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Fascination Issue 012
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Fascination! Newsletter
Issue #12 - August 2002
"Live to Cirque; Cirque to Live"
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Bonjour et bienvenue! With this issue we mark our first full year of
publication, a milestone for any publication - online or print. The
fact that we are still here after one year is not only amazing to us,
but a testament to you, our supporters. To celebrate this feat we've
decided to celebrate as writers - by writing a featured piece on our
first year (and patting ourselves on the back in the process)! So,
please join us for our One-Year Retrospect and much, much more!
============
Contents:
============
* Cirque Buzz: News, Rumours & Sightings
* The Itinerary: Tour/Show Information
* Historie: This Month in Cirque History
* Anniversarie: Birthday Wishes to Cirque Alumni
* Le Spectacle:
"One-Year Retrospect" (By: Ricky Russo)
* Behind the Curtain:
"Cirque Unfair?" (By: Keith Johnson)
* Cirque Musique:
"Mysterious Mystère Musician" (By: Paul Roberts)
* Special Engagement:
"Le Grand Tour: Cirque Day" (By: Ricky Russo)
* Le Spectateur:
"Quidam Pas de Deux" (By: Paul Roberts)
* From the Boutique:
"La NEWba" (By: Ricky Russo)
* Parting Quote
* Next Issue
* Subscription Information
* Copyright & Disclaimer
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CIRQUE BUZZ: NEWS, RUMOURS & SIGHTINGS
=======================================================================
Prank Forces Evacuation
-----------------------
On Tuesday, July 2nd, approximately 10 people were evacuated
from the La Nouba boutique due to a pepper-spray incident. "A
woman reportedly complained of a burning sensation minutes after
using a pay phone outside of the Cirque du Soleil Building,"
said WKMG news, Orlando's Local CBS station. An investigation by
local authorities discovered pepper spray on the phone receiver.
The evacuation had no impact on the show as Cirque du Soleil's
La Nouba does no perform on Tuesdays. (Source: Yahoo News/WKMG)
8/11/02 - Last Chance!
----------------------
For citizens of Orlando, Florida, August 11th is your last
chance to see Journey of Man on the IMAX dome at the Orlando
Science Center. After the 11th, Cirque du Soleil moves on. Catch
Journey of Man Daily at 4:00pm!
Sayonara Quidam!
----------------
Cirque du Soleil patrons who wish to see Quidam one last time in
the United States (at least for a while) better do it now. In
our first issue back in September 2001, we published a rumor
that reported Quidam was to begin an Asia-Pacific Tour in 2003.
It seems that rumor has reared its head once again, only this
time, for real! Quidam is scheduled to be in Tampa, Florida from
November 13, 2002 through December 8, 2002, which is to be the
show's final stop on the second North American Tour. There is
already a Quidam in Japan website established by the Fuji
Television Network (www.quidam.jp). The site is active with a
history of Cirque du Soleil in Japan, information about the acts
in the show, as well as its itinerary. But beware, the site is
in Japanese.
Quidam in Japan Itinerary:
- Tokyo: 02/07/03 - 05/05/03
- Nagoya: 05/21/03 - 07/06/03
- Osaka: 07/19/03 - 08/31/03
- Fukuoka: 10/22/03 - 12/07/03
Itinerary is subject to change.
Cirque Honored with Emmys
-------------------------
At 5:35am Pacific Time on July 18th, nominations for the 54th
Prime Time Emmy Awards were announced, and Cirque du Soleil was
among those honored. Cirque du Soleil Presents: Alegría, in
conjunction with Cirque du Soleil Images and Serpent films was
nominated in the following category:
* Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special
Competition: The 74th Academy Awards, America: A Tribute
to Heroes, The Carol Burnett Show "Show Stoppers", Concert
for New York City, and the Opening Ceremonies from the
Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City.
Deborah Brown was also nominated in the Outstanding Choreography
category for her Choreography for the 74th Annual Academy Awards
and Madonna Live: The Drowned World Tour. She is up against
MADtv's 7th Season Premiere, Michael Jackson's 30th Anniversary
Celebration, the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympics in Salt Lake
City and Target Stars on Ice.
The Emmy's will be awarded on September 22nd at 8:00pm Eastern
Time during the 54th Annual Prime Time Emmy Awards telecast on
NBC. We wish Cirque du Soleil and Debora Brown well! For further
information about the Emmys, visit < www.emmys.com >.
Lord of the Dance Ends Run
--------------------------
On Sunday, July 28, 2002, "Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance"
ended its successful four-year run at the Broadway Theater in
the New York, New York Hotel and Casino. As released last month
by "Fascination!" and confirmed via press conference by Cirque
du Soleil, the New York, New York theater is set to receive a
new Cirque du Soleil show in 2003. The closure of Lord of the
Dance will now make way for theater revisions and construction.
A debut date of this new Cirque performance has yet to be
officially established, however, we hear it will debut sometime
in the Summer of 2003 - exact dates are unknown at this time.
Budget of Franco's Show Revealed
--------------------------------
As previously reported, Steve Wynn's new Las Vegas Mega Resort,
branded "Le Reve", is set to have a new production by Franco
Dragone, who wrote and directed both "O" and Mystère, also in
Las Vegas. The budget for the new production is registered as
$24 million for the creation and development of this new water
based show.
=======================================================================
THE ITINERARTY: TOUR/SHOW INFORMATION
=======================================================================
[Touring Shows]
Alegría:
* Minneapolis/St-Paul, Minnesota: 8/21/02 - 9/15/02
Venue: Riverfront, Downtown Minneapolis
* Mexico City, Mexico: 10/10/02 - 11/10/02
Venue: Gran Carpa Santa Fe
Dralion:
* Seattle, Washington: 8/1/02 - 8/25/02
Venue: Next to Renton Boeing Plant
* Sacramento, California: 10/4/02 - 10/20/02
Venue: Cal Expo
* Phoenix, Arizona: 11/13/02 - 12/8/02
Venue: Temple Diablo Stadium
Quidam:
* Boston, Massachusetts: 7/25/02 - 9/8/02
Venue: Suffolk Downs
* Cleveland, Ohio: 9/26/02 - 10/13/02
Venue: Nautica Entertainment Complex
* Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida: 11/13/02 - 12/8/02
Venue: Tropicana Field
* Tokyo, Japan: 2/7/03 - 5/5/03
* Nagoya, Japan: 5/31/03 - 7/6/03
* Osaka, Japan: 7/19/03 - 8/31/03
* Fukuoka, Japan: 10/22/03 - 12/7/03
Saltimbanco:
* Vienna, Austria: 7/10/02 - 8/4/02
Venue: Krieau Vorgartenstraße / Trabrennstraße
* Brussels, Belgium: 9/4/02 - 10/6/02
Venue: Tour & Taxis
* Madrid, Spain: 10/31/02 - 12/1/02
Venue: Recinto ferial de Moratalaz
* London, England: 1/10/03 - 1/26/03
Venue: Royal Albert Hall
Varekai:
* Toronto, Canada: 8/1/02 - 9/8/02
Venue: Ontario Place
* Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: 9/19/02 - 10/6/02
Venue: Avenue of the Arts
* San Francisco Bay, California: 11/7/02 - 12/8/02
Venue: Pacific Bell Parking Lot
* San Jose, California: 1/16/03 - 2/9/03
Venue: Water Company at Delmar Avenue
* Other Confirmed/Rumored Stops:
- Chicago, Atlanta, Miami, Jersey City
Boston, Houston and Dallas.
[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:
- 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:
- 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:
- August 12th through 13th
- October 14th through 15th
- December 4th through 19th
=======================================================================
HISTORIE: THIS MONTH IN CIRQUE HISTORY
=======================================================================
* August 01, 1986 -- Le Magie Continue opened Saint-Sauveur, Canada
* August 01, 1990 -- Nouvelle Expérience opened San Francisco
* August 01, 2002 -- Dralion opened Seattle, Washington
* August 01, 2002 -- Varekai opened Toronto, Canada
* August 02, 1984 -- 1984 Tour opened Magog, Canada
* August 03, 2001 -- "Fascination! Newsletter" is born :)
* August 04, 1987 -- Le Cirque Réinventé opened Saint-Sauveur
* August 07, 1992 -- Fascination opened Yokohama
* August 08, 1989 -- Le Cirque Réinventé opened San Francisco
* August 09, 1984 -- 1984 Tour opened Hull, Canada
* August 14, 1986 -- Le Magie Continue opened Longueuil, Canada
* August 14, 1987 -- Le Cirque Réinventé opened Longueuil, Canada
* August 15, 2001 -- Dralion opened Boston, Massachussettes
* August 16, 1984 -- 1984 Tour opened Sorel, Canada
* August 16, 1985 -- 1985 Tour opened Niagra Falls [CP Skylon Tower]
* August 16, 2001 -- Cirque won 3 Emmys for Dralion on Bravo
* August 17, 2000 -- Dralion opened Minneapolis, Minnesota
* August 18, 1992 -- Fascination opened Sendai, Japan
* August 18, 2000 -- Alegría: Le Film premiered in Italy
* August 21, 2001 -- Alegría opened Brisbane, Australia
* August 21, 2002 -- Alegría opened Minneapolis, Minnesota
* August 25, 1994 -- Alegría opened San Jose, California
* August 26, 1984 -- 1984 Tour opened Montréal, Canada
* August 27, 1992 -- Fascination opened Kita-Kyushu, Japan
* August 27, 1992 -- Saltimbanco opened San Jose, California
* August 28, 1986 -- Le Magie Continue opened Ottawa, Canada
* August 31, 2001 -- Quidam opened Düsseldorf, Germany
* August 31, 2002 -- First Issue of "Fascination! Newsletter" :)
=======================================================================
ANNIVERSAIRE: BIRTHDAY WISHES TO CIRQUE ALUMNI!
=======================================================================
* August 05, 1965 -- Roxane Potvin (Singer/"O")
* August 11, 1964 -- Eugen Brim (Eugen/"O")
* August 24, 1973 -- Gaston Elie (Synchro Trapeze/Alegría)
* August 29, 1984 -- Chimed Ulziiboyar (Contortion/Alegría)
* August 25, 1960 -- Agnès Sohier (Singer/Dralion)
* August 29, 1985 -- Anton Tchelnokov (Icarus/Varekai)
=======================================================================
LE SPECTACLE:
"One Year Retrospect" (By: Ricky Russo)
=======================================================================
Who would have thought that a year ago this month the "Fascination!
Newsletter" would be celebrating its twelfth issue, and first year of
existence? Who would have thought how much we would grow from our
first outing and how well accepted we would become. Back then we
didn't think we'd see this day - honestly. Who knew? As the creator of
"Fascination!", I am thrilled to celebrate its first anniversary with
you - the first of what I hope to be many - by taking you on a little
retrospective journey of the topics we have touched on over this past
year and the people who brought those topics to life. In doing so I
hope to provide you with a little behind-the-scenes look at our
operations and a peek into what is to come.
The Birth
---------
In our first issue I introduced the idea of "Fascination!" to our
readers as one that was not an original idea. What I meant by that
statement was that several fans around the world probably had the same
thoughts about organizing a fan-club and may have launched their idea
to varied success. In our little corner of the Cirque du Soleil
fandom, there was no real "fan-club" out there (though the Dralion
Internet Club existed) and Cirque Club (Cirque du Soleil's official
Fan Club) was still just a dream. It took two "mega-fans" in the
Cirque du Soleil fandom to bring about "Fascination!" - myself (Ricky
Russo) and Yuki Nakano (from Seisouso.net) - but its creation and
success is largely an accident.
It all began one night while the two of us were chatting on AOL
Instant Messenger (AIM). During that conversation, Yuki mentioned to
me that it would be a great idea to have an online fan club for Cirque
du Soleil fans. It was funny she mentioned that because I, too,
harbored the same idea and was about to approach the fan community
with it. And so, on that evening the "Fascination!" fan-club came into
being. Yuki began the process of creating the fan-club's official web
page while I steered the creation of the publication component: the
"Fascination! Newsletter". On August 3, 2001 the newsletter was
officially born, and like a baby, our first steps were rather small
and rocky.
I knew immediately I needed help in producing, writing and publishing
a monthly newsletter dedicated to Cirque du Soleil. What I needed most
were dedicated people who could write for the project. I sought out
two people whom I had earlier talked with: Paul Roberts and Keith
Johnson. With these two acquaintances on board we took to writing our
first issue. That process, however, was very unnerving. Each of us
was enthused to be on such a project, but we all had doubts about our
success. We had no idea how well we'd be accepted and how informative
we'd end up being. Would the fans enjoy our publication? We wouldn't
know until it's release on August 31, 2002 (Issue #1 - September
2001). With all our swirling emotions, the issue and the newsletter
was a success and widely received. "Fascination! Newsletter" was in
business!
Mission Success
---------------
If you have the right people working for a project you are almost
guaranteed success. "Success begins with people" is probably one of
the biggest truisms in publication. You can't have a publication
without good writers, support personnel and most of all, interested
readers. Naturally, "Fascination!" would not have lasted this long
with out its hundreds of readers, but it's the writers I wish to honor
now. Without them, "Fascination!" would not exist at all.
"Fascination!" is made up of individuals who put forth an amazing
effort each month to bring a variety of Cirque-related topics to
light. Sometimes it's a personal reflection of a show they recently
saw. Sometimes it is a technical review of some media aspect of the
company. And sometimes it's just an opinion we feel rather strongly
about sharing. Regardless of what topic we end up writing about, it's
the writers who are the heart and soul of the newsletter. I wish to
re-introduce them to you and thank them for their hard work over these
last twelve months.
Paul Roberts - Paul is from Hamilton, Ohio, USA and is a entrepreneur
of music, and thus he is our musical genius. You'll find him
dissecting Cirque music for us most of the time. He is an
accomplished musician and enjoys attending shows with his daughter
Tara (who, by-the-way, gets embarrassed when she's mentioned in the
newsletter - "Hi Tara!"). Paul is a great asset to the Newsletter and
a personal friend. Thank you Paul for your hard work.
Keith Johnson - Keith is from Seattle, Washington, USA and specializes
in factual tidbits, research items and a variety of other topics. He
is a phone hound and will chase down practically anything that crosses
his field of vision. Keith is not only a writer but our proofreader.
Believe me, there isn't much that gets by his unforgiving eye. Keith
is a founding member of "Fascination!" and is also a personal friend
of mine. Thank you Keith for the amazing work you do.
Jen Waldman - Jen has moved around recently but is currently in
Washington DC, USA putting her college degree to work for a theater
company. She joined us in December 2001 (Issue #4) to provide us with
a new voice. Jen is most interested in Cirque's early years (pre-
Saltimbanco) and is a wonderful asset to our ranks.
Kimba Barton & T. Clay Buck joined us in December 2001 and have been
with us ever since. Each brings their own vision, ideals and style to
the Newsletter. And while these two have remained relatively quiet
over the last few months, they are still valued members of
"Fascination!" and will be with us again soon.
Wayne Leung - Wayne is our newest writer and is our first "non-U.S."
writer. He hails from Ottawa, Canada and speaks a myriad of languages
(English, French and Cantonese Chinese). We welcome him amongst our
ranks and look forward to working with him much more in the future.
And, last, but not least... myself.
Ricky Russo - I am the chief architect of this project. Not only do I
write for the newsletter but I do research for its many columns,
manage the newsletter's activities and schedule, and have been known as
the "task-master". I'm the one who is behind the scenes constructing
the issue as well as hounding the writers for their next submission. I
currently reside in Orlando, Florida, USA (the home of Disney World
and La Nouba) and have recently taken up a goal to see all 8 currently
running Cirque shows in one year ("Le Grand Tour").
Each one of us is proud to serve the Cirque du Soleil fan-base through
"Fascination!". Not bad for a group of amateur writers who are in no
way affiliated with Cirque du Soleil, and don't get paid! So, on
behalf of the entire writing staff I wish to thank you, our readers,
for making us so successful.
The Cirque Buzz
---------------
Without patting ourselves on the back too much, one of the things I
believe that keeps our readers interested is our ability to provide a
wide variety of information and speculation about Cirque du Soleil
through our various eight feature columns - "Le Spectacle", "Cirque
Musique", "The Cirque Connection", "Behind the Curtain", "Beyond the
Bigtop", "Special Engagement", "Le Spectateur" and "From the
Boutique". And while you may not see a particular column run every
issue, we've decided the best way to present our features is in this
format. Those who have been around with us from the beginning will
have seen a progressive change to this format over the many months.
Through that change, we have had an explosive first year with a myriad
of wonderful features. To single out any particular feature above
another to honor is hard and largely unfair because they are all
shining examples of great storytelling and provide wonderful insights
into the mind of the writer. However, I have picked a handful of
featured articles from our past issues that I feel represent what
"Fascination!" is all about - ground breaking news, touching personal
connections, and abstractions of theme and music.
* "Cirque du Film" (By: Keith Johnson)
* "Mystère: A Mountain Tale" (By: Ricky Russo)
* "Le Passage" (By: Paul Roberts)
* "Taïko - the Heartbeat of Cirque" (By: Ricky Russo)
* "'O' in the Family" (By: Paul Roberts)
* "Kia Ora, Alegría" (By: Jen Waldman)
* "There's a Love in me Raging" (By: Paul Roberts)
* "A Beautiful Roaring Scream" (By: Kimba Barton)
* "From One Dream to Another - Quidam" (By T. Clay Buck)
* "More on that Wallpaper!" (By: Keith Johnson)
* "Ethereal Science and Magic" (By: T. Clay Buck)
* "'Wherever' is Montréal" (By: Paul Roberts)
* "When is a program not a program?" (By: Keith Johnson)
* "Au-Dela des Couleurs" (By: Jen Waldman)
* "The Art and Evolution of Varekai" (By: Wayne Leung)
* "Clownin' Around" (By: Ricky Russo)
Now, for the first time since their original release, "Fascination!
Newsletter" subscribers new and old will be able to revisit some of
their favorite pieces from our catalog as our back issues as they have
finally been made available! You can find these issues in text file
form on the Fascination! Yahoo! Groups web site at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CirqueFascination/
If you take up our offer to read some of our back issues you'll
undoubtedly glance over the news and rumors sections. As with every
company, there is always scuttle-butt. The hardest thing to determine
about what we hear is which rumors have merit and which do not. This
goes beyond breaking news and things we have been able to uncover
- the new Cirque DVDs, the Cirque Wallpaper, Varekai, and the new
Cirque shows in Las Vegas, just to name a few. Many times speculation
leads to uncertainty, but merit or not, rumors do sometimes get posted
and have later been determined to have been false. However, we have
broke some interesting rumors over the last year that have turned into
truth.
In our very first issue (September 2001) we published a rumor of a
Japanese Quidam tour in 2003, which was recently confirmed by fans
within the Cirque du Soleil community, and by Cirque itself. In our
second issue we ran a small rumor piece that suggested that all of
Cirque du Soleil's touring shows (Quidam, Saltimbanco and Alegría)
will return to the United States for a limited run. Well... guess
what? That has happened with Quidam and Alegría... and Saltimbanco
can't be that far behind!
We also ran a series of news articles that posted information on a
rumored new Cirque du Soleil show to be established at the New York,
New York Hotel and Casino sometime in the near future. As the months
evolved, that rumor changed into two new shows - one for NY, NY and
the other for the MGM Grand. No sooner did we post the latest round of
information gathered on these new projects then they were confirmed
through a press release by Cirque du Soleil.
Great stuff!
But even if we did hit the mark most of the time, there were a couple
of times that we were far removed from the actual target. An example
of this came back in our second issue with a published rumor
that Duo Trapeze artists Karyne and Sarah Steben of Saltimbanco and
"O" fame had left "O" to pursue Cirque 2002, which later became
Varekai. It had been rumored that a Duo Trapeze act would be featured
in the show staring the twins, however, as we all know now this was
not the case. Along with that rumor we also falsely reported that two
other acts in Varekai would be a Korean Plank/Banquine type number and
a Aerial Hoops act.
How is an Issue made?
---------------------
Invariably, one of the questions that is probably the most thought of
but never asked is how something like this is put together. For our
First Anniversary, we thought it would be interesting to take you "on
the inside" of our production and give you a peek into our monthly
routine. Perhaps it'll help answer your own unasked question or
provide a new appreciation of the kind of determination and work that
goes into making our issues a reality each month.
Each new issue begins with an idea. This is the task of the Editor in
Chief (me, Ricky Russo). For most issues this "theme" or focus is
determined well in advance, part of a planned series of issues that
has been summarily agreed upon by the writers. Sometimes, however,
what is planned is not always what makes it to publication. And just
to give you a hint as to how things can drastically change, there
hasn't been an issue (except for the first) that has gone completely
as planned. Inevitably there are timely events - like the release of
Journey of Man to DVD and the airing of Alegría on Bravo - that will
change the entire theme of an issue. There are some issues that have
changed focuses over four times before it was finally published! So we
are used to changing on the fly.
But, once that issue's focus is set, the writers begin their
brainstorming tasks, research their topic and formulate that response
into a featured article. And since most of us already have a list of
topics we're in the process of researching and finalizing, there's
never any loss of things to cover. I usually steer the overall theme
or focus of each issue, but the writers are left with the freedom to
write whatever they feel. This means that while I know the overall
concept of their pieces, I do not know their content until they are
submitted to me at the end of the month.
For my role in this process, I take their submissions, my own articles
and the other featured components (like the Historie and Anniversarie
sections) and put them all together. I'll double-check the tour
Itinerary against what is known and arrange the news and rumours
section. By the last week of the month we have, for all intents and
purposes, a finished issue! Once all the components of the issue are
put together and checked one last time by me, the entire issue is sent
to Keith Johnson, who then edits the issue for sentence structure,
grammar and spelling - what a normal proofreader would do.
Once he is done with that task, usually taking no more than a couple
of days, he returns the newsletter to me and I begin to review his
suggestions. We'll talk about his suggested changes and I'll begin to
make any necessary modifications to the newsletter, add in any last
minute news and rumors that might have come to my attention during the
finalization process, and then... release the issue to our
subscribers.
And then... the process begins again!
For our next year (beginning with issue #13, our next issue) we plan
to continue with what we do best: providing you ground breaking news,
rampant rumors, and interesting and informative features about Cirque
du Soleil, its affiliates, and the experience in general. Some of the
items we are working on for future issues are:
- Another update in the Cirque Wallpaper series.
- A series detailing the new Cirque du Soleil television show
"Fire Within", which debuts in Canada first!
- A compare and contrast of the many Cirque CD releases - do you
know just how many versions of each CD have been released?
- As well as the continuation of "Le Grand Tour", insights in
the Cirque experience, continued coverage of Varekai and
Cirque 2003 in Las Vegas!
- And much, much more!
The Littlest Things...
----------------------
Over the last year many changes have occurred within "Fascination!"
and they have served to keep things interesting. From the departure of
Yuki Nakano a couple of months into the creation of the fan club, to
the flurry of new voices we added, "Fascination!" has endured. I am
very proud of this newsletter - what we've accomplished, how we've
grown and what we've been able to do because of it. Thus I leave you
with one final observation...
It's strange how the littlest thing can make your day and how the
smallest thing you do can make someone else's day. I had the
opportunity to experience this type of exchange during my ninth
viewing of Disney's Animated Feature "Lilo & Stitch" recently. I
happened to purchase a little 8-inch Stitch plushie earlier in the day
that I let sit on the arm rest of the chair I occupied at the theater
while the movie played. When the credits started rolling and the young
boy (about 5-7 is my guess) in front of me jumped up, turned around,
and saw Stitch sitting on my arm rest, his jaw dropped in awe and
wonder. He was so surprised to see something that was just moments ago
completely animated sitting in the real world, that he couldn't say a
word. He stared at Stich and smiled. His reaction totally made my day
just as his observation of a "real" Stitch seemed to make his.
And if we can bring to you, our supporters, that kind of joy and
elation each month, than "Fascination!" will be around for a long time
to come.
Come celebrate our next twelve months!
Viva L'Fascination!
=======================================================================
BEHIND THE CURTAIN:
"Cirque Unfair?" (By: Keith Johnson)
=======================================================================
We were surprised to recently learn (thanks to a posting on the
Yahoogroups discussion list by Wally Glenn) that Cirque du Soleil had
been placed on a Seattle, Washington union local's "Do Not Patronize"
list. Naturally, we wanted to find out why!
The listing appeared on a sub-page of the King County Labor Council's
website (http://www.kclc.org/kclc's.htm ). The text at the top of the
page proclaims "The following employers have been placed on the King
County Labor Council's "Unfair to Workers/Do Not Patronize" list due
to their poor treatment of workers and their refusal to recognize
workers' right to organize. They are listed by the union requesting
the action." Down the page, next to the names of restaurants and
movie theaters that have refused to allow unions to organize their
businesses, there they ware - "Cirque du Soleil" - under IATSE Local
15's banner.
But just who is IATSE and why would they list Cirque? We couldn't
find anything on the Web, so we gave the union a call and spoke with
local organizer Jerry Crangi.
IATSE is the national union that represents stage employees, and is
affiliated with the AFL-CIO. Their members are actors, stagehands,
carpenters, lighting and sound people, and anyone else involved in
stagecraft. Anyone who works for a touring Cirque du Soleil show, for
example, would qualify.
As you might know, Cirque tours with a cadre of technical personnel.
But they also hire additional local technical help in each market. It
turns out that in 2000 (when "Saltimbanco" came to Seattle) Cirque
initially agreed to work with union-approved firms. At the last
minute, they backed out and hired a couple of non-union local firms to
help with running the show. From what we could understand, one or
perhaps both firms tried to list some employees as "independent
contractors" in order to keep from providing certain benefits. The
union asked for this practice to stop, but was stonewalled. This
resulted in the IATSE local union filing an Unfair Labor Practices
charge against both companies as well as Cirque du Soleil. The
case was later settled in the unions favor.
When it was announced Cirque was again going to appear in Seattle, the
union approached the company and reminded them of the previous
trouble. It took awhile, but eventually Cirque signed a Letter of
Agreement with the union that will cover their 2002 Seattle
engagement. Accordingly, the IATSE local asked the King County Labor
Council to remove Cirque from the "Do No Patronize" list, which it has
since done.
So there you have it. You won't be contributing to the mistreatment
of workers by attending a Cirque show, at least not in Seattle!
=======================================================================
CIRQUE MUSIQUE:
"Mysterious Mystère Musician" (By: Paul Roberts)
=======================================================================
Put on your "Mystère Live in Las Vegas" CD, forward to "Finale", and
listen closely at the beginning. Do you hear the male yodeling chant?
Do you know who's doing this wailing? Open the CD sleeve and look at
the picture of the long-haired man wearing feathers and an egg on his
head. That is Luis Perez, who also performed on the studio "Mystère"
album, credited as performing: Pan Flute, Percussion, Vocals, and
Sound Illustrations. The nature sounds that fill the Treasure Island
theatre were originally created by him and even though Luis is no
longer in the "Mystère" orchestra, his influence will always exist.
A couple years ago, while searching through the New Age rack at a
local book/music store, I came across a CD titled: "Tales of Astral
Travelers" by Luis Perez (Domo Records, catalogue # 72438-46195-2-7)
and wondered, could it be? The store, fortunately, had a listening
station for all CDs in stock. After the clerk opened the jewel case
and pulled out the insert, one of the first things I noticed confirmed
my wonderment as the first person listed in "My Deepest Gratitude To:"
was Guy Laliberte. I also discovered engineering credits given to
"Mystère" guitarist, Bruce Rickerd. While privately listening in the
store I heard how much influence Mr. Perez contributed to the shaping
of the "Mystère" sound:
Track One: "Distant Voices" opens with a Flamenco-like guitar riff
that is followed with an ancient sounding wood flute. Then, a Cirque
du Soleil influenced accordion that at first sounds out of place takes
over the main melody. Halfway through the song, Luis yodels like he
does in the "Mystère" Live "Finale."
Track Two: "Sleeping Woman" is a beautifully calm theme featuring the
flute and classical guitar accompanied by a string quartet. The
chorus includes an unidentified wind instrument whose notes glide into
each other like they might be made of rubber. This instrument
harmonizes with the flute to provide a chilling melody enhanced by
background wind noises.
Track Three: "Lunar Dance" starts with wind and subliminal cave-
dwelling sounds. Another unidentified instrument that sounds like a
string-struck zither begins the melody and remains as a background
instrument. Luis introduces a saxophone-like instrument and the song
picks up speed with tabla drums and nature sounds that show up often
in "Mystère". The string quartet comes in during the chorus as Luis
yodels again. The spacey feel of the song is certainly a fitting
tribute to the moon.
Track Four: "Insectos" is a one minute, thirty-six second piece that
is true to its title. Crickets and bugs singing to Mother Nature.
Track Five: "Temple of the Inscriptions" once again features a
classical guitar, wood flute, and strings. The soothing melody line
would be perfect for accompanying a nursery rhyme.
Track Six: "Aurora's Dream" starts out with an airy flute (definitely
Luis' instrument of choice) over possibly a dulcimer. Then a choppy-
chord acoustic guitar brightens the tempo. In the background, an
eerie sitar contributes a low drone to make the airy dream feel more
like a subtle nightmare.
Track Seven: "Alba" begins with echoing bird calls ("Mystère"-ish once
again) and a soaring wind that soon is interrupted by a gong crash
followed by the string ensemble playing a haunting melody line.
"Alba" is one of the quicker-paced songs with several unusual wind and
string instruments exchanging solos. The bridge, however, includes a
soloing acoustic guitar with strings providing the chord pattern. It
ends with the same opening gong crash.
Track Eight: "Amphibians" is another short nature piece like
"Insectos." Frog sounds and other swamp critters croak and moan with
a lamenting tribute to Earth and possibly those that came from the
heavens, as Luis believes.
Track Nine: "The Sacred Mountain" is an eleven-minute epic that is
certainly the best track and had to be saved for last. This song
would be perfect for "O" as it goes through several watery tempo and
key changes. The beginning waltz features a calm combination of
classical guitar, flute, and strings. After a krum horn sounds, the
tempo picks up with percussion and Chinese zither supplying the rhythm
as a flute plays the melody line. In the background there are several
screaming noises emitting from who knows what kind of instruments.
Once again, another chilling effect. Halfway through the song, the
main theme appears as different instruments trade off on the melody.
This portion of the song reminds me of several "O" passages. The
final two minutes engage back to the opening waltz theme. The epic
has traveled through many dynamics synonymous to the life of an
ancient mountain.
According to Jason Ankeny from All Music Guide: "A native of Mexico
City, performer and folklorist Luis Perez devoted his life to the
study of pre-Colombian musical instruments, exploring the myriad
creative traditions found among the indigenous ethnic groups of
contemporary Mexican culture. During the course of his travel-a period
spanning decades-Perez collected well over 700 native instruments (the
reason why I found so many unidentifiable instruments), some dating
back as far as 3000 years; in 1981, the Mexican government sponsored
his first LP "Ipan in Xiktli Meztli", which combined traditional
instrumentation with modern-day electronics. In the years to follow
Perez collaborated with artists ranging from Kitaro to Jackson Browne
to Hans Zimmer to Yes frontman Jon Anderson; his solo recordings
include 1998's "Tales of Astral Travelers."
Although Mr. Ankeny failed to mention Luis' biggest project - as a
musician for the world renowned Cirque du Soleil - he provided
interesting tidbits that show Luis Perez's influence on influential
people throughout the music community. The universe's cosmic energy
inspires his take on life and music and "Tales of Astral Travelers" is
a must for any Cirque du Soleil collection.
=======================================================================
SPECIAL ENGAGEMENT:
"Le Grand Tour: Cirque Day" (By: Ricky Russo)
=======================================================================
{"Le Grand Tour: Cirque Day", Partie Une}
For many Cirque fans who have made a home on the Yahoo! Groups Cirque
list, July 7th has been marked a special day. For that day is referred
to as "Cirque Day" and many celebrate it as they would a national
holiday. Why July 7th was chosen out of all the other days of the year
for the most part is unrecorded, though we know that "Cirque Day" has
been celebrated each year for the last three years and is the creation
of Cirque fans worldwide. This being the case I also celebrated this
very special day by taking in a little more Cirque than usual. And,
with a lull in the adventure, I could celebrate "Cirque Day" in style
by taking advantage of a unique opportunity - to see Journey of Man,
Cirque du Soleil's IMAX production (for the third time) and La Nouba
all in the same day.
The time away from my travels also opened up an interesting time to
gather insight on my journey: where I've been, where I am, and where I
will be at its completion - put in terms of the status of my Cirque du
Soleil fandom. It isn't often that I think of such things, or share
them, but what better day to examine them than on "Cirque Day"? What
grew from this self evaluation was a wealth of knowledge about myself
and the perceptions of where I am, and I am compelled to share these
insights with those who have followed me on this incredible journey
thus far.
Journey of Man was first seen in 2000 across the United States and
Canada in the IMAX 3-D format. It is Cirque's first gamble in large-
screen filming and is widely held by fans as a shining tribute to
innovation and excellence. I was first introduced to this Cirque
masterpiece in February 2001, during a trip to Miami to see Dralion. I
had seen it most recently in March of this year with a couple of
friends of mine - introduced to Cirque only a few months back. I was
overjoyed when I heard that the Orlando Science Center was picking
up the film for display and could not wait to see it again. While
it had been released on DVD, there's something to be said about
seeing it in a real theater.
But Journey of Man at the Orlando Science Center provided a unique
viewing experience. First, the performance would not be in 3D, as it
was throughout most of the IMAX houses it performed in. Second, the
film would be shown on a curved dome instead of a flat IMAX screen.
That projection changed the dynamic of the production in many ways.
For instance, in an IMAX Dome (referred to as an OMNI-Max Theater),
the film is wrapped around you - above you, below you, and to your
right and left. You're not just watching it, you're living it. And
believe it or not you can succumb to motion sickness while watching
films on an Dome theater. Seeing Journey of Man in this format was not
only a challenge, it was cool!
One of the difficulties one finds when a standard IMAX film is
projected onto a dome structure is the sense of stretching that goes
on. People, places, and images become distorted, wrapped around the
landscape they're projected upon. This was the case for Journey of
Man. In many scenes (like the Banquine and Vis a Vis), the absolute
power of these acts were somehow removed by the distortion effect.
More so with the Banquine than any other, especially noticeable during
Serguei's amazing jump-flip to the top of a tower three people high.
The feat itself is still remarkable but it lacks scope when one sees
him bent out of proportion at the top of the dome. Strangely enough,
the acts that benefited from this distortion effect were the Taiko
drumming piece, the Synchronized Swimming (you actually feel like you
are swimming with the artists) and the Bungees (which seem to come
from all angles to grab you).
While the technical aspects of the performance are exciting to
explore, it's the remarkable large-scale story of Journey of Man that
caught my attention more so this time than in any previous viewing. In
order to accurately convey the scope of the Journey of Man story, I
quote a passage I wrote for our second issue, in late 2001: "The story
of "Journey of Man" is larger than life. The canvas used to paint the
tale is humongous -- an IMAX screen. Using 70mm film, this 38 minute
Three-Dimensional adventure enlightens our senses with an imaginative
allegory about the passage of life -- from birth to maturity."
It was the scope of its message that particularly hit me. On screen I
was watching the journey of a single man through life and it occurred
to me right then that his journey is not unlike my own. No, not the
same journey of life, but one of maturity. In my case, the maturity
of a fan. For the first time I began to question my fandom in Cirque
du Soleil and whether it would sustain the same level of excitement,
commitment and enthusiasm seen in the past. Immediately I thought
of the Grand Tour of Cirque I was now in the middle of and wondered
how it fit into the grand scheme of my evolving Cirque du Soleil
fandom.
In a quest to understand my feelings, I began to debate myself and
soon a question popped up: "What's next for me?" It's a very
interesting and valid question to ask one self, especially in the
stage I am in at this moment. It brought me to terms with my aging
fandom in Cirque du Soleil putting it in a perspective I hadn't seen
before. It is also a valid question - what will happen after I see
Saltimbanco in January? Saltimbanco is the only show I have not seen
live, and after that my journey will be complete. I will have seen all
there is by Cirque du Soleil, experiencing it first hand. What more do
I have to give? What more will there be for me to do?
I think one of the most compelling questions that came out of this
brainstorming effort was "would the thirst still be there after my
tour is complete?" At this point I can not answer that question. The
answer is one of the great mysteries of this adventure I think, one
that I hope I will find upon returning from London. Certainly one can
not be expected to stay involved in something with the same level of
passion and gusto as when he first entered it, is he? And would you
think less of him if it wasn't? Again, the answer is not easy to find.
But, I have found that my fandom in Cirque du Soleil has changed over
the past three years; from "Uber Fanatic" to "Obsessed Fan" to a more
"Seasoned Fan". And I was frightened of that fact, thinking I was
getting "Cirque burnout" until I really sat down and investigated what
made me feel that way.
In the end, I discovered that even if I don't feel compelled to listen
to Cirque music 24/7, watch the DVDs once a week or even browse the
official Cirque site on a daily basis, I'm still an enthused fan who
enjoys the performance, the allure, and the chance to keep his
"youthful" innocence. I'm a seasoned fan now and you know what? It's
cool. I no longer have to worry about my level of commitment; to keep
the same intensity of my fandom to be happy anymore. And while I can
no longer recapture the innocence of my first show, I can live with
the fact that things will continue to change, season and mature. I now
know that this is not a bad thing... just a natural aging process that
we must all undertake - in life, and in the things we do.
As for the question of "What more is there for me to do?", well, we'll
just have to wait and see what Cirque cooks up for 2003!
Next month, the tour is on again and this time I have a new outlook on
what it'll mean to complete my own journey of man. In the later part
of August I will be going to Seattle to catch a performance of Dralion
- my third performance of the show, and to take part in a very special
event: the wedding of Keith Johnson (fellow Fascination! staff writer)
and his fiancée LouAnna! What an interesting Cirque-y wedding it
shall be!
=======================================================================
LE SPECTATEUR:
"Quidam Pas de Deux" (By: Paul Roberts)
=======================================================================
On Thursday, June 27, I found myself surfing through Pascal Sioui's
web site (the famous Head of Automation for "Varekai" at
www.psioui.com) and came across a batch of pictures for Quidam's
premiere in Detroit. I realized that Cirque du Soleil has never come
this close to my town of West Chester, Ohio. So, I decided to look at
ticket availability for a couple of weeks later. I discovered,
however, that two fantastic seats: section 102, row D, seats 16 and
17, were available for Saturday June 29's 4:00 show. I called my
daughter, Tara, and said, "Hey Kiddo, how about instead of seeing
"Lilo and Stitch" on Saturday, we see it Friday and then go to Detroit
Saturday."
"What's in Detroit, Dad?" she said before it hit her. 'Quidam'...
'Quidam' is in Detroit! Are you, uh, su-su-su-su-serious?" She
dropped the phone and I could here her Doppler-fading screams in the
background: "Mom, Dad wants to take me-pause for air-to Detroit
Saturday-hiccup-to see Quidam. Is that okay?"
After her mom excitedly okayed it, I ordered these great sixth row
seats. Neither of us could sleep Friday night after seeing the new
Disney movie, so we watched the "Nouvelle Experience" DVD for a little
warm-up.
As we exited Interstate 75 (which by the way is a half a mile from my
house, basically making our 300-mile trek on only one road) and drove
around the bend towards The Palace, the first thing we spotted was the
blue and yellow swirl-colored "Bellinya" Grand Chapiteau. We both
rejoiced with high fives and "Woo hoos." We had made it with two and
half hours to spare and pulled into the parking lot. The attendants
told us to just go in as if we worked for the show. After getting our
tickets and marveling at a long-necked white crane in a pond, we ended
up sitting in the stationary air-conditioned car due to 90 degree plus
temperatures. The "O" CD, featuring original "Quidam" singer Audrey
Brisson-Jutras' aunt, Roxane Potvin, singing, helped pass the time.
The show opened with John (the very talented, Mark Ward) doing his
radio bit and then Gabrielle Cloutier, playing Zoe as she did when I
saw "Quidam" in Miami in February, entered the stage. Tara grabbed my
arm and squeezed so hard that it went numb. A chill coursed through
my entire body as I realized that I was experiencing another beloved
Cirque du Soleil show with my favorite person.
The acts followed in the usual order: The Hat-giving Opening (Tara and
I both said, "He gots no head...why he gots no head?" that my
concerned nephew, Collin, asked while watching the video); the German
Wheel (performed flawlessly by Shayne Courtright); the Diablos (they
are just too cute); Boum Boum's screams/Clown Act One (now performed
by Les Frères Velasquez, but basically the same as Les Macloma); and
on to the eerie warm-up to the Aerial Contortion in Silk act. But
something seemed to be missing.
I figured it out later: during the warm-up act, no dad character
walked on air with the newspaper around his head. It did not take
long to find out why. The tissu act was surprisingly replaced by
(Dad) Edward Skwirsky's juggling act. Tara and I were shocked. Even
though his red-soccer-ball juggling is remarkable, the "Quidam" story-
line that we knew so well had been knocked off kilter.
The rest of the first Act continued as usual: Skipping Ropes (felt
like a kid on the playground); Aerial Hoops (what can you say about
the beautiful song, "Séisouso?" No one can sing it like Audrey, but
Gabrielle pulled off a great rendition.); Clown Act Two (Is that your
heart thumping, or are you just happy to see me?); and then the
emotional ending to part one. I told Tara to watch the balloons
closely.
After the Banquine Performers released their "hearts" intermission
arrived and half of our magic had come and gone. So I said, "Tara,
what would you think about trying to get stand-by seats for the second
show. Maybe the tissu act will be included and maybe we'll see a
different singer. Brace yourself for not getting any tickets and if
we do, they will probably be apart."
She jumped up and down and once again said, "Are you, uh, su-su-su-su-
serious?" I went to the box office and asked the lady if they would
be selling stand-by tickets for the next show. She looked at me like
I had Spanish Webs growing out of my nose. "Sir, I'm not sure what
you mean, but we do have single seats available."
"Give me your two best seats!" This took nearly the whole
intermission so I sent Tara back into the tent. We ended up getting
decent seats, one right next to the soundboard and the other the next
section over. When I returned after intermission with just minutes to
spare Tara asked if I got them and when I said yes, she nearly yanked
the shirt off my back. When she settled down, she said, "Hey, why do
you think those hoops are lying on the stage?" It hit us both at the
same time, but we tried to remain calm to not jinx what we may be
witnessing when second half began.
The lights dimmed and the Banquine Performers, now dressed in their
"post-nuclear" attire appeared to the song that used to accompany Olga
Pikhienko's hand balancing act. And then from center stage, an
imposing, but beautiful girl wiggled it, wiggled it, wiggled it
(inside joke) to the forefront. The oh-so-talented Elena Lev
performed her Hoops Act-that I missed when I saw "Quidam" in Miami due
to injury-and the excitement from our second show ticket purchase rose
to Cloud 100 proportions.
The rest of "Quidam" flowed as normal: Spanish Webs (can you say
rope burn?); Vis Versa (with three of Cirque's creepiest characters
hanging overhead representing man, woman, and woman with child?);
Clown Act Three (the hilarious singing balloons); Cloud Swing (on
video, I'm not too impressed with this act, but when she is flying
overhead and releases the rope to be caught by her feet, it is pretty
tense; safety wire or not); The Banquine (still without flyer Dmitro
Sidorenko, but in my opinion, Cirque du Soleil's signature act.
Simply breathtaking; no props, no safety equipment, just human
strength, agility, and beauty); and, unfortunately, the Finale
including the circus theme to the teary song "Quidam." The semi-
subdued crowd finally gave a standing ovation when all the cast had
left. But wait, we have tickets for the second show!
In between shows we ate nachos and a ham sandwich in the souvenir tent
and unbelievably were allowed to stay in there the whole time between
shows. So we enjoyed the videos of different shows being played
before meeting up with some Ohio friends.
The second show started out with a noticeable buzz. The crowd, who
appeared to be more familiar with Cirque du Soleil, seemed energetic
from the very start and John treated an audience member with the help
of four Generics to a costume ball. Gabrielle returned, to my
surprise. I looked over at Tara in the next section and we
acknowledged her unexpected presence. We assumed another girl might
perform the second show.
To my excitement, Dad showed up walking on air during the Aerial
Contortion in Silk warm-up act. But which Isabelle would be
performing, my thoughts questioned. I saw Isabelle Chassé perform the
tissu act in Miami, but this time it turned out to be the original
girl, Isabelle Vaudelle. I had heard rumors that she hangs herself
during the act and they became true. I loved Ms. Chassé's version,
but must admit that Ms. Vaudelle's had a shocking emotion that well
represented child birth.
During intermission, Tara informed me that the seat in front of had
been vacant, so I cheerfully sat there for Act Two as at times during
the first Act, I missed her tugging on my shirt. The young girl next
to me seemed upset that I had "stolen" this seat, but cared not.
The rest of second show was very much the same as the first (without
Edward's juggling act), except for the Banquine act. There are three
versions of the Banquine and we were treated to the longest, called
the Royal Banquine. Royal treatment is what we received, all right.
The act appeared to be about three time as long and they included
maneuvers that seemed humanly impossible. Even the song had extra
parts, not just extended passages. One of the most incredible new
moves included three two-man towers where the upper man on the middle
tower grabbed one of the girls, threw her to the upper man on the
right tower, and then the middle man flipped onto the right tower.
Unbelievable. But then even the extended Banquine had to come to an
end and I screamed, "No" when the circus theme ended.
After the thunderclap and lightning, I said, "Give it up, Zoe," and
the teenage girl next to me gave me a weird look. Zoë gave back
Quidam's hat, then hugged him. "Wow, she's never hugged him before."
I received another weird look from my neighbor. Gabrielle returned to
Mom and Dad during the first verse of "Quidam" and walked away as
usual. Then out from the audience a female cast member ran up on
stage and presented her with a bouquet of flowers. Gabrielle's voice
broke up and she couldn't finish the song. Normally I might have
gotten upset that one of my favorite Cirque du Soleil songs had been
"mistreated," but I turned around to Tara and said, "I'll bet this
Gabrielle's last performance." I began to cry right along with the
wonderful Ms. Cloutier as real hiccups replaced the imaginary lyrics.
The audience stood to their feet during the second stanza and the cast
came back for three curtain calls. At the very end, Boum Boum ran
back out and thunder-clapped his mighty gloves one last time. The
lights came on and I froze in shock.
When I came to Tara, my friend Carolyn, her husband Jim, and her son
Michael raced to the side of the Grand Chapiteau to see about
catching some performers. We found a fence that was near the kitchen
trailer and an athletic-looking guy walked up. "Would you mind
signing our programs?" Jonathan Cole from the Spanish Webs politely
obliged. A few minutes later, a show technician approached us and
gave us some advice (I'm not going to divulge this to protect the
performers from future undulations of ravage Cirque fans). God bless
those Cirque technicians as his advice paid off royally.
We received autographs from all four Diablo girls (per the program: Ge
Yi, Han Bing, Li Qianqian, and Xue Huijuan-I'm hoping that these are
the correct girls since the signatures are exquisitely written in
Chinese), Gabriel Chamé Buendia (the Yellow Clown from Les Frères
Velasquez), Mireille Goyette (Spanish Webs, who confirmed that it was
Gabrielle's final night), and Natalie Harris (Cloud Swing). We were
about to leave when we noticed a girl approaching wearing a white top
with a collar of colorful sequins. I said, "Tara, it's time to turn
on your innocent charm," and she approached one of our favorite Cirque
du Soleil performers, Elena Lev. Elena cordially signed our programs
as our finale to a magical Cirque du Soleil experience. There is
nothing like a good old spur-of-the-moment decision to provide yet
another highlight in our lives.
=======================================================================
FROM THE BOUTIQUE:
"La NEWba" (By: Ricky Russo)
=======================================================================
{"Le Grand Tour: Cirque Day", Partie Deux}
You never know what you're going to get when you walk into the Cirque
theater at Downtown Disney. You might find yourself wandering in the
boutique (as I did), or you might find yourself taking in a
performance of the show (as I also did). Depending on the crowd you
could wind up with a mediocre show, a good show, or a mind-blowing
experience. As I walked into the La Nouba theater the night of July
7th, I wondered what kind of crowd I would find. I hoped I would get a
real energetic crowd to mirror my experience with the show back in
February, but I knew right from the off that it wasn't going to be an
overly exceptional night when I saw many empty seats (in the extreme
sides, upper section) and found an audience who didn't laugh at the
instruction of where the exits were, though they found the scream
during the "In case of an emergency," spiel quite a... uhm... scream.
Since I couldn't count on the audience to provide a really energetic
atmosphere I began to wonder how the show itself would be presented.
As with any staged event the more theaudience is into it, the more
energetic the performers seem to become. But with the audience not
really responsive, I knew that I wouldn't be enjoying the show... not
really. Leaving the audience behind, I turned in my seat to prepare
for the great character introduction piece. If anything could get the
audience into the show it would be their introductions. But there too
I noticed something that would change my entire outlook of the show.
No longer was I in "show enjoyment" mode, I was in "critical
observation" mode, watching everything play out to determine if other
changes had been made.
In our seventh issue (March 2002) we reported that the Festival of
Characters that begins the show had changed, more specifically that of
the trumpeteer. Instead of the sound of a lone trumpet to begin the
characters' introduction, the show was augmented with an accordion. I
can say with much relief that the trumpeteer is back and the lone
sound of this brass instrument once again rings true - and it sounds
just as good as ever!
That lightened up my spirits and allowed me to observe a few other
changes without the gloom of the audience participation (or the lack
thereof).
Believe it or not, the show has another set of Diabolo girls. The last
time I saw the show I could have sworn they were new and now I am
sure of it! These new performers are quite tiny, but still as cute
as ever. Their size aside, their performance seemed rather fresh. So
fresh that their timing was off and the production not as high-paced
as usual. Thankfully, that didn't stop the audience from kicking in
the loudest ovation of the evening (when they bothered to stand at
all). Probably the funniest moments of this new performance was the
action of the Les Cons, who had to place the tiniest girl on top of
their pyramid to close the act. She was so tiny that she couldn't get
up there by herself!
And speaking of those nutty "Les Cons", in all my times of viewing the
show (8 in all now) I have never seen them so, how to put this, nutty!
In my opinion, I think Cirque just lets them run wild, actually. I had
more fun watching their antics and their interactions with the show
than I did watching the show itself. I mean, at one moment, they were
actually singing along to the music (not the lyrics, the music!) How
nuttier can you get?
I've said it before and I'll say it again - nobody can replace Dessy
and O'Neill; their stamina, their vocal range, or even their
enthusiasm. When I saw the show back in February there was much
trepidation over how the new singers would be received. I said then
that both singers seemed to fill the shoes left by their predecessors
well. This latest performance, however, leads me to revamp that
assessment a little. Neither of the two seemed rather enthused,
or inspiring. Perhaps it was the crowd or perhaps it was the mood I
was in. After all, when I'm in "observation" mode I tend to be a lot
more critical.
Last but not least La Nouba has a new clown - Sergei is gone (the
shorter hearing-impaired clown). He has been replaced by another man.
While they pretty much do the same performance, the new clown doesn't
seem to have the same sense of timing and this throws off all of the
clown acts. The clowns also seem to be more touchy/feely than usual;
the new one especially. I saw him actually sitting with people in the
higher sections, even following them to their seats. Even Balthazar
was chasing after people (that was uncharacteristic of him). With
the new clown comes a new solo clown act (to replace Sergei's two
chairs). This clown comes on stage with a "small" suitcase. He unlocks
it and out comes another suitcase - a smaller one. He unlocks that one
and out comes yet another smaller case. He unlocks that one and out
comes... a harmonica! The sounds of a clown playing a harmonica
(badly, by design) fills the theater for a moment before... (you
guessed it)... he swallows it. Panic strikes the stage for a moment
while the Doctor buzzes in (namely, Balthazar dressed in a white gown
with a red cross painted on it - and flashing red lights on his
shoulders to mimic an ambulance). Balthazar beats the harmonica out of
his counterpart (a strange version of the Heimlich maneuver) and once
again the theater fills with the putrid sound of his harmonica. The
only problem I found with this new act was that we no longer get to
hear Krystian (Le Titan) slap his forehead in frustration (which he
did when Serguei couldn't get the chairs off his arms). This is a
small thing, but wholeheartedly missed as one of the funniest parts of
the show.
Now, one of the questions that might be rushing through your mind as
you read this is, "Why did he place this piece in the 'From the
Boutique' column when there's nothing about Cirque items listed?" The
answer to that is coming forthwith because, while I was at the show I
found there was a new La Nouba programme (finally!) and immediately
got my hands on it. But, before you rush off and purchase the newest
version, the new program looks just like the older versions. The
unnamed bald man with his black hat raised in greeting, with a trio of
performancers dancing on his head, still punctuates the programme's
cover. This allegorical picture is the poster image for La Nouba,
who's orange-scripted logo appears prominently down at the bottom of
the cover.
It's the inside that interested me the most.
And thankfully, there are changes on the inside as well. While many of
the cast shots remain the same, there are a few that have been
modified, or re-shot all together. Among the new or updated photos
you will find are a new picture of the Cleaning Lady, now played by
Denise Gray (from the United States), new pictures of the Cadre act
- as Maryiene Hickok has a slightly new costume (it has changed from
black stockings to white, changing the overall color), a new profile
shot of the clowns that is reminiscent of the opening clown act
(featuring Serguei fallen over a blue box), shots of the new musicians
in pose, and cast shots of La Nouba's newest singers: Isabeau Prouix-
Lemire and Odessa Thornhill.
All in all I am rather pleased with this new programme. Finally we are
able to see some of the updated costumes in photo form, and see some
of the new cast members in action. With this being only the third
programme since La Nouba's inception in 1998, this update was severely
overdue. The new programmes are available in the Cirque du Soleil
store at Downtown Disney West Side.
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PARTING QUOTE
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We cannot work on a show without a purpose, a content, a
vision of the world."
- Franco Dragone, creating Nouvelle Experience
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NEXT ISSUE...
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Our next issue begins Fascination!'s second year! Join us for more
In-depth, exciting, and informative news pieces, featured articles and
more personal reflections - beginning September 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!
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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
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(unless otherwise noted) to use the submission as we see fit, without
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Copyright (c) and are registered trademarks (TM) of Cirque du Soleil,
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