
* December xx, 1993 -- Nouvelle ended its run in Las Vegas.
* December 02, 1999 -- Dralion opened Irvine, California
* December 05, 2001 -- Alegría opened Perth, Australia
* December 14, 2000 -- Quidam opened London, England
* December 16, 1999 -- Alegria: Le Film Premiered in Singapore
* December 23, 1998 -- La Nouba Premiered at WDW
* December 24, 1993 -- Mystère Premiered in Las Vegas.
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BIRTHDAY WISHES!
=======================================================================
* December 01, 1981 -- Elena Lev (Hoops/Alegría)
* December 02, 1960 -- Nikolai Tchelnokov (Adagio/Saltimbanco)
* December 03, 1965 -- Paulo Lorador (Hand to Hand/Mystère)
* December 06, 1974 -- Patrick McGuire (Manipulation/Quidam)
* December 08, 1966 -- John Gilkey (John/Quidam)
* December 09, 1974 -- Daniel Gutszmit (Hand to Hand/Salt 2000)
* December 09, 1974 -- Jacek Gutszmit (Hand to Hand/Salt 2000)
* December 11, 1965 -- Mark Ward (John/Quidam)
* December 17, 1952 -- Francois Dupuis (Baby/Mystère)
* December 24, 1961 -- Karl Baumann (Karl/Quidam)
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CIRQUE TV
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Bravo
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* December 31st - Alegría - 8:00am and 12:00am EST
Starz
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"Alegria: Le Film" is scheduled to play on the Encore family of
networks five times during the month of December. You can catch
"Alegria: Le Film" on the Starz movie network. The schedule is as
follows:
* December 3rd (Monday) -- 11:05pm EST
* December 13th (Thursday) -- 10:00am EST
* December 18th (Tuesday) -- 7:00am EST
* December 23rd (Sunday) -- 6:00am EST
* December 28th (Friday) -- 9:30am EST
A&E or Discovery Networks
===========================
Cirque du Soleil is not scheduled to appear on any special show
on either A&E or the Discovery Networks (Discovery, TLC, Travel, etc).
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.
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ALEGRIA: COME UN LAMPO DI VITA (By: Ricky Russo)
=======================================================================
If you have no voice, Scream:
If you have no legs, Run:
If you have no hope, Invent.
Like a bolt out of life, Alegría thunders into being with a unsociable
need to tell its story. A story born of the need for a better world. A
stage is set where Old Age and Youth collide, where fantasy and magic
are integral parts of everyday life. Alegría, the Spanish word for
"joy", "elation, "jubilation", and "happiness", is a celebration of
life in its most primitive form: Survival. In everyday life,
uncertainty surrounds us all; "a world of contrasts - power and
powerlessness, cruelty and kindness." In that world evil and hardship
remain a constant force, but through this uncertainty is the glow of
the human spirit. It is unconquerable; resolute in its strength.
Alegría celebrates this strength by crying out for change, to shake
the foundations of society and force those who control to see the
error in their ways; to change. So that together we, as a unified
people, can build a better tomorrow.
Many characters exist in this world - court jesters, minstrels,
beggars, old aristocrats and children. They are joined by clowns who
alone have been able to resist the political upheavals and social
transformations of the day. They are witnesses to the passing of
centuries and serve as the social commentators for Alegría. 50 plus
performers set the stage for us, old and young alike. Together, they
weave a tapestry of life that has been described as Cirque's signature
show.
Alegría gives us the power to transform society. This is the
underlining theme to the show created by Franco Dragone and Gilles
Ste-Croix in 1994 for Cirque du Soleil's 10th Anniversary. Since its
birth, Alegría (a $3 Million production) has visited many places
around the globe and has been on 5 different tours: North American
Tour (1994-1995), Japan/Hong Kong (1996), Europe (1997-1998), Beau
Rivage, Biloxi, Mississippi(1999-2000) and its present Asia/Pacific
itinerary taking it to Australia (2001).
It was while the show toured Australia during the Summer of 2001 that
it was filmed and on Monday, November 19, 2001, television audiences
were given, for the very first time, a glimpse into the world of
Alegría. For that celebration, the Fascination! Newsletter takes a
look into this creation to see exactly how much it has changed from
its earliest beginnings to its current form. Even though the birth of
Alegría is in Montrèal in 1994, we're going to pick up the show with
the European leg of its journey.
"There is a love in me raging, Alegría!
A joyous, magical feeling!"
=======================================================================
FEATURE: AN AMERICAN IN LONDON; ALEGRIA (By: Jen Waldman)
=======================================================================
It seems strange to think of Cirque du Soleil without its blue-and-
yellow or sparkling white tents. Seeing the large tent surrounded by
smaller tents and trucks, the small City of Cirque temporarily housed
in a larger metropolis, is as much a part of the tour experience as
the show itself. But not in London in the winter of 1998. Cirque du
Soleil has a "co-promotion" with a leading entertainment venue. For
now, "Alegria" is housed in the most un-tent-like of venues: the Royal
Albert Hall.
The mahogany walls and velvet curtains, the many mezzanine levels
climbing up to an opulent ceiling, the private boxes for the very rich
(or at least very willing-to-spend) patrons-none of this feels like
Cirque du Soleil. Even the souvenirs are sold in a fancy lobby rather
than a small tent. The uniformed ushers and the pristine wine bars
are more in keeping with a grand old hotel than with an acrobatic
spectacle.
But somewhere faintly, the soundtrack from "Mystère" is playing...
Leave the lobby. Find the right seat. Stare at the stage. A-ha! This
is more like it. There are the "torches" made of red cloth. There is a
clown with a strange tuft of yellow hair lugging a suitcase. Over
there is an "Old Bird" peering into a glassless mirror. And here is a
grotesque potbellied character gesturing to a young American woman
that she ought to tie her shoelaces. She pretends to be distracted by
another clown with frizzy hair. Here we go. This is the Cirque that
everyone has come to see.
The warning against photography dispensed with, Tamir and Little Tamir
(Tamir Erdenesaikhan and Batmunkh Batjargal) appear on the stage.
With a yelp and a whoop from these two, cymbals crash suddenly and the
musicians appear-marching, dancing, and creating mayhem all through
the stalls. The potbellied man Fleur (Renald Laurin) dances with a
curly-headed lady. The musicians march through the audience up to the
stage. The accordion player points at the still unlaced shoes of the
young American woman. "Alegria" has begun!
The musicians begin the fanfare "Mirko." In a pantomime that echoes
the circus parades of the early 20th century, the acrobats and
characters march, dance, and tumble across the stage: winged nymphs,
ragged clowns, acrobats. A huge strongman (Stepan Ivanov) passes by in
a tiny cage, roaring his discontent. A singer in a white gown
(Isabelle Corradi) is shadowed by a singer in black (Andreé Simard).
As the parade exits, the music becomes a waltz. The nymphs fly away
with the mirror and the Synchro Trapeze act begins.
Or would begin. Caroline Therrien is no longer in the show, and
Caroline Blanc-Brude is not yet performing. So rather than a duo, we
are given a solo trapeze act by Xavier Lamoureux. As the singer in
white performs "Vai Vedrai," the trapeze artist flips, spins, tosses
himself in the air and catches the trapeze bar without a hitch. It is
a beautiful act, yet lacks the emotional strength that it would have
with two artists performing together.
"Jeux d'Enfants" plays as the singer in white dances with Little
Tamir. And then...the order of the acts becomes blurry, though the
content remains clear. These acts are not listed in order, for the
memory of the young American woman with the unlaced shoes is faulty.
The little clown Leonid Leikine shouts "Ay Ay Ayyy!!" as he bounces,
chases, and knocks about a large ball, finally sticking it down his
pants (much to the consternation of uptight, frizzy-haired Valery
Keft).
Swift acrobats in gold and silver tumble across the two long Fast
Track trampolines to the music of "Irna." They are accompanied by one
of the little winged nymphs (Kristina Ivanova) and the act is fast-
paced and frenetic. Suddenly, the music stops and changes to the
ballad "Valsapena" and the acrobats' movement becomes more graceful,
almost like a ballet. Then it speeds back up into "Irna," with a
dazzling finish met with prolonged cheers and applause.
The Handbalancing act, performed by Samuel Tetreault, is an alternate
act, and is not performed.
Richard Tovo brings out his fire-knives, which are then lit by torch-
carrying company members. As he deftly spins and catches them, and
occasionally lights his knee on fire, two technicians run to the base
of the stage with fire extinguishers that match the dancer's costume.
He catches the fire-knives on his bare feet, spins them around very
quickly, eats fire, grabs the flaming part of the torch with his bare
hands, and (briefly) lights the stage on fire. Very impressive,
though the smell of kerosene is a mite overpowering. At the end, he is
greeted by a clown, who makes a few halfhearted circles with a candle
in his hand, then attempts to put it out with his mouth. He chickens
out.
On a dark stage, Elena Lev appears dressed in gold. She begins to
contort her body into amazing positions, all the while keeping one
metal hoop spinning around her ankle or arm. Dancing, acrobatics,
contortion and the hoop manipulation all blend together. The music's
beat becomes more pronounced as she adds more hoops and more
improbable acrobatics to her act. She finishes by spinning at least a
dozen hoops around her body, and the audience cheers.
To the tune "Nocturne," the clown Yuri Medvedev appears with a
tattered suitcase. When he opens the suitcase, balloons fly out, as
well as a wiggling tuft of hair. After checking to make sure that his
own tuft of hair is in place, Yuri takes out a dress coat and a hat
and hangs them up. He proceeds to clean the coat, when it
mysteriously comes alive and seems to comfort him, as well as slipping
a letter into the clown's pocket. He hugs the coat until he hears a
train whistle, then leaves, donning the train's smokestack as a hat.
When he arrives at his destination, he discovers the letter that his
coat-friend gave him, reads it, and tears it up. Snow begins to float
down alongside the pieces of the letter. Yuri is all alone. He howls
softly, and begins to walk slowly through the snow until he realizes
that the "walking through snow" noise will continue even when he
stops. The wind blows harder. It finally blows away the snowy
backdrop, revealing a large fan. As the snow comes down from the
ceiling, the fan blows it into the audience. The shivering clown
recovers, and continues his journey. Thus ends Act One.
At the beginning of Act Two, music that could almost be described as a
"torch song" plays and the singer in white sings to the audience.
Halfway through, she walks through the audience and finally selects a
man to come onstage with her. She entreats him to dance, and they do
so until the ever-protective strongman emerges from the shadows and
points the man back to his seat. A clown (Leonid Leikine) runs in on
"horseback" with a letter presumably meant for the singer. The letter
is passed from the clown to Fleur to the strongman, and it finally
reaches the singer just as the clown snatches it away. Perhaps the
letter wasn't for the singer after all.
A man (Paul Bowler) flies around on long leather straps, wrapping and
unwrapping them around his body as he soars above the audience. He
also has a large metal cube, which frames his body as he flies in the
air. When he touches ground, he spins the cube on one hand, deftly
manipulating it all around as the light catches the metal frame,
turning it into a colorful blur. With the singers vocalizing "Ibis"
in the background, the act becomes very dramatic and rather wistful,
until the man drops to the ground. Two clowns with flashing light and
stretcher attempt to carry him off the stage, but it seems that they
forgot the "bed" of the stretcher and only brought the frame. They do
not seem to notice.
The Russian Bar performers run on and immediately the flyers are
airborne-twisting turning, and somersaulting, but always landing on
the narrow bar held between two other acrobats. One man continually
misses, but does not hurt himself. At the end of the act, he picks up
Little Tamir, and simply jumps straight up and down with the boy in
his arms. Two weeks later, the man will perform the act flawlessly
and do a somersault with Little Tamir.
The tiny cage is brought back on with the strongman in it. Again he
roars his displeasure, and is allowed out of the cage. The band
strikes up a sprightly waltz, and the strongman struts his stuff. He
lifts weights, yes, but in the most unusual ways. With fingers. With
feet. He sends Fleur into the audience to pick out two men, and they
chalk their hands and gamely try to lift one weight each. They
cannot, and Fleur sends them back to their seats, patting them on the
backs of their sport coats with his own chalked hands. The strongman
then lifts up several of those individual weights-with his jaw. As his
grand finale, he puts on a hat with pipe attached horizontally to the
top. Attached to the pipe are two swings. Two Old Birds sit in the
swings, and the Strongman spins the pipe, bearing the weight of the
creatures with his head. The act finishes, and he is forced back into
his cage.
A clown with a tuft of fuzzy, frayed-yarn hair (Yuri Medvedev) is now
attempting to court a woman in the audience. He has two colorful
flowers, and after some preparation he is ready to make his move. In
come Leonid Leikine and Valery Keft, who find the flowers very
beautiful, too beautiful to give away to the audience, or even to let
Yuri keep them. The two step on Yuri's very long necktie, distract
him, horse around, and manage to steal the flower blossoms from the
stems. As Yuri finally reaches his girl, he realizes that he has only
stems to give her. He is saddened, but then the music changes and the
three merrymakers dance off the stage, best of friends once more.
Soft music plays as two small girls (Nomin Tseveendorj and Chimed
Ulziibayar) enter. The strongman removes the girls' capes and stands
in the background protectively. With a little burst from the piccolo
the music segues into the song "Taruka", a rotating platform rises
from the stage, and the girls perform an amazing contortion act.
Sometimes they move in "mirror image" to each other, sometimes
together, and sometimes supporting each other one on top of the other.
The music continually changes from the singers vocalizing to just
instrumental music. As the girls finish their last contortion, the
strongman comes forward and picks them up by their hands, carrying
them off with both pairs of their hands in only one of his.
The band plays "Querer" and Little Tamir appears. The singers look on
as a bird cries out and Little Tamir goes to feed it. As the bird
flies up, Little Tamir holds on for a brief ride. The bird returns
the boy to the ground and the song ends.
Eight men climb to dizzying heights in order to perform the Aerial
High Bar act. The band plays "Icare". The "flyers" flip and turn
around the bars and then let go, twisting and somersaulting in the air
before being caught by the porters. Often they are caught at the very
last second possible, which sends the audience into gasps of delight
(and sometimes concern). All too soon, the men fly, twist, turn and
drop into the net one by one and the act is over.
The glassless mirror is back on stage, and the singer in white walks
through it and begins to sing "Alegria." The Old Birds fuss around
the mirror as the rest of the cast enters and thanks the audience.
They take their bows, and the singers finish the song. As everyone
exits the stage, the strongman steps forward once more and roars, this
time including them in his protective glare.
As the audience navigates their way through the many doors to find the
main entrance, they are greeted by another lovely London rainstorm.
Many newly-purchased Cirque du Soleil umbrellas shield the patrons
waiting for taxicabs, making a bright-colored awning in front of the
Hall. A young American woman opens her new umbrella, bends down, and
ties her shoes.
=======================================================================
FEATURE: THE BEAU RIVAGE ENGAGEMENT (By: Ricky Russo)
=======================================================================
"Come to a place where genuine Southern hospitality and charm go hand
in hand with meticulous service," touts a line from a Beau Rivage
advertisement, the home of Alegría from May 1999 to October 2000. At
the time, the Beau Rivage was an entirely new resort hotel and casino
from Steve Wynn, the creator of the Mirage, Treasure Island and the
Bellagio in Las Vegas. The resort is situated on the salty shores of
the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Standing 32 stories tall, the Beau Rivage
sports 1,780 "elegantly appointed" guest rooms and 66 luxurious
suites, which come with a Gulf of Mexico or Bay view. The resort also
houses a 78,000 square foot casino, twelve restaurants, a full spa, a
salon, a shopping promenade, a marina, a pool, and a sandy white beach
-- all for your pleasure. The final price for all this luxury? $800
Million. And that isn't a lot considering the Bellagio cost double
that amount.
With the advent of the Beau Rivage came another collaboration between
Steve Wynn and the famous Cirque du Soleil, (who have two other
engagements at his properties in Las Vegas: Mystère at Treasure
Island, and "O" at Bellagio). After much discussion, Cirque du Soleil
and Steve Wynn settled on Alegría to set up stakes at the Beau Rivage.
Alegría began its run in May of 1999, performing in a theater built to
its specifications. With 1,566 seats, the theater reflected the "warm
welcome inspired by the climate of southern France." (Beau Rivage).
The show itself is a scant 90 minutes, a far cry from its touring time
of 2-plus hours, but is inline with Cirque's other "permanent" shows:
Mystère, "O" and "La Nouba". I already knew this when I first heard
about the show premiering in Mississippi. I had just seen La Nouba in
Orlando in May 1999 and soon decided to try and schedule a trip to
Biloxi sometime that Summer - July 4th perhaps - but I couldn't find
anyone to go with me. It would be a year later before I had thoughts
of returning to Biloxi, and once again set my sights on the Summer of
2000.
It came as a surprise to me as to most fans when Cirque announced the
show would be leaving the Beau Rivage after little more than a year
(556 performances). The plan had Alegría staying for a few years then
possibly be replaced by Saltimbanco and then by Quidam, but it was all
conjecture and pointless. It was that announcement that got myself and
a friend of mine - Cedric (who introduced me to Cirque) thinking about
making a quick trip. And so, on September 29, 2000, I boarded a
Canadiar Regional Jet out of Orlando International and flew to Biloxi
to see Alegría.
The trip was not the best I had undertaken. When I went to Vegas in
October of 1999 everything went smoothly, but not so going to Biloxi.
Once I arrived in Gulfport (the closest airport) the company picking
me up there stranded me right at the airport. So, I had to try and get
a taxi at approximately 11:00pm that evening. Thankfully, I had just
enough cash on my person to pay the driver, and by midnight, I arrived
at the Beau Rivage. Oh yeah, did I mention I was staying there? In any
case, I was anxious as all get out to actually see the show, but would
have to wait until the next day to get a glimpse of Alegría.
And I received more than a glimpse. Surrounding the Alegría boutique
in the Beau Rivage casino area, at specified times, were different
individuals who performed in the show would make personal appearances.
While I had no foreshadowing of who I might meet, I as overjoyed that
I would be able to express my gratitude to them and be able to say,
"Yes, I met that person who performs in the show." So, when the
appropriate time came my friend and I were on the scene, and, as
promised, two people made their way from the theater and into the
boutique. I was fortunate enough to meet Andreé Simard, one of the
singers, and Gaston Elie, half of the Synchro Trapeze. The next hour,
I met the two Contortionists: Tseveendorj Nomin and Chimed Ulziibayar,
as well as Batmunkh, the young boy who plays Little Tamir. They were
all gracious and very talkative - especially Andreé and Gaston, who
were also very friendly. And through all the chaos were the Old Birds,
fumbling around, enticing the casino patrons, and those who came to
gab with the performers. It was a Cirque fest if I ever saw one!
By 6:45pm that evening, the festivities had to end outside the theater
so they could begin inside; thus my friend and I retired to the
Alegría theater and awaited the beginning of the show. Our seats were
not in the best of places: Section 205, Row R, Seat 1 and 2, but
they'd do. Upon entering this wonderful theater, the first thing I
noticed was the contrast of color. On the ceiling, a colorful shade of
blue which represents the skies of the village created for the
performance. The walls of the theater are adorned in reds and oranges
- symbolizing the sun. The yellow color of the theater's seats also
has meaning: the sandy beach beneath our feet - an allegory of the
Beau Rivage's location.
But all colors turned dark once the lights dimmed... and Monsignor
Fleur strutted on stage. An interesting character he is all reds and
blacks. And his stick - streaming of light "Alegria!" he announced
moments later and the music began to play. And play it did through
seven amazing acts:
* the Syncro Trapeze featuring Gaston Elie, the nice young man I
met just a couple of hours earlier. I sat on the edge of my seat
throughout his act, hoping he wouldn't fall.
* Hoops, by Elena Lev, an amazing young lady wrapped in gold, is
capable of bending her body to-and-fro. Her amazing performance
astounded me; I hadn't seen anything quite like it -- ever!
* Fire/Knife Dance by Isaac Samuela, an amazing blur of flame
and dance.
* Russian Bars, featuring Big and Little Tamir as well as a host
of talented artists. It was amazing to see little Bachka holding
on for dear life as his alter-ego flipped into the air.
* Fast Track, featuring creatures spun in gold. Slots on the
stage opened up to reveal a fantastic display of athleticism and
gymnastic capability as the artists tumbled about.
* Contortion, by Chimed Ulziibayar and Tseveendorj Nomin, the
two lovely Mongolian girls I had also met earlier in the day;
their bodies conditioned to bend in ways almost unheard of.
* Aerial High Bars - clinching the show.
Some of the acts normally part of the show were cut for The Beau
Rivage engagement. the Aerial Cube, which was originally performed by
Miesha Matorin during the North American Tour, and then replaced by
Paul Bowler for the European tour; did not make an appearance (in
fact, Miesha Matorin left Alegría for Mystère, and subsequently left
Mystère to be replaced by Paul Bowler after Alegría's European run).
And the Pole-Wire act(which featured two performers, one holding a y-
shaped pole upon their shoulder why the other dances on a thin wire on
it) was missing, but it had left the show before its European run. All
in all, the show was pretty much intact, even if there were a few bits
left out.
The acts were permeated with the antics of a trio of clowns: one in
white with baggy red paints, the second in purple with blond frizzy
hair, and the third, a very emotional one, with a poofy tuft of yellow
hair. Together, they all helped weave the story of Alegría: of kings
and fools, of nostalgia and of children. They have got to be the most
hilarious set of clowns ever seen in a Cirque du Soleil show.
Especially the one in the white shirt and red baggy pants: Leonid
Leikine! He is a comedic genius. Between the act with the red rubber
ball and his constant - "aye aye aye", I was in stitches.
Through all the laughs, gasps and tears, Alegría came to a close 90
minutes later with its signature song. And thus, the journey that I
had tried to undertake in 1999, and finally did a year later, came to
a close. I must thank the clowns for all the laughs, and for Andreé
Simard and Gason Elie for being so gracious. And to Tseveendorj Nomin,
Chimed Ulziibayar, and Batmunkh for taking time out of their busy
schedules to talk briefly with me. Oh, and I cannot forget the
wonderful Old Birds who bore all of us crazed Cirque fans and provided
us a chance to get into the act - with a picture. Your efforts and
your time will not be forgotten.
At the time, I didn't think the show was all that great. And I said so
while sitting in Café Jardin with my friend, Cedric. Something seemed
to be missing; it didn't seem as spectacular as Mystère, "O" or La
Nouba. Yet, as I look back on the entire experience, good and bad, I
would have done it all over again. As I arrived back in Orlando the
following day and prepared to go back to my ho-hum work week, I was in
very high spirits. I had found Alegría.
=======================================================================
FEATURE: "KIA ORA*, ALEGRIA" (By: Jen Waldman)
=======================================================================
By October 2000, Alegría had finished its run in Biloxi. It was
decided the show should be re-staged with many new performers and
acts, and go on an Asia-Pacific tour. For the very first time ever,
Cirque du Soleil would perform in New Zealand. And New Zealand was
really excited about it! Alegría documentaries were shown on TV
constantly, posters covered every inch of public wall space in
Auckland City, and the soundtrack was in high demand at the record
shops. The message was clear: Haere Mai (Welcome), Cirque du Soleil!
The white tent was set up next to the Auckland railway station, and
patrons could leave the intercity train and just walk straight over to
the tent. Once inside there were your standard souvenir stalls and
snack vendors, and many guards. Pictures of the acts lined the walls,
including pictures of acts no longer in the show (such as aerial cube
and hoops). The seating arrangement inside the tent was rather small,
which suited those of us with cheap tickets. The clowns and Fleur
appeared and the ushers seated everyone. Batmunkh Batjargal made the
opening announcements, shouted out "Keeeeeeeeeeyora*!" amidst
chuckles from the audience, and the show began.
This version was a very different show from its Biloxi engagement.
The mood was darker, and more tentative. It seemed as though everyone
was a little unsure of this new staging of the show. The singers
sometimes confused their lyrics, several performers were injured (not
during a performance), and the whole ambiance was...tentative.
New features permeated the performance. The aerial cube had been
replaced by an act called Flying Man, in which Aleksandr Dobrynin flew
with his arms wrapped in strips of strong material that were attached
to a bungee cord. In addition to his flying maneuvers, he also added
some moves more commonly seen on Spanish webs. It was a highly
inventive and enjoyable act, the sort that elicited a lot of "oohs"
and "ahs" from the audience.
The Hoops act was gone, and in its place was an act called
Manipulation. This was a combination of rhythmic gymnastics and
contact juggling performed by Maria Silaeva. (She had been injured
early in the run, and so the Manipulation act did not appear for most
of the New Zealand performances). The Strongman act was back, this
time performed by Ginaud Dupuis (who also did not perform for most of
the New Zealand run of the show).
The Fast Track act had been revamped to look more as it did in the
film "Alegria," with an Old Bird stumbling onto the trampoline and
trying to keep out of the acrobats' way. This version was much more
entertaining than the old staging, and just as technically proficient
as before.
Sam Tetreault did his Handbalancing, another audience favorite.
Focusing more on strength rather than showmanship, this somber act was
quite lovely. It is a shame that Handbalancing is an alternate act.
Two new clowns, Vladimir Olshansky and Nikolai Terentiev, joined with
Yuri Medvedev and brought several new acts based on Slava Polunin's
creations. "Birds on a Wire" was an adorable look at friendship and
rivalry. Another act involved one clown being scared of the audience,
and bringing a girl from the first row to protect him. This act was
unclear and needed work, the audience applauded politely but was
confused. An act with two clowns quarreling through dance and subtle
movements went over much better. Yuri Medvedev did "Snowstorm" to a
standing ovation.
Prior to the arrival of Alegria, the most heavily publicized act was
the Contortion. It was performed by Nomin Tseveendorj and Chimed
Ulziibayar as usual, and they were the only performers to elicit
cheers even before they did anything. As every brochure,
advertisement, and booking office displayed pictures of them, this is
hardly surprising. This act replaced the missing Hoops as the
children's favorite.
Most of the audience and nearly all of the media reviewers had never
seen Alegria before and praised it unconditionally. This is no
surprise, but to one who had seen Alegria twice before in its Biloxi
staging, it was a tentative show, as though the New Zealand stop was
just a "dress rehearsal" for the rest of the tour. Portions of the
show were often removed, moved around, or put back in as with a
preview rehearsal. This was not supposed to be a preview rehearsal,
and in that respect the performance I saw was a disappointment.
Still, it was wonderful that the Cirque du Soleil came to Auckland,
and when it left, most Kiwis said "Come back soon!"
Note (*): "Kia Ora" is a New Zealand Maori greeting, a wish for good
health.
=======================================================================
FEATURE: "THERE'S A LOVE IN ME RAGING" (By: Paul Roberts)
=======================================================================
Alegría is Cirque du Soleil's most sensitive show. If you analyze the
show's theme, several interpretations can be revealed: a love story,
the new replacing the old, light versus dark. The music also expresses
several emotional levels as the textures follow the dynamic storyline.
The soundtrack has gone platinum twice in Canada and was on Billboard
Magazine's hit parade for 55 weeks in the World Music category, which
almost always includes one or two Cirque du Soleil soundtracks. The
song "Alegría" was also nominated for a Grammy Award in the Best
Instrumental Arrangement with Accompanying Vocal(s) category. To date,
this is Cirque du Soleil's most successful soundtrack. With good
reason.
The show's opening theme "Mirko" includes a 2/4 time signature that
provides a traditional circus feel with brass and accordion. During
the opening, the performers introduce themselves by running around the
stage as vocalist Francesca Gagnon (who left the show, but made a
cameo comeback appearance for the filming of the show), reveals her
powerful vocal chords. Adorned in a white hoop-skirt outfit, she is
known as The White Singer and her voice could rival the best of any
opera singer.
The overall structure of Alegría's music combines new world and old
world. Synthesizers play a significant role along with the usual
guitar, bass, and drums. But leave it to composer René Dupéré to
include an unusual instrument in the song "Vai Vedrai." The musical
saw, played by Rodrique "Chocolat" Tremblay, is just like a saw used
to cut a plank of timber, but is played with a violin bow while
bending the blade to change the pitch. The saws' wailing resonance is
similar to chilling sound effects used in classic horror films. "Vai
Vedrai" accompanies the Double Trapeze act and also features an
accordion and a string ensemble. Francesca provides a passionate wide-
range vocal line, sung in Italian. The graceful words roll off her
tongue like the trapeze artists spinning in the air. Unfortunately,
the saw is not included in the live version (probably for safety
reasons).
Following "Vai Vedrai" on the soundtrack is "Kalandéro" where René
offers his vocal talents with Dutch Robinson and Maria Ravetti. This
song uses an imaginary language that is a staple of Cirque du Soleil
music, but the three singers are over-dubbed repeatedly to sound like
a massive choir. Heavy synthetic bass and staccato keyboard sounds are
punctuated with a battery of drums and percussion. The song ends with
a round of chanting voices that revolve from speaker to speaker - a
nice headphone sensation.
Next is "Querer" which is a tender piece, sung in Spanish that
highlights Francesca's vocals. When she hits the high notes during the
chorus, the hairs on my neck stand at attention! I think "Querer" is
the most romantic of all Cirque du Soleil songs and should be listened
to by candlelight with the one you love. The live version, however, is
shortened and given a drum cadence that sounds war-like. It is
basically a set-up song prior to the High Bar act and I wish this
charming song had remained unchanged live, as it seems to be so
representative of emotional love.
Accompanying the powerful Fast Track act is the song "Irna" that
includes a synthesizer bass line with the other instruments
intertwining with the basic theme. On the CD, a brass section offers
an off-beat blast that is uncommon for Cirque du Soleil music. During
the show, the "Irna" frenzy halts and the fast track becomes a ballet
track with the song "Valspena" that once again features a passionate
vocal performance by Francesca. Joining The White Singer for the first
time is her alter ego, The Black Singer, played by Eve Montpetit.
Their harmony on this beautiful theme is spine tingling. But, just as
the listener is lulled into a trance, "Irna" returns with more power
to complete the Fast Track act's climax.
"Taruka" is one of my favorite René Dupéré compositions, featuring a
gliding bass line supporting Asian instrument-like sounds. This song
is used with the Contortion act and a majority of the piece has an
airy, dreamy atmosphere. But after a fife and drum cadence, a violin
joins the theme along with a powerful drum beat to highlight the
performers' accomplishments.
"Jeux d'efants" includes a lightning-fast accordion riff that would be
perfect for the background in a Popeye the Sailorman episode. It is
playful little ditty with a nasal-tone "la la la" vocal line. The main
theme carries on with brass and orchestra that includes background
sound effects revealing a comedic mood. A perfect Clown act
accompaniment.
In the song "Icare" an energetic combination of sequenced synthesizer,
tympani, and violin illustrates an anxious feeling. The song
compliments the High Bar act as the dynamics follow the intensity and
apprehension of the air acrobats soaring through the air, to be
trustingly caught by the swinging porters. On the soundtrack, a violin
plays the main melody while the drums provide a thunderous underscore.
As the acrobats jump onto the safety net, the theme and tempo swell to
symbolize a successful conclusion. The audience can now take a deep
breath.
With the sound of wind, which appears often in Alegría, "Ibis"
features an eerie organ followed by a vocal line that is reminiscent
of a sea sirens' wail. The song starts off slowly but eventually picks
up steam when a harpsichord triggers the uplifting. The fading end
features an electric guitar and violin trading chilling solos that
advances to another breath of wind. The wind carries on to "Valspena"
that was mentioned during the Fast Track act above.
The soundtracks' closing song, "Nocturne" features an unusual format
of double bass and electric bass, played by long-time Cirque musician,
Marc Langis, who also played on le Film soundtrack. The bass lines
provide the key melody and rhythm for the song. Jazz musician Joey
Sommerville contributes some tasty flugelhorn riffs that sound like
they are being played in a vast cavern. Live, this song accompanies
the famous Windstorm act and fulfills the sad emotions felt by the
lonely and cold floune.
There are four songs that I am particularly fond of that do not appear
on the soundtrack. The first one accompanies the Fire Dance act that
utilizes high energy tribal beats. Percussionist Mireille Marchal
comes out from the musicians' section to pound on a conga drum that
embellishes the twirling flames. The bridge of the song breaks into
orchestrated mayhem featuring a tin whistle to break up the previous
steady beats. Following the bridge, a climatic ending includes a
synthesizer and the conga trading solos that results in one of Cirque
du Soleil's most energetic pieces. As with the act, the musicians
are on fire.
When Elena Lev performs her exquisite Hoop act, the subliminal music
supplies a passionate background to enhance her every move. There are
several layers of emotion and dynamics that begin with a low-end near-
waltz theme that climaxes with a fast paced swirl to rival the
countless hoops at the end of Elena's act. The White Singer and Black
Singer trade off similar melody lines and end up with a unison melody
to represent the performer and her props morphing as one.
The Flying Man accompaniment is an incredible piece that features a
Middle-Eastern texture. The song goes through many time signature
changes with subliminal acoustic and electronic percussion instruments
the focal point. The White Singer howls an echoing hymn that chases
the flight of the performer as he soars through the Big Top.
The Russian Bar acts' song is an upbeat, jazzy piece that I first
heard in "The Truth of Illusion" video. A synthesizer bass line is
enhanced by several saxophone solos that evolve into an anxious
keyboard sequence to enhance the concentration of the flyers prior to
take-off. I have often wondered if Cirque du Soleil writes additional
songs after the soundtrack is released, as several shows include some
incredible music that is not available commercially.
And finally the title track, which closes the show features a
memorable melody line sung in three languages: Italian, Spanish, and
English. Ironically, the first version I heard was from the "Alegría
Le Film" soundtrack that has a calypso-like feel. Le Film's vocalist
Irene Marc sings a wonderful rendition, but when I finally heard the
original version, I found it hard to believe they were the same song.
It only took a couple of listenings to realize that the original
version had become one of my favorite Cirque du Soleil songs. Even
more ironic is that the original version of "Alegría" was lip-synced
by Julie Cox in the movie, not Le Film's CD version. Even though an
abbreviated "Algeria" completes the live show, the melody remains in
the mind long after the curtain closes.
I have experienced Mystère, "O", La Nouba, and Dralion live and have
seen Saltimbanco and Quidam on video. Out of the seven current Cirque
du Soleil shows, the best was fortunately saved for last. When I
watched Alegría recently on the Bravo Network, I found a new love as I
sensed the touch of passion that sets this show apart from any other
Cirque du Soleil production. After all, "Alegría" was created to
celebrate the tenth anniversary of this wonderful company. The closing
verse sums it all up: "Alegría; a joyous magical feeling."
=======================================================================
FEATURE: "A BEAUTIFUL ROARING SCREAM" (By: Kimba Barton)
=======================================================================
Happy, and sad, both at the same time.... That is just part of the
mystical world of Alegria: Le Film. It is a magical journey through
emotion -- which keeps stepping across the lines between sorrow and
joy, anger and fear, dark and light, reality and imagination. It is
filled with images and songs, contrasts and likenesses each intended
to have meaning. There is little, if any filler, in Alegria. Every
bit has meaning. It is a story with a message -- a true fable.
I first saw Alegria: Le Film last spring. I had caught a glimpse of
Cirque du Soleil on Bravo and had started collecting the videos. I was
at first disappointed when I popped Alegria into the VCR. I watched,
half-heartedly, hoping I didn't waste my money. After the scene at
the train, I was fighting tears and rewound the tape and watched it
again and again, each time laughing and crying as if I'd never seen
it. I didn't believe what I was feeling. What is this? Who did this?
The vision, emotion and message of Alegria sparked something inside of
me, and left me wanting more.
The film begins with the lovely song "Let Love Be" as performers float
out of a starry sky to the world below. The song sheds light on the
tale we are about to witness. The story plays out while each main
character straddles some "line" of emotional struggle. Frac, the mime
(played beautifully by Rene Bazinet) is overcome by despair. He
obviously was once very dedicated to his art, but his love for it is
gone. All he has are boxes of memories that no longer bring happiness.
He destroys everything and is headed out of town following the
railroad. He sees an oncoming train and decides to end his life.
Blinded by his own sorrow, he doesn't realize he has someone who needs
him.
Momo, a bright but angry child, looks up to Frac. Enslaved and forced
to peddle flowers by the evil Marcello, Momo lives his childhood
through Frac. You can see the hate in Momo's eyes. But since Momo is a
child, he doesn't understand what Frac is going through. He seems to
think that since Frac is an adult, Frac should know what is going on.
Momo tries to follow Frac and lays himself on the tracks beside him.
The mime is shocked to his senses and pushes Momo off the tracks. But
soon, Frac is to be blinded by a different emotion.
Giulietta, the star of her fathers' circus, sees what is going on from
the train as it screeches to a halt. While the performers get off the
train, a strange seer warns of an omen. As Giulietta finds a torn
picture of Frac, they meet. A star shoots across the sky as the two
smile at each other and fall instantly in love. The shooting star is
seen throughout the film and symbolizes this gift of love. There is a
sense that these two have always known each other, but before they can
speak, the performers and the realization that he has to find Momo
frighten Frac off.
Giulietta has lived a good life growing up in the circus. She has a
large circus family that adores her and is loved by her audience as
well. Sheltered under her fathers' wings, she never thought of
wanting, or needing more, until she met Frac. Fleur, her father,
seems to know this. Fleur is a wise man. Watchful of his daughter, he
tries to protect her by telling her what she saw was "just children
playing games", but he knows that is not the case. Fleur senses what
has happened As Giulietta is about to be pulled between the gravity of
the world she knows and the world she now desires, Fleur is torn
between fear and anger. He thinks he is protecting his daughter, but
in reality he is protecting himself.
As the story moves along, we see the dark images of the ghetto where
Frac and Momo exist. There is the Cafe Opera, where Frac's friend, Old
Taps, represents the man that is stuck in life and will not try to
change it. We see the many children with broken spirits, forced to
work in Marcellos' dungeon. The images are, in a sense, timeless. It
doesn't matter what model car you see in the film--you could just as
easily be in Dickens' England. The story, narrated by an elderly Momo
as he unwraps his tale to a troupe of young cirque performers, is true
to what he says in the beginning--it is feelings and impressions. Momo
is mad at Frac for being in love. The child wants love, but only feels
hate. Frac's new love and hope have brought nothing new to Momo. He
is still alone.
In contrast to the ghetto, the circus is full of color and beauty.
Frac comes to the circus with flowers in search of his love. He
doesn't know it, but he has help. The clowns also saw what happened
that night at the train. The clowns know. They know true love must be,
even if Fleur doesn't believe it. The clowns "kidnap" the confused
mime and sneak him into the circus. Frac eventually stumbles onto the
stage where Giulietta is singing. Their eyes drown in each other, and
Frac asks her her name. But as is to be expected, Fleur has Frac
tossed from the circus. Frac tries to ask the deaf clown the singers'
name. The clown isn't going to make it that easy and seals his lips
with a smile.
Fleur knows Frac will be back and tries to discourage his daughter.
As we see the torn picture Giulietta stares at, one can tell she
doesn't need the whole picture to know the whole man.
As Momo wanders the streets alone, wondering how he will survive, we
again are presented with dark images of what lays ahead for him
begging and worse. The song "Love Leaves Someone Behind" leaves its
message with the audience. Momo decides he will try to rescue the
other children, but despite an apparent success, the children will not
leave Marcello's dungeon. The world has already discarded them once
and there is no where for them to go--no one that cares about their
situation. But one lonely little girl joins Momo to go look for Frac,
who is still searching for his love.
Again with the help of the clowns and a little liquor, Frac ends up on
stage with Giulietta, this time in the guise of an Old Bird. Amidst
the action on the fast track their eyes again fall upon one another
and ones' heart melts as the two interact. At first, Fleur seems
subdued-almost as if he has accepted their love. But again, before the
lovers can kiss, Fleur steps in and makes a mockery of their love to
the audience. He has allowed his fear and anger to turn him into
nothing more than the fool he plays on stage. The only thing he
manages is to help Momo understand what Frac is feeling and to help
his daughter make the decision to leave. Unable to follow his own "The
Show Must Go On" speech, the circus falls apart and everyone is alone.
"Child in his Eyes" plays as the performers scatter into the ghetto,
contrasted with fairytale images of the performers at a fountain.
Frac cannot help himself despite his shattered hopes. He finds himself
living beneath the gaze of the singers' image on a billboard. Our
omnipotent clown again steps in and helps Frac regain his "vision". He
is taken to Marcellos' factory where Momo and Giulietta are being
held. He is no longer blind to what Momo and the children have lived
through. He seems ashamed for thinking only of his own despair. He is
willing to fight for the children, but is no match for Marcello's
thugs. But he has shown the children something greater - He cares. The
children stand on their own in his defense and free themselves. Again,
joy seems short-lived as news comes to the now freed Giulietta of the
fate of the circus. Frac and Giulietta know what must be done to
ensure that love leaves no one behind. So, she takes the children back
to the circus with her. Frac, meanwhile, knows where unwanted
performers go. In a quiet good-bye, Frac leaves his hat with Old Taps,
as if to let Taps know there is a way out.
As the children pile into the bleachers, Fleur appears pleased but
confused - there is no circus for them to see. Then Frac appears on
stage. Fleur's face is apprehensive as Giulietta joins her love. Then
the performers step out of the dark and into the light. Fleur's face
lights as he realizes this man he tried to lock out of his life, has
given his life back to him. Finally, after asking the singer her
name, Frac and Giulietta kiss. The children scream out in joy, Momo
smiles and Fleur says good-bye to the fool he once was. The magical
song "Alegria" brings up the finale of the film, as all are one. The
story ends touchingly, with the performers being launched back into
the starry sky.
An old Momo reminds the young performers of the moral of the tale at
the end of Alegria. He echoes Fleur in encouraging them to invest
every emotion into what they love--their show. He tells them to live
with humanity because whatever they do, it can change someone's life.
But this story has even deeper meaning. Some say they don't like the
film because it is not the live performance, or is too metaphorical.
It is and is supposed to be. It is all intertwined, all connected--but
that's what Alegria is--Alegria is life. Without knowing sorrow, one
cannot know joy. Without the dark, one cannot experience the light. We
all have these things in common, and the road to happiness is not
always easy. It is choosing the right path when it lies before us,
and knowing that in our darkest hour, something as simple as a smile
can change our life forever.
Alegria the film has changed my life...forever.
Dedicated to one that the Mime and the Film hold even deeper meaning
to: Lynn.
=======================================================================
FEATURE: LE FILM COMENTARY (By: Keith Johnson)
=======================================================================
When Alegría-The Show director Franco Dragone first started thinking
about filming the show for posterity back in 1995, his original plan
was to travel with the show for a year filming the lives of the
performers for a traveling documentary. It was only after the film was
committed to a production company that it's scope changed and became
more grand, in an attempt to translate to film the emotion at the core
of the show, wrapping it in a larger (and for film audiences more
conventional) love story fable.
These facts as well as others are revealed in the DVD for Alegria Le
Film (2000, Image Entertainment OVED6874DVD) (also available in VHS
tape UPC# 68779-71230-3). Unlike the recent releases of older Cirque
shows, this DVD has several "extras" including three music videos, the
movie trailer, extended performance-only sections devoted to Elena
Levs' Hoops act and Mikhail Matorins' Cube act, a ten-minute on-set
documentary and, most interestingly, a feature-length commentary track
by the films director, the aforementioned Mr. Dragone.
"You can never translate to film the feeling you get when you're in
the big top," Dragone comments on the track, "It's a different kind of
relationship." Because of the way Dragone directed the show, with its
multiple layers of imagery (there's always more than one thing going
on at any one time), "the spectator is the real writer of the live
show. He builds his own show" by where he looks. He also postulates
the idea of having a smaller theater set up next to the Alegria show
tent, holding perhaps 200 people, that would screen the film as part
of an entire Alegria experience.
Wrangling 1500 audience extras (and at one point 1500 children extras)
was only one of the filmings complications. Most of the film occurs at
night, and was filmed after regular daily performance of Alegria The
Show while it was in Berlin, featuring many of the performers in the
show. The performers would finish their show(s) and then spend most of
the night appearing as their characters in the film. Dragone considers
the finished film as a tribute to the (very tired) artists that
perform daily in the show.
Dragone reveals in the commentary that after seeing children selling
flowers in Belgium, and hearing their tales of servitude, he was
inspired to illustrate their plight as an aspect of the film. The
films' children sell flowers in The Cauldron which was based on
Amsterdam's red-light district. But he had to be careful in depicting
their story, "It's not easy to show misery on screen. You have to be
careful not to be cute and beautiful."
The film studio was insistent that the film be a love story, and
Franco was insistent that Rene Bazinet play the lead as Franco had
promised him years before. But Rene wasn't as young as his co-star,
and couldn't "play young." So the films concept was changed from a
more realistic tone to be played more as a "modern urban fable." This
allowed Bazinet to keep his whiteface makeup on (the story was that
Frac had had it tattooed to his face) and appear younger. Being
trained as a mime also presented Bazinet problems on screen; he had to
tone down many aspects of his performance for the cameras. "It's hard
to make a mime talk," Dragone quips on the track.
Frac hangs out at the "Café Opera" bar inhabited by older performers.
The bar owner (Old Taps) is played by Brian Dewhurst, another long-
time Cirque clown. Franco wanted the ambiance of the bar to be "happy
yet sad at the same time, fantastic." He considered the characters
that inhabit the bar to be birds (carrying over the "Old Birds"
characters from the show), "They're dressed like birds, they behave
like birds, they kiss, they whistle like birds."
Giuliette is the daughter of Cirque owner Fleur, played by
international star Frank Langella. He was an easy casting choice, but
had to be coaxed in his performance as the show-character Fleur.
Langella was scared to play the character too over the top, until
Dragone assured him that in Comedie d'Arte, which is where Fleur
originates, that would be just perfect.
There were a few pleasant surprises during the filming. At one point
Whoopi Goldberg visited the set. Overnight a costume was made for her,
and she appears in the film as Baby Clown, at about 43:00 in a running
scene and in the clown wedding scene after it (Look for her in
purple). You can also see Franco in the film, as a mumbling street
person in front of Cafe Opera.
Though a bit light on some plot complexities, it marks Cirque's first
attempt to foray beyond the live stage and transfer their magic into
another medium. Lessons learned here would soon be applied to the more
successful IMAX production "Journey Of Man." The DVD also gets points
for its set of extra features, sorely lacking in most other Cirque
DVD's. Every Cirque fan should give it a chance.
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LIFE AFTER THE BEAU RIVAGE -- IN AUSTRALIA!
=======================================================================
On Monday, November 19, 2001, many in the Cirque community settled in
around their television screens patiently waiting for 8:00pm to come
around, and we were no different. Cirque du Soleil has long maintained
a policy of not releasing a filmed version of a currently touring
show, they have recently begun breaking that rule with Dralion, Quidam
and now Alegría; the missing link in the chain of filmed performances.
Over a few days during the Winter of 2000 (Summer of 2000 for the
Northern Hemisphere) Alegría was finally filmed while on its Asia-
Pacific itinerary, The fruits of their labor only salivated the mouths
of the fans as we anticipated the first showing. Monday, we received
that first glimpse, and what a great performance it was!
The strong man, absent from the show since the European Tour, makes
his triumphant return as the guardian of the Nymphs. And a new
performance, The Flying Man, makes its debut. Two new clowns permeate
the show with their hijinks. But, the filming did have its flaws (and
surprises). For its flaws, Only one of the contortionists was present
(as the other had a back injury, which we reported on earlier), and
the clowns did not seem as funny as the clowns in the Beau Rivage
performances. For its surprises, the return of Franchesca Gagnon as
the White Singer was a pleasant surprise (even though we reported on
her return as well) and the return of Elena Lev, the beautiful hoops
performer, were very welcomed.
Technically the filming was flawless and breathed new life into the
show. At first, the quick camera changes did pose a difficulty in
viewing, but upon closer inspection, they mirrored the glances of
spectators -- zeroing in right were our own eyes would have gone! The
audience shots were also impressive as one pan caught a couple of guys
looking on in amazement as one of the high bar performers did a triple
flip. And the reflection at the end of the show seemed to clinch it...
it was something many Cirque fans do while seeing a show life --
reflect on what they had seen. Very touching.
Alegría will continue to be shown on Bravo TV on a rotating schedule.
Look for future postings within the newsletter to find out exactly
when the next showing will be.
Viva l'Alegría!
=======================================================================
HOW TO SEE ALEGRIA
=======================================================================
Alegría is currently on tour in the Asia/Pacific region of the world.
Its current location is in Perth and will next set up the big top in
Singapore. It is uncertain where Alegría will go after its Singapore
engagement.
=======================================================================
PARTING QUOTE
=======================================================================
"Once everything has been said and done, who says
you can't start over?"
- Alegría
=======================================================================
NEXT ISSUE...
=======================================================================
With our next issue, we'd like to ring in the new year by looking back
over the history of Cirque du Soleil by exploring their older shows.
Through the next two issues, we'll start with Le Grand Tour/Le Cirque
du Soleil and work our way forward through to Fascination, catching La
Magie Continue, Le Cirque Réinventé and Nouvelle Expérience along the
way. And, we promise to run the DVD review piece we had planned for
this issue. Look for the next exciting, fact filled issue of the
Fascination! Newsletter on January 1, 2002!
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
=======================================================================
Fascination! is a monthly newsletter, available only through sub-
scription. If you wish to unsubscribe, please send an email to:
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the future, you can do that automatically by emailing us again at:
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questions, feel free to email us at: richasi@azlance.com.
=======================================================================
COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMER
=======================================================================
"Fascination! Newsletter" Copyright (c) 2001 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 4a: August 01, 2002}
